How Marvin X would allocate the BAMBD Billion Dollar Trust Fund
Poet, Planner, Organizer Marvin X reading at Laney College Theatre, Oakland (Opened for Donald Lacy's Color Struck). Marvin X was recently awarded a grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to organize The Black Vendors Association.
He performs in the Black Arts Movement Business District, CDC's BAMBDFEST throughout the month of Black August. Catch his OFF THE RECORD video segments on Wednesdays, 11AM. He interviews Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga and performs a concert at the Berkeley Black Repertory Group Theatre, accompanied by percussionists Tacuma King and Kele Nitoto, violinist Tarika Lewis, harpist Destiny Muhammad, choreographer Raynetta Rayzetta RIP and words of inspiration by Suzzette Celeste.
photo Alicia Mayor
Marvin X, the Black Arts Movement Business District co-founder and planner, suggests how the BAMBD Billion Dollar Trust Fund would be allocated:
$100 million for General Fund
$100 million for Five Year Plan
$200 million for mixed use rental housing (seniors, artists, workers, mentally disabled, recently incarcerated, single parents)
$100 million for mortgage loans, especially for purchase of modified SRO hotel rooms with life estate titles for the chronically homeless, thus ending homelessness overnight
$100 million for job training
$ 100 million for micro and macro loans to entrepreneurs
$100 million to establish the David Blackwell STEM Institute (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
$100 for land and real estate acquisition
$100 for reentry assistance to displaced former residents of Oakland
Notes on the Black Arts Movement Billion Dollar Trust Fund by Marvin X
7/24/21
While I worked my Academy of Da Corner book stand at 14th and Broadway, I was approached by City of Oakland Planning Consultants as per my ideas for Oakland's Downtown Plan for the next 25 to 50 Years. Since they only found time to approach the community, i.e., North American Africans, as they neared the final report of their project, I didn't take them seriously though I informed them that the City of Oakland had just voted to establish the Black Arts Movement Business District along the 14th Street corridor from the lower bottom to Lake Merritt and four blocks north and south of 14th Street. The planning consultants seemed shocked the community had a district in the City's plan. The planner soon returned to invite us to their planning meetings. At one such meeting I heard North American African developers say that we are not present in Oakland's skyline, although we are qualified to be present. The only presence we have are the giant cranes constructed by Tom Berkeley that revitalized the Port of Oakland, although North American Africans share little equity in the Port of Oakland that is not technically owned by the City of Oakland.
So as per our presence in Oakland's skyline, the North American African developers aroused my interest especially as per our equity presence in Oakland's Downtown Plan for the next 25-50 years. I am aware of how Black Developers have been excluded from projects after white developers have given substantial "gifts" to City Council persons, even after the plans of North American African development projects have been approved. This is obviously political chicanery.
When we became aware of the Carmel development project at 14th and Broadway, now entitled The ATLAS, a 600 unit market rate housing the Black Arts Movement Business District, CDC, under the direction of Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, demanded Community Benefit Agreements for displacement. Of course the BAMBD CDC was not in harmony with politicians or developers. The City Councilwoman in the BAMBD district, instructed "stakeholders" to direct all Community Benefit Agreements through her, but the BAMBD CDC ignored her attempt to dominate our district. We believe in Power to the People as the Black Panther Party taught.
BAMBD CDC was incorporated as a community institution independent of the City of Oakland's domination. We were aware of Cultural Districts in other cities that the politicians attempted to control so the community would have no voice in benefit agreements or any other equity agreements. though the community would suffer pains of displacement, homelessness and joblessness.
Although we gave assistance to the BAMBD CDC, including preparing its incorporation papers, we were not content with the quibbles and bits of Community Benefit Agreements. We joined the BAMBD CDC for meetings on the CBA but our vision was for ownership equity. So we met with the Carmel Developers who were happy to meet with us and all others in our community that they could persuade to address the Planning Commission to approve their project for their 600 unit market rate housing development with retail space on the street level. While BAMBD CDC continued meeting with CARMEL, Carmel also agreed to meet with those of us who desired to discuss equity ownership. They thought equity ownership was an interesting idea and said they would study the idea or any other idea that would advance their approval with the Planning Commission. Carmel even agreed to support the publication of our community newspaper but were highly upset when we published a full page ad that depicted the architect's sketch of their project. But ironically, when they appeared before the Planning Commission, they project the full page ad from our paper on the giant screen as evidence of community support.
So let's cut to the endgame. We are demanding the Carmel project, aka ATLAS, ownership is transferred to the Black Arts Movement Business District, perhaps in a joint ownership agreement that will ultimately transfer total ownership to the BAMBD CDC or another community entity independent of City of Oakland, yet a critical component of the Oakland Downtown Plan. This equity agreement will insure the BAMBD as a long-term critical owner in the development project currently known as ATLAS. We will compensate CARMEL for fair market value of their development project by foundation and corporate grants for long term projects, e.g., the MacArthur Foundation's $100 million grant for long term projects and other contributions, including sovereign wealth funds and/or the MiniUp project created by Attorney Amira Jackmon who was present at our meeting with Carmel when we discussed equity ownership. Attorney Jackmon, a high finance bond's writer, has envisioned a community bonds project that may differ from her MiniUP Project.
Finally, in our desire for equity, envision reparations as part of this paradigm, but also imagine the community employing their in this investment project to reset Oakland's skyline to represent economic and social justice. In contrast to Carmel and The ATLAS making available minimal units below market rate, we would reverse the process and make available the majority of units affordable. Clearly, the City of Oakland and its planning consultants must re-envision its downtown plan to make North American Africans and their BAMBD a self sustaining entity to ensure long term vitality, with housing the critical component.
Below market rate retail space is equally as critical since many people in our community suffer post traumatic slave syndrome, similar to the military persons returning from America's eternal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Syria. The military is sending its veterans to schools and colleges to become entrepreneurs and North American Africans suffer the same PTSD from America's drug wars, mis-education, economic disparity (Black men make 57 cents to the dollar as per white men). Covid 19 has revealed critical disparities in health care. There is no need to discuss Critical Race Theory. The facts speak for themselves, we don't need theories.
Toward the Billion Dollar Trust Fund
for the Black Arts Movement Business District
The BAMBD is part of the City of Oakland’s downtown plan for the next 25 to 50 years. If it is to survive and thrive, the must be an independent endowment trust fund established to avoid city politics and budget crises that may cause defunding of the BAMB. So while we are not averse to receiving grant funds from city, state and governmental agencies, the BAMBD Billion Trust Fund would insure an independent repository of funds for the life blood of the BAMBD. We want the trust fund to be primary supported by the North American African people of Oakland and elsewhere throughout the nation. It will be a symbol of self-determination of the people. While we would not turn down funding from government and corporate entities, The BAMBD Billion Dollar Trust Fund should symbolize and express the spirit of cultural and economic independence of the Black Arts Movement. As citizens, we have every right to receive funds from governmental and corporate agencies but the primary contributors to the fund should be North American Africans. In the past, too many of our organizations have been funded by persons and agencies not in harmony with the true aspirations of North American Africans. It must be clear that we will not compromise our principles and values for financial assistance. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors who called for cultural and economic independence.
Priorities of BAMBD Billion Dollar Trust Fund
As indicated in the BAMBD pillars, housing is a priority. There must be market rate and affordable housing for workers, artists and common people in the BAMBD. We propose all properties in the BAMBD should be placed under the land trust to preserve land and properties for future generations, especially to stem the tide of gentrification. To help end homelessness, we seek to acquire SRO hotels for the homeless and grant them life estate titles to their dwellings. This will end a certain degree of homelessness overnight. Housing would assist those recently released from incarceration and those suffering from drug abuse, mental illness and partner abuse.
The BAMBD trust fund would acquire commercial properties for the district that would include office space, retail space, performance and exhibit space. In certain cases, we may need to re-gentrify properties for the benefit of the BAMBD community, placing such properties under the land trust.
We propose the establishment of the Dr. David Blackwell Institute of Math, Science, Technology and Art as an anchor educational institution in the BAMBD. The institute is in honor of the great North American mathematician who taught at the University of California, Berkeley. We invite UC Berkeley to partner with BAMBD in the establishment of the Blackwell STEM and Art institute. Silicon Valley corporations should also support the Blackwell Institute.
Again, the BAMBD trust should rely on the primary support of North American Africans who do indeed have the wealth to fund their cultural and economic endeavors.
The BAMBD Billion Dollar Trust Fund would be under the direction of a community board with a vision for the future.
We invite non-profit groups in the BAMBD area and vicinity to partner with us to make the BAMBD a reality. We would especially appreciate such groups partnering with us to apply to the MacArthur Foundation’s 100 Million RFP for long range projects with broad community support.
Marvin X, BAMBD Planner
