Elaine Brown is a former leader of the Black Panther Party—Minister of Information and Chairman. Now she’s a property developer and millions of dollars are pouring into the nonprofit for her apartment building and commercial hub under construction on 7th Street in West Oakland. The businesses will be run as cooperatives, with every worker offered an ownership interest and with jobs reserved for poor or formerly incarcerated people. California’s prisons disproportionately lock up African Americans: 29% of male prisoners are Black, while they make up only 6% of the state’s adult male population. “One of the reasons people are in prison is because they are poor; they are there for economic crimes,” Brown said. “The only way to stop them going back into prison after release is to get them some money and a job.” The other focus of the Black Panther will be 79 units of affordable housing that will fill the upper stories. Studios and one-and two-bedroom apartments will be offered to very low and extremely low-income people, with a maximum limit on their earnings set at 30% of the area’s median income (about $30,000 a year). With support from the city of Oakland and California, all 79 apartments will be offered at low or extremely low rents. “Nobody else in West Oakland or anywhere else in this city has 100% affordable housing, can you believe that?” Amazing.
Black History 365 | 145 Fredia Gibbs
This is Fredia Gibbs, better known as “the most dangerous woman in the world.” Fredia Gibbs would move to North Hollywood in 1990 and pursued kickboxing under Rubin Urquidez and David Krapes at Benny “The Jet” Urquidez’s training center. She followed this with further training in Thailand then returned to North Hollywood for training at the Muay Thai Academy of America. When she pursued martial arts competitively, she racked up an impressive 16-0-1 record. The sole draw was via an exhibition draw in a mixed fight. She was dominant between 1994 and 2001 and won three World championships from three different governing bodies. Her first title win in 1994—the ISKA World title—earned her distinction as the first Black women’s champion in the sport.
Black History 365 | # 144 Wyclef Jean
WYCLEF JEAN! BIG UP MASSIVE!! Originala Ayisien! In 1987 Clef formed The Tranzlator Crew with Praz & Lauryn, then signed a record deal with Ruffhouse Records, changed their name to The Fugees, an abbreviation of refugees. The Fugees released two albums and parted ways in 1996 to focus on solo careers. We know how MASSIVE The Fugees were and are. Wyclef released his first solo album Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (The Carnival). He ran for president of Haiti, he put The Rock on a song, he got a feature from Louis Farrahkhan, overall he made it even more fly to be a proud Haitian. They (we) don’t/didn’t always show love to Haitians like that. We got major love for Wyclef. RESPECT.
Black History 365 | # 143 The 5 Haitian Tuskegee Airmen
From 1941-1946, some 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee. The all Black, 332nd Fighter Group consisted originally of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd. Did you know that there were Haitians recruited to fight in World War II for the United States? In 1942, Haitian President Élie Lescot implemented an aviation corps program, the U.S. government needed the Haitians to organize a patrol of the Caribbean Sea during World War II and gave the Haitian government six airplanes. These airplanes could carry bombs and could be used to attack German submarines within that area. There were at least 5 pilots went for training at the Tuskegee Institute, and most of them were in the Haitian Army or Airforce. Alix Pasquet, Raymond Cassagnol, Ludovic Audant, Eberle J. Guilbau, and Nicolas Pelissier. I prefer peace over war, but salute.
Black History 365 | # 142 Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall is a painter, photographer, printmaker, and installation artist, He best known for large-scale paintings that reflect his engagement with social history, the civil rights movement, and his experiences as an African American, Marshall is represented in more than 30 public collections. He has heavy duty tough work. Check it out.