Elaine Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elaine Brown
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Brown c. 1967
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| Born | March 2, 1943 |
| Occupation | Activist · Singer · Songwriter |
| Political party | Black Panther Green |
| Movement | Black Power movement |
| Children | 1 |
Elaine Brown (born March 2, 1943) is an American activist, writer, and singer. She is known for her work helping people in prison. She was also a leader of the Black Panther Party. This group worked for the rights of Black people. Elaine Brown lives in Oakland, California. In 2008, she briefly tried to become the Green Party candidate for president.
Since 2014, she has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Oakland & the World Enterprises. This organization was founded by her.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elaine Brown grew up in North Philadelphia with her mother, Dorothy Clark. Her father was not around. Even though they were very poor, Elaine's mother worked hard for her. Elaine went to private schools and took music lessons. She also had nice clothes.
Early Studies and Interests
As a child, she studied classical piano and ballet. She went to a school where most students were white. Elaine did not have many Black friends growing up. She spent most of her time with white people.
Moving to California
After high school, she went to Temple University for a short time. She left because she wanted to work in music. Brown then moved to Los Angeles, California. She hoped to become a professional songwriter there. In Los Angeles, she studied at the University of California Los Angeles. She also briefly attended Mills College and Southwestern University School of Law.
Discovering Social Justice
When she first arrived in California, Brown had little money. She worked as a waitress. There, she met Jay Richard Kennedy, a music executive. He taught her a lot about social justice. They became close. Brown learned about political ideas from Kennedy. He taught her about the Civil Rights Movement, capitalism, and communism. Because of this, Brown became involved in the Black Liberation Movement. After this, Brown's interest in politics grew. She started working for a newspaper called Harambee.
Joining the Black Panther Party
Soon after, Brown became the first representative for the Black Student Alliance. This was at the Black Congress in California. In April 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. After this, she went to her first meeting of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Leading the Black Panther Party
In 1968, Brown officially joined the Black Panther Party. She read books about revolution and sold the Party's newspapers. She quickly helped start important programs. These included the Free Breakfast for Children program in Los Angeles. She also helped with the Free Busing to Prisons Program and the Free Legal Aid Program.
Music and Leadership Roles
In 1968, David Hilliard, a Party leader, asked her to record her songs. This led to her album Seize the Time. She later became the editor of the Black Panther newspaper in Southern California. In 1970, Brown visited China as part of a U.S. People's Anti-Imperialist Delegation. Another Party member, Eldridge Cleaver, was with her.
Becoming Party Chairwoman
In 1971, Brown became a member of the Party's Central Committee. She took over as Minister of Information. In 1973, Huey P. Newton, the Party's founder, asked her to record more songs. These songs became the album Until We're Free. Brown ran for the Oakland city council in 1973 and 1975. She did not win, but she got many votes.
In 1974, Newton had to leave the country. He chose Brown to lead the Black Panther Party. She was the only woman to ever hold this position. She led the Party from 1974 to 1977. She faced a lot of sexism because many men did not like taking orders from a woman.
A woman in the Black Power movement was considered, at best, irrelevant. A woman asserting herself was a pariah. If a black woman assumed a role of leadership, she was said to be eroding black manhood, to be hindering the progress of the black race. She was an enemy of the black people.... I knew I would have to muster something mighty to manage the Black Panther Party.
Achievements as Leader
While leading the Black Panther Party, Brown focused on politics and helping the community. In 1977, she helped Lionel Wilson win his campaign. He became Oakland’s first Black mayor. Brown also started the Panther's Liberation School. The state of California recognized it as a great school.
Stepping Down
Brown stopped leading the Black Panther Party in 1977. This was less than a year after Newton returned. She left because Newton would not speak out against the beating of Regina Davis. Davis was an administrator at the Panther Liberation School. Other male members of the party beat Davis and broke her jaw. This happened because she told a coworker off for not doing an assignment. Newton sided with the men. This event made Brown realize she could no longer deal with the sexism in the Black Panther Party. Many people saw her leaving as a big change for the Party. She left Oakland with her daughter, Ericka, and moved to Los Angeles. She was worried about her safety.
Later Activism and Work
After leaving the Black Panther Party, Elaine Brown focused on raising her daughter, Ericka. She also wrote her memoir, A Taste of Power. Later, she returned to working for Black liberation. She became very focused on changing prisons. From 1980 to 1983, she studied law in Los Angeles.
Helping Children and Prisoners
From 1990 to 1996, she lived in France. In 1996, Brown moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, she started Fields of Flowers, Inc. This group helps provide education for poor African-American children. In 1998, she helped start Mothers Advocating Juvenile Justice. This group supports children who are being tried as adults in Georgia. Around the same time, she started the Michael Lewis Legal Defense Committee. This group helped Michael Lewis, also known as “Little B.” He was sentenced to life in prison at age 14 for a murder Brown believes he did not commit. Brown later wrote a book, The Condemnation of Little B. This book looks at Lewis's case and the problem of more Black youth being imprisoned.
Prison Reform Efforts
In 2003, Brown helped start the National Alliance for Radical Prison Reform. This group helps thousands of prisoners find homes after they are released. It also helps families visit prisons and helps prisoners find jobs. The group also raises money for prisoner phone calls and gifts.
Political Campaigns and Advocacy
In 2005, Brown was protesting a G-8 Summit in Georgia. She learned about the extreme poverty in nearby Brunswick, Georgia. Brown then tried to run for mayor of Brunswick. She ran with the Green Party. She hoped to use her position to bring attention to Michael Lewis's case. She also wanted to empower Black people in Brunswick. She aimed to use her office to create economic power for the city's mostly Black and poor population. This would be done by sharing the city's money more fairly. Brown was not allowed to run or vote in Brunswick. This was because she did not live there long enough. However, her efforts brought a lot of attention to Michael Lewis's case. She later helped start the Brunswick Women's Association for a People's Blueprint.
Brown continues to speak at colleges and universities in the US. She talks about prison reform. Since 1995, she has given talks at over forty schools and many conferences.
Green Party Involvement
In March 2007, Brown announced she wanted to be the Green Party's presidential candidate in 2008. Brown felt that a campaign was needed to help people not represented by the main political parties. This included young women and African Americans. Her plan focused on helping working-class families. She supported fair wages for everyone, free health care, and more money for public education. She also wanted more affordable housing, troops to leave Iraq, a better environment, and equality. Brown wanted her campaign to bring many minority groups to the Green Party. She hoped it would become a strong force for social justice.
Leaving the Green Party
In late 2007, she left the Green Party. She felt that the Party was still mostly led by white people. She believed they did not truly want to use politics to make real social progress. She felt they would stop attempts to do so.
Supporting Prison Strikes
In 2010, prisoners in Georgia used hidden cellphones to organize a peaceful strike. They wanted better prison conditions. Brown became their main advisor outside prison. She helped turn the prisoners' complaints into a list of demands. She also held a meeting to plan a strategy with different groups. These groups included the Georgia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Nation of Islam.
Personal Life
Elaine Brown has one daughter, Ericka Abram. Her daughter's father was Raymond Hewitt, a Black Panther member. However, Hewitt was mostly absent from his daughter's life. Elaine Brown attended Hewitt's funeral.
Discography
Studio Albums:
- Seize The Time - Black Panther Party (1969)
- Elaine Brown (1973)
EPs:
- No Time / Until We're Free (1973)
