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John, far too many Black radical leaders are taken from us too early.
That’s why it’s difficult to put into words just how special it is to be able to celebrate the birthday of living legend Elaine Brown!
Elaine Brown, a formidable force and former Chair of the Black Panther Party, is turning 82 today! Back in 1974, Elaine broke new ground when she became the first and only woman ever to lead the Black Panther Party.
In the 1970s, under Elaine's leadership, the Black Panther Party significantly expanded its community programs, including its free breakfast programs for children, a ground breaking community school, and health clinics, laying the groundwork for community activism.
It’s a fact that Black women and femmes have been at the forefront of history and change-making (but are not celebrated nearly as much as male leaders). So it’s an honor to uplift none other than Elaine Brown at the start of Women’s History Month!
Elaine’s dedication and commitment to our collective struggle for freedom has not diminished and remains as fervent as ever.
She started Oakland and the World Enterprises, a nonprofit that is launched and sustaining cooperatively-owned businesses owned by formerly incarcerated and socioeconomically marginalized people.
Help us celebrate Elaine by splitting a donation between Black Lives Matter and Oakland and the World Enterprises today!
We were so honored to partner with Sister Brown and present her organization with $1 million to help fund the creation of the Black Panther Building.
This housing development in Oakland, California, is the first of its kind at 100% affordable housing. Beyond cementing the history of the Black Panther Party into the history of Oakland, the name of the building is meant to spur consciousness and give people something to fight for and protect.
Outside of affordable housing, this project also aims to address the health of our communities. In the same complex, the Black Panther houses a grocery market offering fresh produce, a community garden for residents, a fitness center, and a tech center.
For too long, capitalism and white supremacy have upheld and emphasized a system of punishment and erasure. That includes punishing and criminalizing poor people, unhoused people, people suffering from hunger, people struggling with mental health, drug and substance abuse, and so much more. The Black Panther Building challenges this by stepping in and demonstrating how our leaders can create the conditions for Black people to thrive instead of merely surviving.
Here are some photos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Black Panther building ⤵️:
 Elaine is an icon and an inspiration. We are so lucky to be able to learn from her wisdom, and we don’t take it for granted. She is an inspiration for so much of our activism and how we move forward.
If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to split a donation between Black Lives Matter and Oakland and the World Enterprises in celebration of Elaine Brown and as an investment in our continued fight for Black liberation.
With love,
Black Lives Matter
Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.
Will you make a recurring contribution of $5 or more today so that we can keep building momentum for our movement?
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