West Oakland Renaissance Committee Elders Council

West Oakland products:
Paul Cobb and Marvin X

photo Walter Riley, Esq.

West Oakland Product Ed Howard, Engineer and Businessman




West Oakland Renaissance Committee Elders Council



For several months a group of West Oakland concerned elders have been meeting the first Thursday of the month at the Post Newspaper conference room to consider critical issues in their childhood neighborhood of West Oakland. Members of the group include Joe Johnson, Leonard Gardner, Paul Cobb, Maxine Ussery, Francis Brown, Dr. Larry Moore, Ed Howard and Marvin X.

The group's concerns include Defermery Park (aka, Bobby Hutton Park), the possible closing of the African American Museum/Library, gentrification and the ethnic cleansing of West Oakland. They recently attended a meeting in which thousands of dollars were being doled out to mostly white residents and businesses. After the group's support, a black resident was able to win a grant.

The West Oakland Renaissance Committee/Elders Council is seeking involvement of more senior citizens who may have time to mentor youth and advocate for senior issues such as the possible closing of the Senior Center at 18th and Adeline.

Seniors who desire to become computer literate should contact the group. There is a program that gives free computers to seniors and Oakland school children.

The Elders Council is based on the ideas of the late John Douimbia, founder of the Black Men's Conference that was formed after a meeting of over one thousand black men at the Oakland Audioirium, 1981. Marvin X was co-planner of the BMC and has written an Abstract for the Elders Council.

In a conversation with a Laney College BSU member, Marvin X called for Black Panther Party elders, Muslims, Christians, Marxists and other senior activists to form the Elder's Council to address community issues, especially problems of street and partner violence.

Why not set up an 800 number that people can call for conflict resolution, rather than call 911 or resort to senseless violence. The council is thus an alternative to the criminal justice system. It is about community justice and conflict resolution.

Let the elders meet to reconcile critical matters in the community. Youth should be able to call upon the Elder's Council for advice and wisdom. Elder Terry Collins, a strike leader from San Francisco State University, noted that every elder should be assigned five youth to mentor and they should accompany elders in their daily round.

If elders made their presence felt on the street it would cause a decrease in violence, but too many elders are afraid of their own children so they say nothing for fear youth will disrespect them or abuse them.

We must cast away our fears and help our children. A youth passed Marvin X at his outdoor classroom downtown Oakland. "His pants were sagging and I started to say something to him, but he apparently read my mind because before I could say anything he pulled up his pants and continued down the street. Sometimes it only takes a thought!"

We urge elders from West Oakland or the wider community to join this group which meets every first Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thursday, August 4, 1p.m., at the Oakland Post Newspaper Group office, 14th and Franklin, 12th floor. For more information, email Marvin X: jmarvinx@yahoo.com