Marvin X notes on the dedication of the Huey P. Newton wall at 14th and Peralta, West Oakland

On Sunday, December 3, 2017, I was honored to participate in the dedication of a wall painting of Dr. Huey P. Newton and other Black Panther Party members at 14th and Peralta Streets, West Oakland. The Huey P. Newton wall is a project of the Maroon Art Collective, headed by visual artists Refa One, Dwayne Deterville, et al. After overcoming opposition from the domestic colonialists or gentrifiers and the Arab liquor store and no support from Oakland City Hall, though the project is in the Black Arts Movement Business District, approved by the City Council of January 19, 2016. When I asked the crowd if they knew they were standing in the BAMBD liberated space, only a few people raised their hands. 'This is why we called the one year anniversary of the BAMBD as Janteenth, since it has been a year and the City of Oakland has not let you know you have a liberated zone! Your councilwoman, Lynette McElhaney, has not informed you of your space. She has refused to fly the African Universal flag in our district, although in San Francisco, the red, black and green is painted on poles along the 3rd Street corridor in Hunters Point, at the direction of San Francisco Board of Supervisor Malia Cohen, a black woman!"




Before I arrived, BPP Chairwoman Elaine Brown spoke. When I arrived she presented two school children from Tupac Shakur Rose from Concrete independent school who sang a song in honor of the BPP. When I spoke, I first gave honor and respect to Huey P. Newton. There is a video of the event, but I recall saying, "We can talk about the negative Huey may have done, but the question now is what are you going to do to advance the revolution? Huey did all he could do with what he had. And how much can you do with a few pistols and shotguns, especially against the US Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, FBI, CIA, agents provocateurs, snitches and nuts?

"Today, we dedicate this wall to HPN, and establish this as a sacred space. But how many of you know the entire 14th Street, from the socalled Lower Bottom to Lake Merritt is the BAMBD?"

FYI, no original people from West Oakland use the term Lower Bottom--for sure, I grew up in West Oakland on 7th and Campbell and I never heard the term--today a lady referred to the area as West west Oakland, i.e., Willow Street where she grew up, and agreed with me she never used the term Lower Bottom growing up.

Nevertheless, the Black Arts Movement Business District extends from the "lower bottom" or Pine Street to Lake Merritt and four blocks north and south. It is part of the Downtown Oakland Plan for the next 25 to 50 years. "It is up to you young people to take the baton and move forward with this liberated space. I won't be here the next 25 years and don't even want to be!"

So we give thanks and honor to all the Black Panther Party freedom fighters! Power to the People!
--Marvin X
12/6/17

 BAMBD writers and artists/activists honor slain journalist Chauncey Bailey at Joyce Gordon Gallery at 14th and Franklin

 West Oakland natives, Paul Cobb and Marvin X; in the middle, City Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan



left to right Black Arts Movement chief architect, Amiri Baraka; BPP co-founder Bobby Seale; BAM baby Dr. Ayodele Nzinga; Ahi Baraka, son of AB; BAM and BAMBD co-founder Marvin X

Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, founder of the Lower Bottom Playaz, now in residence at the Flight Deck Theatre, 1540 Broadway, downtown Oakland




Eldridge Cleaver and Marvin X, outside the house where Lil Bobby Hutton was murdered by the OPD and Cleaver was wounded, 28th and Magnolia, West Oakland.
photo Muhammad Al Kareeem