Los Angeles Times

'Last Black Man in San Francisco' and capturing the magic of home and fraternal love

San Francisco broke Jimmie Fails' heart a long time ago.

The city he knew as a sanctuary for immigrants, free spirits, artists and oddballs no longer exists. A swell of wealth, tech companies and urban renewal has carved up much of his beloved city, rendering it unfamiliar and inaccessible to those without the fat wallets needed to afford today's San Francisco.

Baby boomers, infants and minorities are virtually endangered species; Ubers, Lyfts and buses carrying Google and Apple workers clog the streets; the gap between the haves and have nots is crushing. Fails - like many inhabitants - yearns for his old paradise, the romantic city once known as the Paris of the West.

"The people who made the city what it is, I barely see them anymore. Everyone is gone, pushed out. We're bitter, we're jaded, but there's not much I can do

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