‘It’s hard to be here, but we are here’: SF Black Wall Street expands its mission

It’s no secret the Black population is shrinking in the Bay Area. Latest Census figures say it’s at 6% in the entire region. Despite those declines, one nonprofit wants to expand in hopes of preserving Black culture and businesses

“It’s hard to be here, but we are here,” said Tinisch Hollins, who has organized in her community for decades. The San Francisco native grew up in the Bayview and now lives in Solano County

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“I mean the economic wealth gap. I don’t live in San Francisco anymore because I can’t afford to buy a home in San Francisco,” she said

Hollins co-founded SF Black Wall Street in 2020 during the pandemic to bring more visibility to Black-owned businesses and culture. In February 2025, SF Black Wall Street opened 1921 Lounge in the Bayview. The lounge is named after the year the original Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was destroyed by race riots

“Our goal is to make our first social enterprise for our organization so that we can raise our own capital,” Hollins said

1921 Lounge was damaged in June 2025 and was forced to shut down. Hollins is now working through the permit process to reopen

“Our Black population, no secret, has declined,” Hollins said. “We’re the minority across the Bay Area, and it’s important for us to build visibility and to build connection across the Bay Area so that our culture and businesses stay alive.”

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“I’m not giving up on my city. That’s home base,” she went on say. “But I recognize that in order for us to anchor our Black communities, we have to go beyond San Francisco and anchor all of them.”

Building those connections means expanding the community network. SF Black Wall Street is now known as Bay Area Black Wall Street. The newly renovated Fedora Lounge and Comedy Club in Suisun City will be part of Bay Area Black Wall Street’s growing network to build culture and community

Tegre Miles owns Fedora

“We can sit back and go with the narrative that people, other people write for us, or we can do it ourselves,” he said

Bay Area Black Wall Street wants its members to have meeting places to connect and celebrate but also organize and strategize community needs

Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James was raised in San Francisco and now lives in Vallejo

“When we’re talking about Black people in the Bay Area, Solano County has the most Black residents per capita than any other county in the Bay Area,” she said

Solano County has the highest Black population at 13%. Alameda County is at 9%, Contra Costa is 8% and San Francisco is at 5%. The Black populations in Marin, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Napa counties are at 1-2%

Hollins said investment is important for significant change. It’s also necessary for narratives to change

“I feel like the Black population is sometimes seen and not welcome, not seen for the right reasons, and I think that’s what needs to shift,” she said. “It’s something you need to invest in, embrace, and really make that whole diversity thing that folks like to say, make it a real thing cause Black culture is a driving force.”