City Honors Midge Wilson for her Transformative Work in the Tenderloin with Commemorative Street Renaming

Today, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the renaming of the 100 Block of Elm Street, the alleyway next to the Tenderloin Community School, to Midge Wilson Alley, in honor of the community leader who helped found the school. Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district includes the Tenderloin, has been working alongside the Bay Area Women's & Children's Center (BAWCC) on this project.

“Midge Wilson is a driving force for good in the Tenderloin, and it’s fitting that her name and legacy become a permanent part of the neighborhood through this commemorative street renaming,” said Supervisor Dean Preston.

“BAWCC is excited and proud that our founder, Midge Wilson can be honored for her immense contribution to the Tenderloin community,” the BAWCC Board of Directors shared in a statement. “Midge was an essential force behind the energy to center the needs of women; particularly women with children in the Tenderloin. She advocated for and was hands on with the counting of children in the TL. The data showed the need for projects such as the renovation of Civic Center playground, the building of the Tenderloin Children's Center, and the creation of Tenderloin Community School. The renaming of Elm Alley is a small way to thank and honor Midge, her work, and her impact. We hope her name will continue to inspire the next generation of Tenderloin heroes.”

Midge Wilson founded the Bay Area Women’s and Children Center (BAWCC) in 1981, where she served as Executive Director until her retirement in 2022. Under Midge Wilson's guidance as the executive director, the BAWCC has undertaken tremendous projects that have transformed the Tenderloin neighborhood, including bringing five playgrounds to the Tenderloin and Civic Center, including the Tenderloin Recreation Center, home to family-friendly community festivals and events, after school programs, and open areas for children to play on soccer or on the playground.

One of Midge’s crowning achievements was co-founding the Tenderloin Community School in 1998. Before that year, the thousands of children that lived in the Tenderloin did not have their own elementary school, and children would have to travel by bus or walk long distances to get to their daily classes. Being a working-class neighborhood, this also made it harder for parents to be active in their children’s school life, as they would need to juggle their jobs and also travel long distances to their children’s schools. Working with the community, Midge spearheaded the creation of the Tenderloin Community School, the neighborhood’s first public elementary school.

With passage of the resolution, SFMTA is now authorized to install the new commemorative signs, and a community unveiling ceremony is expected to occur in the upcoming months.

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