A beloved community activist in San Francisco was severely beaten by a group of people over the weekend, leaving his family in disbelief.
“Yeah when I first heard it, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t even imagine. My brother wouldn’t even hurt a fly, wouldn’t hurt a bee,” said Faheem Carter’s sister, Courtney Carter.
According to San Francisco police, the 30-year-old was randomly attacked by a group of people in the Tenderloin Saturday.
He is the co-founder of the Florence Fang Community Farm in Bayview-Hunters Point, the largest community garden in the city.
“You just wouldn’t expect it to happen to such a good person,” said his sister Shayna Mayfield.
The sisters said Faheem had just received an award for his work at the garden, which both educates and provides locals with healthy food options.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even recognized Carter's work during a visit to the farm earlier this year.
Local
But lately, Carter was going beyond nutrition, using the farm as a safe place to fix relations between various communities in response to the rise of AAPI attacks in the city -- doing it through the power of gardening.
“He was inviting African-Americans and Asian-Americans over to one location where they were able to learn so much from each other,” said Courtney. “Learning how to grow vegetables and cultivate to maintain”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
So far, SFPD has at least one suspect in custody. Faheem’s family says he’ll need multiple surgeries, with severe injuries to his lungs, ribs, and head.
A GoFundMe has been set up by the family to cover medical costs, and right now, they’re just hoping for the best.
“His presence is needed,” said Courtney. “If we were to lose that, that’s my biggest fear.”
