Who We Are, the Richmond DRAGON League
By Drew K. Min
I'm an SF native born and raised in the outer Richmond District. My family and I have lived in the same place since the 1990s. I went to Alamo Elementary, Presidio Middle School and then to Lowell. My older sister went to Saint Thomas Apostle School and then to Washington High School. Growing up, I would go to the Richmond Market at 41st and Balboa to get snacks or milk when we ran out. It was safe enough that my mother felt comfortable sending me out alone in our quiet neighborhood.
As the years passed, the City changed drastically, and while everywhere else evolved almost unrecognizably, the Richmond was that special place that remained as it was. It's a place full of neighbors trying to raise families and run honest mom-and-pop shops. I thought the Richmond would remain like that forever. Then on Aug. 24, 2023, 60-year-old John Tewolde, our friend and longtime clerk at Richmond Market, was killed by a thief trying to steal two beers.
He was beloved by so many of us in the community. Known for his warmth and kind greeting of any customer, when children would come to buy snacks but didn't have enough money, he would pay out of his own pocket. It came as a shock to me when I heard the news. Not only because it happened in our neighborhood, but because I feared now for the safety of my elderly mother. My father died when I was young and, as any filial Korean son would do, I promised him I would protect my family. I did everything in my power to elevate John's story. I reached out to every connection I had in my community organizing history. Thankfully, I was not alone.
Neighbors came out in force to help. The Richmond, a historically quiet place where families kept to themselves, was changing as a response to this tragedy. We raised $100,000 for John's family. His story caught fire and made national news. More than 300 neighbors attended John's vigil in front of Richmond Market, and we were honored to be able to share the love we felt for John with his family, who was in attendance.
Yet one thing continues to haunt me. One day, I was invited by the family to attend their family gathering as relatives came from all over the world to pay their respects and share in their grief. They were all gathering because John was the rock of their family. The wailing and mourning from that family gathering struck me with its intensity. To this day, sometimes when I sit alone, I can still hear their cries and unanswered pleas for his return.
So, when the vigil was over and everything had been finished, neighbors asked, "How do we prevent this from happening again?" I was determined to make a change. What started from casual get-togethers and meals among neighbors turned into an organized effort to do something about the status quo and the future of the Richmond. That's when dozens of us came together to form Richmond DRAGON (Defending Richmond and Galvanizing Our Neighborhood) League, a collective of neighbors within the Richmond District who wish to make positive changes in the neighborhood and tackle local issues based on open communication with fellow neighbors. Since October of 2023, we have engaged with neighbors and small business owners which culminated in a great Community Summit that was held in December and is now a program we wish to continue regularly.
Walking down Geary, I visited every store I could to spread news of a community celebration event our group was planning. More than half of all the stores said that they had been broken into twice or more in the past year alone. It was a sobering experience. It dawned on me that the tragedy at the Richmond Market could've also happened in any of those break-ins. I personally don't know if I can handle going to another funeral or family gathering to be shaken again by the intensity of the family's grief. I implore any resident of the Richmond to ask their favorite local shop if they have had any break-ins and have the same experience and realization that I did that afternoon.
Then my worst fear came to be in December. My own elderly mother was attacked in broad daylight. She had been walking with our 83-year-old family friend when they were attacked. She had thrown her body over our friend to protect her. When I saw my mother, her chest and back of her neck were covered in scratches and bruises. The cries and wails of the past echoed in my mind as I realized I could've lost her.
As the police investigation unfolded, I did the best I could to help, but became frustrated and emotional as it became clear the attackers may never be caught. What eventually brought me out of my despair were the members of the very group I had founded. My fellow incredible neighbors that I had been able to meet through tragedy helped me through my own.
We might not be community organizing professionals or have any financial backing besides what comes out of our own pockets, but we care. We care because our home has been attacked. We care because our family and friends were attacked. It doesn't come from any glorious mission statement, ideologies, or flashy agendas. We care because we're neighbors and all we want to do is make it so that our own kids can grow up in the same Richmond that we did.
I hope you will join the Richmond DRAGON League at one of our upcoming events or socials. For more information visit www.richmonddragonleague.org or email us at richmonddragonleague@gmail.com.
Drew K. Min is a native San Franciscan, born and raised in the Outer Richmond. Min is the founder of Richmond DRAGON (Defending Richmond and Galvanizing Our Neighborhood) League.
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