Millions of dollars are pouring into former Black Panther Party Chairwoman Elaine Brown’s nonprofit for her apartment building and commercial hub under construction on 7th Street in West Oakland.
The Black Lives Matter Foundation hosted a bubby-fueled birthday celebration for the 81-year-old revolutionary on Tuesday. The organization was one of several there that announced they are giving big contributions to Brown’s Oakland & The World Enterprises.
Lateefah Simon, the BART board director who’s running for U.S. Congress, emceed the soirée at Oakstop. Oakland politicos and cultural figures took turns showering Brown with praise and throwing funds at her development project.
“Out of nowhere last year, the Black Lives Matter Foundation called me and said, ‘We want to help you,’” Brown said in a speech. “I said, ‘Is this a joke?’”
For a decade, Brown has been working with national developer McCormack Baron Salazar to build a 79-unit affordable housing development. Apartments will be rented to tenants making 30% of the area median income or under—considered extremely low-income. The nonprofit BOSS will provide social services to residents. On the ground floors, Brown is planning a commercial center that will possibly include a restaurant, gym, urban farm, and shops and offices, all primarily employing people who were formerly incarcerated.
