Kent Ford (activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kent Ford
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| Born | 1943 (age 82–83) |
Kent Ford was born in 1943. He helped start the Black Panther Party chapter in Portland, Oregon in 1969. This group worked to help the Black community.
Early Life
Kent Ford was born in 1943 in Maringouin, Louisiana. When he was 12, he moved to Redmond, California. He lived there with his three siblings, his mother, and her husband. In 1961, he moved to Portland, Oregon. There, he started a candy business. He bought candy in large amounts and had young people sell it door-to-door.
Later Life and Activism
In 1967, Kent Ford started working at Safeway. He was a computer operator for many stores. Around this time, he became very interested in social justice. He began to learn more about important leaders and world events.
Kent Ford has three sons: James, Sekou, and Lumumba. In 2020, he joined protests in Portland, Oregon. These protests were about police treatment of people.
Starting the Black Panther Party in Portland
After Martin Luther King Jr. passed away in 1968, a group of 20 young Black adults in Portland began meeting. They discussed ideas from leaders like Malcolm X. Kent Ford was part of this group. In June 1969, he faced challenges because of these activities.
After his release, Kent Ford spoke to the press. He said people would defend themselves if they faced unfair actions. Soon after, Huey P. Newton, a leader of the Black Panther Party, invited him to start a Portland chapter. About six members of the reading group formed this chapter. The Portland Black Panthers grew to have about 50 members. Half of these members were women. A rule for members was to read for at least two hours every day.
The Portland Black Panther Party also took part in protests against the Vietnam War. They started a breakfast program for children. They fed hundreds of children daily at Highland United Church of Christ. This church is in Northeast Portland. The chapter also opened two health clinics in Portland. These were The Malcolm X Dental Clinic and Fred Hampton Memorial People's Health Clinic.
As of 2020, Kent Ford still gives tours. These tours teach people about the history of the Black Panther Party. He gives them about six times a year.
Legacy
In 2021, a special grant helped support a play about Kent Ford's life. The play is called "Walking through Portland with a Panther - the life of Mr. Kent Ford, All Power". In February 2022, a reading of the play took place. This was part of a three-day event honoring Kent Ford in Portland. The Vanport Mosaic and Confrontation Theatre presented the full play in June 2022.
