So ten brothers got together in 66 to develop an easier means for folk who cut a rug together to enhance their communities together It was Milwaukee in 1966; Malcolm was murdered, cities were burning, and MLK was seeing the greater picture. Cities were burning yall.. In my fathers words, We had two arms; the social arm funded the civic arm. So yeah, these giants wore tuxedos and evening gowns and not necessarily expensive; the women often made their own. It wasnt about elitism within ourselves. It was about defining ourselves for ourselves, and being ourselves, not in spite, but in service -- to ourselves, and ALL of ourselves. Friends whove ever attended any of my parties, WE are producing one of the most powerful public forums on gentrification vs. redevelopment in Oaklands recent history this Wednesday. These chats are normally in rooms full of likeminded folks -- were changing that, pairing an opening conversation with featured guest speakers Jahmese Myers (EBASE), Jeremy Liu (formerly EBALDC), and Orson Aguilar (Greenlining Institute), with a second conversation with developers Alan Dones (Black Man/Oakland Arts & Retail Project/SEARS) and Mike Ghielmetti (Brooklyn Basin), and Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink). Calvin Williams (Urban Strategies Council) and Blanca Torres (SF Business Times) will be moderating the latter conversation. Were not in the room for this conversation. This IS our conversation. We dance together. We smile together. Weve shared our lives together. And now were asking questions about our homes and businesses together, because we want to stay together. Weve over 500 RSVPs for Wednesday evenings program at Impact Hub Oakland 2323 Broadway and I really hope to see as many of you there as possibly can be. Thanks for always being there through the years. Lets turn it up.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 19:04:03 +0000
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