Heritage and the San Francisco Latino Historical Society are embarking on a new project to document the Latino history of 24th Street in the Mission District. “Calle 24: Cuentos del Barrio” is an effort to bring visibility to the Latino heritage of 24th Street and to support its continued vitality. With guidance from Dr. Carlos Cordova (San Francisco State University) and Oscar Grande (PODER), local high school and college students received training in oral history methodology and conducted a series of interviews with community leaders from 24th Street to recover stories dating from the 1940s to the present-day. The interviews will enliven the corridor’s rich historical and cultural themes, with the young scholars and Barrio Tour Guides taking visitors on tours of a diverse range of historic places.
The project will culminate in a public walking tour on Sunday, July 28 during “Sunday Streets” in the Mission. Barrio Tour Guides will lead visitors on a hour-and-a-half-long tour of 24th Street that will illuminate the neighborhood’s rich history of arts and culture, commercial development, community activism, and Latino immigration and migration to San Francisco. Tours will depart from a site near Mission and 24th Streets at the following times: 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (Spanish), and 3:00 p.m.
The tour is free and open to the public, but space is limited to 15 people. To register for a tour, please RSVP to Desiree Smith at dsmith@sfheritage.org or (415) 441-3000 x11 by Friday, July 26th at 5 p.m. In your email, please indicate your name, phone number, and preferred tour time. Interested tour-goers can also register in person on the day of the event by visiting the “Calle 24: Cuentos del Barrio” table located near the intersection of 24th and Bartlett Streets.
“Calle 24: Cuentos del Barrio” is made possible with funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Bland Family Foundation.
