Author: wospfm

ED HOWARD – WEST OAKLAND STORIES (PART 2: Early Years, 5-12)

Friends,

I hope you enjoyed the first post our series detailing the life of Oakland original pioneer, film maker, engineer, TV producer, night club owner–just to name a few titles–Mr. Ed Howard.

Be sure to check out the West Oakland Stories short historical film, as well as the brief documentary “Between Black & White” detailing historical alliances between Greek & Black communities. Both videos are not to be missed (links below)!

Now more than ever, we need to put the No Negative Speak movement into practice to uplift the community.

In this segment, Mr. Howard in his own words shares fond, positive memories from his childhood:

“LOVE OAKLAND CALIFORNIA!

I know the things I experienced as a kid in Oakland would not have been possible in Waterproof, Louisiana. These years I believe shaped me and this is why I love Oakland California.

The things I did as a preteen kid were:

Boys club, Cub and Boy Scout, /Tribune paper boy, /School traffic sign holder and Sergeant, /Elementary school play actor, /Recreation center, play cards, shoot pool, ping-pong, / YMCA swimming, /School field trips,

Break down my bicycle, brakes, gears, chain, master link, adjust spokes, seat, handle bar, tires, inner-tube, tube patches, hot patch, gooseneck adjustments and hustle up on the tools you needed to fix your bike.

Also, I had to baby-sit my sister every Saturday starting at eight years old. (To this day I believe I would have played more sports like most of my friends if not for babysitting).

Shoot marbles, Holezy game, /Knock-it-leave-it-lay,/ Dodge ball,/ Follow the leader, /Made own flying kite out of newspaper, sticks, tree stems and glue made out of your mother’s flour and water, kite tail made out of rags tied in knots and hustle up on a few spools of string, /Made scooters out of milk wood boxes, two by fours, foot skates taken apart and nails, / Airplane construction kits.

One Sunday, somehow all the kids in the neighborhood knew that a box of toys was open behind a fence a few blocks away from our projects and I ran down and jumped the fence like all the other kids and got me an airplane construction kit.

This was on a Sunday and everything was closed. Back in that time hardly anyone worked on Sunday. You could say this was my first introduction to engineering.”

– Apollo Papafrangou

-Photo 1: Ed Howard & friends. Bayview Village Projects, 2151 Willow St., West Oakland. Circa 1947, ’48.

-Photo 2: Ed Howard; Ms. Ruth Beckford “The Dance Lady;” and Willie Rock.

© West Oakland Stories, 2020

#oakland #westoakland #westoaklandstories #bayarea #nonegativespeakmovement #EdHoward

ED HOWARD – WEST OAKLAND STORIES

On the afternoon of February 29, I had the pleasure of meeting West Oakland Stories founder Mr. Ed Howard, a man of warmth and dignity. As we are both native Oaklanders, we enjoyed exploring the commonalities among our generations and cultures, as the city has long been home to deep-rooted Black and Greek communities.

Born in Waterproof, Louisiana in 1937, Ed Howard moved with his family to Oakland in 1942 where they resided in the Bayview, Harbor Homes, and Campbell Village Projects. Growing up in West Oakland, Howard enjoyed the neighborhood’s sense of camaraderie as blacks from all over the country settled in the area that would eventually be known as the “Harlem of the West.” A charismatic character from the time of his youth, Howard utilized his smarts and charm to eventually become a head engineer, instructor, and job developer for Kaiser Engineers of Oakland, and an advisory board member of Kaiser Industry’s. In addition, he holds many other titles, chief among them: owner and vice president of Social Dynamics consultant firm; nightclub owner of Ed Howard’s Place; owner of EH Engineering – Department of Defense contracting firm specializing in Reverse Engineering/Research Development; and Producer and creator of the Channel 7 (KGO-TV, San Francisco) TV show “Black Dignity.”

He is also a film and stage play producer. Currently, Mr. Howard is the Chief Executive Director and national spokesman for West Oakland Stories Positive Feeling Movement (and creator of the “No Negative Speak [“NNS]” motto) a non-profit preserving the stories of elderly black West Oakland as a way to archive experiences for the next generations. Forefathers of the classic Oakland mystique, the elders of WOSPFM spread positivity throughout the community via a commitment to uplifting speech and actions that encompass black Oakland pride.

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Click on link below to see West Oakland Stories film of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s spreading positivity throughout the community. https://westoaklandstories.org/ then click on “Stories and Spotlight” (at top of page)

As a believer in the ethos of the WOSPFM, I’m honored to begin a series of posts sharing Mr. Howard’s story.-

Apollo Papafrangou

Photo 1 – Ed Howard with his mother and older brother in Louisiana.

Copyright © 2020, West Oakland Stories Positive Feeling Movement Org.

Thanks to Apollo Papafranguo for his support and informing WOSPFM about the POSITIVE history of Greek-American and Black communities.  “NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” with each other.

OAKLAND BLACK ELDER PIONEERS USING THEIR WISDOM, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND HINDSIGHT:
to bring together our younger generations in a positive way using “NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” (NNS) with each other.

We have to seriously talk to ourselves and start practicing what you tell yourself. When you do this you will feel the positive feelings and the new confidence and strength that are already in you. Keep making positive statements on this post about your efforts with (NNS).

Remember if it does not flow when you start that’s OK you just keep doing your practice over and over and you will get better and better. You see there is no magic way for us to come up out of over 400 years under the Slave System but to work at being positive with each other.

We Oakland Black Elders are so pleased to spotlight another West Oakland Black Pioneer Family Story the Pointer Sisters and their book “FAIRYTALE” written by Anita and Fritz Pointer. Another West Oakland positive story. Read this book and you will feel the West Oakland Black attitude and positive culture.

Reading this book, you will become familiar with the trailblazing, honest, positive and open way Anita Pointer has expressed herself. You will truly experience the ups and downs, successes and always a positive determination to be themselves. (The Black Oakland Attitude)

My personal notes regarding the family:

I remember Fritz and Aaron his older brother from the time they were young boys at Defremery (Bobby Hutton) Park and their first cousin Paul Silas who played Basketball for McClymonds high school, the NBA and he also coached in the NBA; their families lived across the street from the park. I remember in 1960 I worked out of the Pointers home as a census taker and Rev. Pointer was the West Oakland District Captain. I remember the incident that Fritz had with the Black Panther Party because I bumped into him the same day it happened and he told me about it.

Also, I appreciate that Fritz acknowledged Ernest Howard (R. I. P.) my older brother in the book as one of his mentors.

The Elders are asking you to say “NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” to yourself two times a day for a week because you must make yourself aware first of negativity. NNS wakes you up in a positive way if you just say the words. Saying NNS makes everyone aware of negativity. Positive people make other people positive. Hit that SHARE button right now.

UNITE USING “NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” with each other.

“NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” (NNS) with each other brings about a long happy positive life and keeps you looking like this (See our picture) Ed and Faye Howard. We are just two of the Oakland Black Pioneer Elders testifying to using NNS with each other for 63 years.

We met at Oakland Merritt City College when it was on Grove Street now Martin Luther King Blvd. – the same college that Bobby Seal and Huey Newton met each other and started the Black Panther Party and also Dr. Melvin Newton, Huey’s older brother, was at Merritt College with the Mrs. and me. We all knew each other because it was only a handful of Black people going to Merritt City College at that time. We were there a few years before Bobby and Huey.

The Elders are asking you to say “NO NEGATIVE SPEAK” to yourself two times a day for a week because you must make yourself aware first of negativity. NNS wakes you up in a positive way if you just say the words. Saying NNS makes everyone aware of negativity. Positive people make other people positive.