After racist attacks, peace rally brings Fillmore together

Terry Williams speaks to longtime neighbors outside his family’s recently burned out home. Mayor London Breed, left, gave remarks, along with Fillmore Collaborative’s Howard Smith, far right. — Photo: Griffin Jones by Griffin Jones On Friday afternoon, under patchy gray skies, heads bowed and arms raised at an intimate peace gathering outside the burned out remains of local dog walker Terry Williams’ family home at Grove and Fillmore Streets. The gathering included words from Mayor London Breed and a prayer service, led by Rev. Ishmael Burch, and a discussion on next steps for the Williams family and the local community following a fire this past Tuesday that left the two-story house in ruins and led to the hospitalization of Terry’s parents, Carolyn, 79, and Luddie, 82. Both were inside at the time of the fire. Though no connection has been proven, it is widely believed that the fire is the latest in a string of targeted racist threats against Terry in the form of packages on his doorstep after midnight on April 26 and then again on May 5. The packages included a noose, KKK paraphernalia and blackface dolls covered in racial slurs and threats on Terry’s life. At 4...