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Legacy Keepers Bridge Gap Between Black Panthers and BLM

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B.P.P. Legacy Keepers (left to right) Amin Cooley's daughter Anaya Cooley, Co-Founder Amin Cooley, Co-founder Dr. Saturu Ned, Dr. Zafirah Ned. Photo by Michelle Snider.

The original Black Panther Party (1966-1982) left behind a legacy that is often side-lined by the imagery of Black men and women carrying guns in self-defense while wearing black berets and leather jackets. The legacy had been stifled as many party members became political prisoners, and without knowing it at the time, targets of an FBI program called COINTELPRO meant to destroy the party using various deceptive tactics.

With programs like free breakfast and lunch for school children, free health clinics and educational institutions, the BPP created over 60 documented community programs they called survival programs. Many of these programs have become a blueprint for activists today. The BPP created these programs acknowledging that the government was not going to come to communities and do the work of improving them, so the communities had to organize and build structural programs for themselves.

Founded in Oakland, with branches eventually spreading all over the U.S., the BPP believed the only way to create economic stability and self-sufficiency in Black communities was through a combined effort of the people who are from and part of their communities. That is where the term they often use, “All Power to the People,” comes from.

After the death of George Floyd sparked historical nationwide protests under the banner of Black Lives Matter, activists eagerly called original BPP member Saturu Ned looking for advice on how to maneuver what they saw as a modern-day revolution. Formerly known as James Mott, Ned became a BPP member in 1968 and was a member of the BPP’s Lumpen Band. He also taught at Oakland Community School, an award-winning school created by the BPP.

Amin Cooley was one of those activists who called Ned feeling frustrated and angry after watching the video of George Floyd’s death by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cooley is from Oakland and was raised in a time when crack cocaine dominated the streets. He saw how it affected his community. He looked up to the BPP legacy but admits he did not know too much about its history.

When he was young, he went to see ‘Panther’ a film directed and written by Mario Van Peebles. “And this was like, a secret premiere, and I was like ‘wow, this is the first time I actually get to meet some Black Panthers,’” Cooley said. When he attended the premier he was not able to build up the nerve to talk to the original members who were present, but he remembered the movie making a big impression on him.

“It was about the community and I wanted to be a part of that. And I’ve always looked up to them my whole life. And when George Lloyd was murdered by the police, I cried, I cried really hard,” Cooley said. After sleeping all day he said he woke up the next day, “with a fire in my heart and my soul.”

Cooley reached out to a friend who knew Ned. Cooley said he told his friend, “We got to see the Black Panther Party back or at least the programs and the ideology because they have the blueprint in their head.”

Cooley connected with Ned, and they both became co-founders of B.P.P. Legacy Keepers. Under one non-profit with contributions being tax-deductible through the Pledge Group Foundation 501(c)3, B.P.P., Legacy Keepers is seeking to build a network of “legacy keepers” who are already doing community work as well as educate anyone who wants to bridge the gap of knowledge from the time of the BPP to the present.

Being an original Black Panther Party member is not required to be a legacy keeper. Anyone who is doing work similar to that of the original BPP like providing food, healthcare, housing, and legal support would be considered a legacy keeper of the original movement.

Calling for national access-for-all healthcare, advocating for affordable housing, working towards changing the justice system, all of these current-day political discussions fall in line with the BPP 10-point program.

The problem, Ned explained, is that today there is no clear leadership or messaging. He calls the current cycle of video recordings of Black people being killed by police followed up with marches and a hashtag to donate money a “death march” that has no clear vision or accountability. Marching has the purpose of raising attention to a problem, he said, but there is work to be done beyond that.

Legacy Keepers instructs their network users in the methodology of identifying what’s going on in communities and figuring out how to resolve community issues and problems. The problems are intertwined, so working on the idea of police reform or defunding the police would have to collate with other issues in communities, like healthcare, mental health, job security, housing, and food security.

Instruction is based on the BPP legacy using modern technology like classes over Zoom and studying how video phones and social media can be used for effective strategies.

With Ned’s wife, Dr. Zafirah Ned, other instructors available to teach these classes include Katherine Campbell, (Auntie) Francis Moore, and Professor Steve McCutchen. The B.P.P. Legacy Keepers network includes hundreds of individuals, organizations and businesses all over the country.

Cooley represents the younger generation who is learning under the guidance of Ned and will be an instructor as well. Saturu Ned has already done classes on Zoom to universities like Fresno State.

“We are giving classes to policymakers on a national basis, giving Zoom presentations to individuals who want to see how they can actually increase the effectiveness of their organizations,” Ned said. “with other organizations…switching from the concept of just Black Lives Matter, first the historical classes, and then the ideology. We’ll separate myths from fact.” The purpose Ned said, is to start conversations into specific plans and to turn plans into action.

“You’re talking about defunding the police. Every time we hear that, do we not ask where’s your plan?” Ned said. So far, he said he has not heard a concept with a detailed plan that could feasibly be turned into action, and that is a problem that organizing and educating current day legacy keepers can solve.

For more information go to bpplegacykeepers.com.

 

 

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.
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PRESS ROOM: The Allen Lewis Agency Named Ally Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “This recognition from Ally is deeply appreciated,” said Chandra Lewis, co-founder and COO of TALA. “Receiving Ally’s Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year award is a testament to the strength of our team, our strategic approach and our ability to use relationships to deliver meaningful business results for our clients.”
The post PRESS ROOM: The Allen Lewis Agency Named Ally Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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DETROIT– Ally Financial has recognized The Allen Lewis Agency, a full-service marketing and communications agency, as its Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024. The award was given at the Ally 4th annual Supplier Diversity & Sustainability Symposium, on Feb. 29 in Charlotte, N.C.

In 2023, TALA led media outreach and marketing efforts for the fifth anniversary of Moguls in the Making, Ally’s HBCU entrepreneurial pitch competition. It also introduced the brand to new opportunities such as the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), where Ally led a panel on financial education for filmmakers, and leveraged professional connections and years of experience in multicultural marketing to amplify Ally’s partnership with UnitedMasters.

“We are honored to work with Ally and its incredible team members,” said Jocelyn (Allen) Coley, co-founder and CEO of TALA. “The work Ally is doing to bring financial education to a more diverse, multicultural audience through outreach to the creator community aligns with our own passions and priorities. We’re proud to be part of programs such as Moguls in the Making, the American Black Film Festival, and Art Basel, raising awareness within a diverse, often underrepresented audience.”

Ally, the nation’s largest all-digital bank, started its supplier diversity program in 2020 to highlight its commitment to supporting the advancement of an inclusive and sustainable marketplace. The brand strives yearly to increase its spending with diverse suppliers – creating economic value, mobility, and a sustainable future for all.

“When Ally launched its Supplier Diversity program four years ago, our goal was to build an ecosystem of partners and suppliers who truly represented our communities,” said TJ Lewis, Ally senior director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability. “From the beginning, TALA’s success in forging connections between Ally and minority-focused media has greatly expanded the visibility of our brand to the audiences we most want to reach. Their work is worthy of recognition.”

“This recognition from Ally is deeply appreciated,” said Chandra Lewis, co-founder and COO of TALA. “Receiving Ally’s Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year award is a testament to the strength of our team, our strategic approach and our ability to use relationships to deliver meaningful business results for our clients.”

About The Allen Lewis Agency:

The Allen Lewis Agency (TALA) is a full-service marketing and communications agency committed to helping clients build their brands and expand their business through a range of services including strategic brand development, media relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, advertising, events and reputation management. Founders Jocelyn (Allen) Coley and Chandra S. Lewis bring more than 40 combined years of corporate experience with a breadth and depth of services that are unmatched. Now in its eighth year in business, TALA is a certified Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise, Women-Owned Small Business and a certified Association of National Advertisers diverse supplier that has employed a national team of experts who have decades of experience servicing major brands with positive measurable results. Learn more about The Allen Lewis Agency at https://www.theallenlewisagency.com.

The post PRESS ROOM: The Allen Lewis Agency Named Ally Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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OP-ED: A Silent Killer No More

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Data from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City shows that more than 13 percent of African American men between the ages 45 and 79 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. And Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing prostate cancer than White men. The American Cancer Society also shockingly predicts that Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than their White counterparts.
The post OP-ED: A Silent Killer No More first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Hamil R. Harris, NNPA Contributing Writer

Political provocateurs are determined to stir up controversy over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to tell President Biden about his treatment for prostate cancer. Yet, his desire to keep the matter private—and out of the public eye—is in line with what many men, particularly men of color, have done for decades. The reticence to share details of a medical condition is understandable, but prostate cancer is a silent killer in the Black community and the time has come to give it a voice.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose son Dexter recently passed from prostate cancer, I ask: How long? How long will Men of color suffer in silence and die alone? How long will too many brothers hide their plight?

When he finally commented publicly about his condition, Austin offered regrets about keeping silent and then made an important pledge. He said that by not initially disclosing his diagnosis, he “missed an opportunity to send a message on an important public health issue,” while noting the prevalence of prostate cancer, particularly among Black men. Encouraging all men to get screened, Austin promised, “You can count on me to set a better example on this issue today and for the rest of my life.”

Any cancer diagnosis is a private matter. But men like Dexter King and Austin can help so many others who are prone to prostate cancer. Keeping the surgery and treatment a secret would only have continued to add to the stigma surrounding prostate cancer. That would have been a disservice to the thousands of men of color diagnosed annually.

Indeed, data from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City shows that more than 13 percent of African American men between the ages 45 and 79 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. And Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing prostate cancer than White men. The American Cancer Society also shockingly predicts that Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than their White counterparts.

These figures are appalling when considering that prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease with the five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with it being greater than 99 percent if the cancer is detected during the early stage.

While there are numerous reasons for why this disparity between Black and white men exists – decades of structural racism, environmental issues, certain comorbidities, different molecular pathways in the body of Black men – a great deal of the reason comes down to the fact that Black men are disproportionately not being screened for prostate cancer as early or as regularly as White men.

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology by a team at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found that Black men get fewer PSA (prostate specific antigen) screenings; they are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancer; they are less likely to have health insurance; and they have less access to high-quality care and other disparities that can be linked to a lower overall socioeconomic status.

Given his platform as Secretary of Defense, I am happy that Austin recognized his duty to be open and honest about his battle with this disease. And in doing so, he now joins groups and individuals who are already working on spreading awareness for prostate screenings who can act as guideposts.

For example, Mount Sinai Medical Center recently unveiled the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit, which will visit New York City neighborhoods where men could be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.  The mobile home sized bus is named after the African American philanthropist and venture capitalist who donated almost $4 million to launch the program. Smith, who has led many philanthropic endeavors aimed at supporting the African-American community, obviously realizes that it takes a preemptive approach to combat the scourge of prostate cancer by going directly into the communities most affected by the disease. In announcing the prostate screening initiative, Smith tied it to larger inequities in our society that leave African Americans behind. “It’s unconscionable that in our great country and at this moment of technological breakthrough, Black Americans are still subject to staggeringly worse health outcomes,” he said. “We can fix this.”

Thankfully there are individuals like Smith and now Austin to use their platforms to spread awareness for this deadly – yet very treatable – form of cancer and ensure that more people don’t die needlessly.

Hamil R. Harris is an award-winning journalist and contributing writer for the NNPA

The post OP-ED: A Silent Killer No More first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Chevrolet and National Newspaper Association Offer Summer Internship: Discover the Unexpected Fellowship

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The importance of diverse storytelling has never been more evident, and Chevrolet, in partnership with the NNPA, is committed to empowering the next generation of storytellers. By offering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the DTU Fellowship seeks to make a lasting impact on both the individuals selected and the media landscape. The application window for the DTU Fellowship closes on April 1, 2024.
The post Chevrolet and National Newspaper Association Offer Summer Internship: Discover the Unexpected Fellowship first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a bid to amplify Black voices and highlight diverse stories, Chevrolet, in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), invites budding journalists, content creators, and communications enthusiasts to embark on the summer internship of a lifetime through the Discover the Unexpected (DTU) Fellowship.

The DTU Fellowship is geared towards students of historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are passionate about storytelling and eager to contribute to the media landscape. This opportunity offers a platform for aspiring journalists and provides financial support in the form of a $10,000 scholarship and an $8,000 stipend.

One of the key aspects of the DTU Fellowship is the chance to collaborate with some of the largest and most influential Black-owned newspapers in the community. The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between emerging talents and established media outlets, fostering an environment of mentorship and shared knowledge.

The selected DTU fellows will embark on a transformative journey beyond conventional internships. This experience promises exploration, learning, and, most importantly, amplifying their voices. The fellowship recognizes the unique perspectives of HBCU students and aims to provide a platform for these voices to be heard.

What sets the DTU Fellowship apart is the hands-on guidance and mentorship provided by industry professionals who understand the power of diverse perspectives. Fellows can elevate content and gain career-building knowledge through interactions with seasoned journalists and media experts.

The importance of diverse storytelling has never been more evident, and Chevrolet, in partnership with the NNPA, is committed to empowering the next generation of storytellers. By offering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the DTU Fellowship seeks to make a lasting impact on both the individuals selected and the media landscape.

As the application deadline approaches, interested individuals are encouraged to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. The application window for the DTU Fellowship closes on April 1, 2024. The tight deadline emphasizes the urgency and exclusivity of the opportunity, urging potential applicants to act promptly.

The Discover the Unexpected Fellowship by Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Association represents a unique chance for HBCU students to receive financial support for their education and gain invaluable hands-on experience in collaboration with influential Black-owned newspapers. By taking part in this transformative journey, aspiring journalists have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the media industry. Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your content and amplify your voice – apply before the April 1, 2024 deadline!

The post Chevrolet and National Newspaper Association Offer Summer Internship: Discover the Unexpected Fellowship first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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