They say it takes a village to raise a child. What often goes unspoken is something Brown and Black communities know all too well: It also takes a village—the collective power of community—to ensure that lives unjustly taken by law enforcement, are not forgotten.
On March 21, 2014, 28-year-old Alejandro “Alex” Nieto was shot at 59 times by four SFPD officers; he died under that rain of gunfire, impaled by 14 bullets.
Now Alex’s neighborhood has come together to continue celebrating his life.
On June 24, Louie Gutierrez, co-owner of La Reyna Bakery, and Elvira and Refugio Nieto, Alex’s parents, worked in coalition with three neighboring businesses—La Reyna Bakery, Adobe Bookstore and Sunrise Restaurant—to host a community fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the International Amor for Alex Nieto Memorial.
Approved 9 to 1 in 2016 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the memorial will be permanently placed in Bernal Heights Park, near where Alex was killed. Elvira and Refugio, who regularly visit the place on Bernal Hill, are working with community members to raise the $40,000 needed to break ground.
“I didn’t know Alex personally but you don’t need a personal relationship for something to affect you,” said Reina Tello, who attended the fundraiser. “He could have been my brother or my son.”
Tello placed an incense burner on top of the emblem of the Mexican flag neatly laid on a table adorned with pink and red roses that were to be sold through the evening. The burning copal drew children and adults alike to watch Tello bless the roses and the space between La Reyna Bakery and Sunrise Restaurant. They, like Alex, and many present at the fundraiser, are children of the Mission coming together to commemorate his life.
At Adobe Books, Martin Herrera, whose stage name is MC Pauze, hosted a show where he performed a handful of his songs, many of which denounced police brutality and brought attention to the need for intersectional advocacy work. In between his songs and messages of hope, Cathy Arrellano and a performer named Nickel shared their poetry. It was a space filled with artists, neighbors and families committed to Alex’s legacy.
Alex spent his childhood in Bernal Heights and the Mission. He spent four years working as a youth counselor at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center and two years at the San Francisco Police Activities League. He graduated from City College of San Francisco with a concentration in criminal justice. He was a licensed security guard. He practiced Buddhism.
Even if Alex hadn’t been academically inclined, a community organizer, employed, or peaceful, his life, like many others taken at the hands of the state, mattered.
Alex Nieto was a child of the Mission. And now the village that raised him will share his story and assure his life is not forgotten.
To contribute and donate to the International Amor for Alex Nieto Memorial Fund, visit www.gofundme.com/amor4alexnieto