Oakland Post

Oakland Businessman Yanci Taylor Sr. Turns 96

Published

7 years ago

March 5, 2020

Yanci Taylor celebrates his 96th birthday on February 24, 2020. He was born in a rural town of Lot, Texas, in 1924 to Yanci Taylor Sr. and Mariah Taylor. Taylor was the fourth out of eight children.

He would complete high school and later marry Alberta Taylor in 1945. This union would produce two children. Shortly after, he was drafted into World War II, becoming a non-commissioned officer.

While in the Army, Taylor was a barber and learned how to be an electrician. He had skills in carpentry that he learned from his father and skills in clothing from his mother who was a seamstress.
After three years of service, Taylor purchased his first property.

He applied to join the union for electricians but was denied because the electrician union did not accept African Americans. Taylor then joined the union for carpenters, eventually becoming a subcontractor.

Taylor set his sights on starting and owning a clothing store in downtown Oakland. He hired an attorney to obtain a master lease for Yanci’s Clothes Hanger store from Coldwell Banker in June 1964. Taylor had to get an attorney to obtain a lease because there was a lot of reticence from the property managers to lease to an African American man.

Taylor would go on to become the first African American to own and operate a retail shop in downtown Oakland. The store was in a prime location at 1422 Broadway and it became very successful with 21 years of business.

The store carried suits, shirts, shoes, exotic furs and excellent fabrics. Mr. Taylor would travel to manufacturers’ conventions and shop for the clothing himself. The high quality of the materials attracted a diverse clientele from baseball player Willie Mays, to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, civil rights attorney John Burris, Congressman Ron Dellums, Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party and many influential people.

Taylor has been a member of North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church since the 1940s, joining upon his arrival on the U.S. Army base. He is the father of renowned jazzman Yanci Taylor Jr.

Taylor has won two trophies in recent years for being the oldest living family member at his family reunion in Texas. His grandmother lived to be 100 years old.

At 96, Yanci Taylor does 50 push-ups every morning, listens to jazz, cooks for himself and makes his own juice from his lemon tree.

Yanci Taylor. Photo by Tymeesa Rutledge.

Taylor drives his car and his California driver’s license will expire in 2024 when he turns 100.

Saskia Hatvany

Posts by Saskia Hatvany

Related Topics:Oakland Obituary Yanci Taylor

Up Next

Remembering Housing Activist Lillian Love

Don't Miss

Barbara Lee Celebrates Landmark Hearing on Child Poverty

Saskia Hatvany

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 28 – November 3, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

November 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 21 – 27, 2026

Published

3 weeks ago

October 25, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Community

Mayor Barbara Lee Holds Special State of the City Address in Deep East Oakland

In partnership with Rise East and the 40×40 Council, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee held a special 2026 State of the City East Oakland community conversation on Oct. 14. The purpose of bringing a State of the City address directly to the community was to celebrate East Oakland, highli

Published

4 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, left. moderated a community chat with (l.to r.) Selena Wilson, CEO of the East Oakland Youth Development Center; Carolyn “CJ” Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone; Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO of Roots Health Center and Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders.

By Special to The Post

In partnership with Rise East and the 40×40 Council, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee held a special 2026 State of the City East Oakland community conversation on Oct. 14.

The purpose of bringing a State of the City address directly to the community was to celebrate East Oakland, highlight the work underway, and look ahead to what neighbors, local businesses, youth, funders, community organizations, and partners can accomplish together.

Held at the Roots Community Health/Parker Elementary School Campus at 7929 Ney Ave., the event was emceed by special guest Mark Curry, Oakland native, comedian, and actor.

Lee shared how Rise East and the 40×40 Council have brought together the knowledge, relationships, and resources of people and organizations committed to East Oakland.

Residents bring lived experience, community organizations bring trusted relationships and philanthropy, and businesses bring resources and opportunity, she said, then turned to the government’s role: public investment, services and policy.

But, Lee intoned, City Hall has a responsibility to help connect those efforts.

“I am committed to listening to residents, working across departments and sectors, and helping open doors to opportunity. We must connect neighborhood priorities to the decisions we make about housing, economic development, safety, health and our young people.

City Hall “must be accountable for the results,” Lee said. “The measure of success is what families experience: greater stability, more opportunity and a stronger sense that they belong and have a future here.

“Tonight is an opportunity to listen to the leaders doing this work, learn what is making a difference and identify where we can do more together,” the mayor said.

Lee went on to moderate a ‘fireside chat’ on the theme: Building Oakland’s Future Together — From Neighborhood Investment to Community Empowerment with: