West Oakland Stories Positive Feeling Movement Inc – Page 5

ED HOWARD’S LIFE STORY PART (8)

PRODUCED CONGRESSMAN RON DELLUMS (R.I.P.) LIFE STORY FILM 1970.

My third venture in producing my own productions was to, write, direct, and produce the film I called the “Life Story of Congressman Ron Dellums” (R.I.P.).

I knew Ron from the time we were in elementary school. He and my brother, Ernest, were best friends and we all partied all over Oakland as young men. Also, Ron was working for us at Social Dynamics Consultant and Associates, Inc (SDI) when he declared he was running for the United States Congress. You could say we were his largest campaign contributors from Oakland.

After Ron Dellums became a Congressman from California all I did was to tell him I wanted to shoot a film about his life story coming from West Oakland and becoming a U.S. Congressman, all he said was “let me know when you are ready to start”.

I am giving you a feel for how we Black Elders worked together from our West Oakland childhood to adulthood

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

Be sure check out the West Oakland Stories short historical film, as well as the brief documentary “Between Black & White” detailing the historical alliances between Greek & Black communities. Both videos are not to be missed! Among one another, let’s put the No Negative Speak movement into practice.

Apollo Papafrangou

In our eighth segment, Mr. Howard details his venture as a filmmaker in writing, directing, and producing a film about the life of congressman Ron Dellums.

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, and 7: www.westoaklandstories.org

**Pic 1: Newspaper article showing Ed Howard at gala presenting his film Congressman Ron Dellums Life Story**

Pic 3: Ed Howard leaning on his ragtop Cadillac with Ron D. campaign poster on his door 1970

Pic 5: Ed Howard directing Ron Dellums Life Story film at DeFremery Park 1971

**Pic 6: Ed Howard directing Ron Dellums Life Story film at DeFremery Park 1971**

Pic 7: Ed Howard directing Ron Dellums Life Story film at DeFremery Park 1971

ED HOWARD LIFE STORY PART 7

ED HOWARD’S LIFE STORY PART (7)

ED HOWARD RESIGNS FROM KAISER ENGINEERS AND GOES INTO BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF

In the latter part of 1969, seeing an opportunity to broaden my positive influence and to help more communities across the United States, I resigned from Kaiser Engineers and joined my brother, Ernest, to become the Vice President for our company, Social Dynamics Consultants and Associates, Inc. (SDI).

Social Dynamics, Inc. provided technical training for grassroots’ residents in various neighborhood groups across the United States. Over time our business had offices in Berkeley, California; Washington, D.C.; and Kansas City, Kansas. Although the original emphasis was on the manpower services and the provision of training, technical assistance and evaluation services, SDI expanded its capability to include skills delivery in the fields of education, economic development, health, career development, and business management services.We maintained a complement of highly trained and skillful specialists in each of those fields, and their skills were augmented by a cadre of intermittent consultants who were available to meet special technical requirements when unusual needs arose.

Unfortunately, as government contracts became more difficult to come by, SDI eventually closed down and I was faced with deciding on what area I could next apply my passion helping others while doing something challenging. Some Of the Black Oakland Elders who worked for us at (SDI) before they became successful was R. I. P. Congressman/ Mayor Ron Dellums, R. I. P. Judge Henry Ramsey and Attorney John Burris.

While at SDI I had also ventured out and created Ed Howard Productions during the time I had produced Black Dignity TV show because I was exposed to the technical inter working of the TV station.

When I was shown the TV station’s Master Control room with all its monitors and cameras it was easy for me to understand the technology because when I was hired at Kaiser Engineers I was placed in the elite engineering group called “Instrumentations”. Our group was responsible for designing the Master Control Rooms for Industrial Processing Plants all over the world. My first production using TV cameras, monitors and all the wiring to connect everything was not an easy task. Also, to find the equipment and Black people with capabilities in this infant technology was not easy.

My first production completely produced with my money was a Talent show at Berkeley Community Theater. I can say I probably was an independent Black Oakland and Bay Area pioneer in creating a Black video crew videotaping my own production outside of a TV station back in 1970.

Friends, I hope you enjoyed the first six posts our series detailing the life of Oakland original pioneer, film maker, engineer, TV host, night club owner–just to name a few titles–Mr. Ed Howard. Be sure check out the West Oakland Stories short historical film, as well as the brief documentary “Between Black & White” detailing the historical alliances between Greek & Black communities. Both videos are not to be missed! Among one another, let’s put the No Negative Speak movement into practice. In the first half of our seventh segment, Mr. Howard reminisces about his adventures as a rising entrepreneur with his company Social Dynamics Consultants and Associates, Inc.

Apollo Papafrangou

Here are a few photographs of my technical crew at work videotaping the talent show.

Photo 1: Talent show at the Berkeley Community Theater in 1972

Photos 2-5: Scenes from Ed Howard’s Production.

Photo 6: Mr. Ed Howard, present day. An Oakland original.STAY TUNED:

ED HOWARD PRODUCTIONS COMPANY CONTINUES IN THE COMING 8TH SEGMENT.

EHP Produced and directed the filming of Congressman Ron Dellums Life Story 1970 -71.

EHP Produced the videotaping of Oakland Black Night Club Life 1971-72.

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A & 6B and 7: www.westoaklandstories.org

ED HOWARD LIFE STORY: PART 6B

ED HOWARD LIFE STORY PART 6B

ED HOWARD’S LIFE STORY

WHY DID OAKLAND NOT BURN BACK IN THE 1960’S SINCE THE MEDIA PLAYED US UP TO BE THE MOST MILITANT CITY IN AMERICA.

I know now why I made such a vital impact with the Kaiser Industries Advisory Board members because at the time they had no real connection to the Black community.

Kaisers Engineers promoted me from the Configuration Engineering Designer Draftsman and gave me a title of Assistant to the Vice President of Kaiser Engineers; and an office next to his; and my own secretary – I was still in my 20’s.

I was the brainchild of the things I made happen At Kaiser (listed below) through my position listed above working with the Kaiser Volunteers who donated their time and skills to local Black business projects.

In the listings below, every time you see the word DIGNITY it’s the same as saying the Afro American Association.

• I Designed the Configuration Engineering Drafting Training program, interviewed each trainee and was their teacher for two years (two different classes); and placed them in Kaiser Engineers and Kaiser Industries Engineering design departments after they completed the program.

• Summer Hiring Program: Placed high school students in office training positions each summer.

• Dignity Inc.: The economic arm of the Afro-American Association and that arm were Attorney Don Warden and I.

• I was the Producer of the Black Dignity TV Show on KGO-TV in San Francisco California

• Dignity Enterprises

• Dignity Sewing Company

• Dignity Mobile Car Wash

• Nairobi Consultant and Associates (Black professionals and businessmen supporters)

• Dignity Press (I personally signed for a loan of $50, 000 from Bank of America for the printing facility, equipment and production stock for this business start-up).

• Dignity Wooden containers pallets and other related products. (I redesigned the first pallet).

The activities above were widely known in Black Oakland.

READ THE KAISER HOME OFFICE NEWSLETTER FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS

Many people in the media at that time speculated that Oakland would burn – not one match was ever scratched. Black Oakland was too busy taking advantage of the opportunities being opened up to us.

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

In the second half of our sixth segment, a two-part story especially timely given the current civil rights movement in our streets, Mr. Howard in his own words memories from his role in Oakland’s political movements of the 1960’s.

Apollo Papafrangou

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5: www.westoaklandstories.org

https://westoaklandstories.org/…

West Oakland Stories Positive Feeling Movement Inc – “No Negative Speak” with each other…

STAY TUNED : Ed Howard resigns from Kaiser and goes into business for himself in the coming 7th segment.

Pic 1: Ed Howard Producer of Black Dignity TV show

Pic 2: Kaiser Newsletter Description of projects EH was the mastermind under the name of Dignity Inc.

Pic 3: Ed Howard present day

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WEST OAKLAND STORIES POSITIVE FEELING MOVEMENT WITH YOUR DONATION.

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ED HOWARD LIFE STORY PART 6A

ED HOWARD – WEST OAKLAND STORIES (PART 6A)

ED HOWARD’S LIFE STORY

WHY DID OAKLAND NOT BURN BACK IN THE 1960’S SINCE THE MEDIA PLAYED US UP TO BE THE MOST MILITANT CITY IN AMERICA?

My Oakland Kaiser Engineers stories will take a book to explain, but I will attempt to summarize it the best way I can here.

I literally convinced Kaiser Engineers and Kaiser Industries to open up its hiring practice for white collar jobs to Black people in great numbers and that ended the old way of only having a token Negro in the office.

Kaiser was one of the most powerful businesses in Oakland at that time, so when the other Oakland companies saw Kaiser open up its business to Black people, they did the same.

Three years at Lockheed I grew tired of commuting to Sunnyvale, California so I got an interview with Kaiser Engineers and was hired. I resigned from Lockheed.

After being hired by Kaiser Engineers, I asked if I could go back to my high school (McClymonds) and talk to the students because I was an example for them to see what can be achieved coming from West Oakland. The first class I visited was Mr. Ben Tapscott’s Mechanical Drawing class, he turned out to be the first Black coach in the Oakland Unified School system. I believe Mr. Tapscott was just beginning his teaching career in Oakland.

Kaiser Management, to my surprise, really praised me after I visited a few schools; they began to question me about the Black community. The most consistent question was “What do Black people want?”, and my answer was always “jobs and money”.

I was invited to come to a meeting in Walnut Creek at an exclusive country club to meet the top executives of Kaiser Industries – they just looked at me, no conversation. The next week I was offered a position to be a member of the Kaiser Industries Advisory Board.

You must remember in this time period (1963-1969) Medgar Evers, John Kennedy, Malcom X, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated; and the Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland.

I am a West Oakland street person and I already had a neighborhood jacket of always being in the streets. Also, I was a key member of the Afro-American Association, which was the main group in Black Oakland before the Black Panther Party. AAA was responsible for Black Oakland changing from using the term “Negro” to “Black” or “African American” and we also created the Black Handshake; and in general, we were responsible for getting the study of Black Culture message out to Black Oakland.

To be continued: Part 6B

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5: www.westoaklandstories.org

Pic 1: Ed Howard giving instruction in the Kaiser Engineers Design room. 1963-64.

Pic 2: 1966 Letter from Oakland’s Roosevelt Junior High School welcoming Ed Howard as guest speaker.

Pic 3: WOSPSM “Black handshake” logo.

Pic 4: Ed Howard present day.

Friends, I hope you enjoyed the first five posts in our series detailing the life of Oakland original pioneer, film maker, engineer, TV host, 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 the historical alliances between Greek & Black communities. Both videos are not to be missed! Among one another, let’s put the No Negative Speak movement into practice.

In our sixth segment, a two-part story especially timely given the current civil rights movement in our streets, Mr. Howard in his own words shares memories from his role in Oakland’s political movements of the 1960’s.

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5: www.westoaklandstories.org

Apollo Papafrangou

West Oakland Stories Positive Feeling Movement Inc – No Negative Speak With each other.

#townbiz #oakland #westoakland #oaklandhistory

ED HOWARD – LIFE STORIES (PART 5: The Real World

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

In our fifth segment, Mr. Howard in his own words shares positive memories from his young adulthood in venturing beyond West Oakland in search of work opportunities.

Photo 1: Lockheed, 1950s.
Photo 2: Ed Howard at Lockheed office, 1950s.
Photo 3: Ed Howard home from work.
Photo 4: Ed Howard present day.

Check out parts 1-4: www.westoaklandstories.org

Apollo Papafrangou

Ed Howard Life Story (Part 5)

INTRODUCTION TO THE REAL WORLD

1959 – I have completed college, married, one child and no job. I looked for a job in engineering – interviewing in every engineering firm I could find in my field from Oakland to Sacramento; and from Oakland to San Jose. I was not hired because at that time it was very very rare to find any engineering company that would employ a Black man in its work force.

I reverted back to the State of California Unemployment Office to see if they could place me in a job. I was lucky and was placed in a small company on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland – Matt Lawrence Orthopedic design, repair and manufacturer. I obtained experience in layout design of pneumatic and hydraulic valves; procedures and standards; and hands on machinist operator of lathes, drill press, routers, etc. Sadly a few months later I was told by the owner that he liked me and my work very much but his employees, who were all white men, told him that they were not comfortable with me working there, so in spite of my good work, he laid me off two weeks from Christmas 1959.

Now I am out of work again so I go back to Lockheed Aero Space in Sunnyvale California. I had an interview there before but this time I presented my resume and they noticed I had machinist experience – they offered me a job as a Radial Router Operator. Once I got in, I started to read all the signs, posters and company information that I could. I discovered that after a three-month probation period in the company you could apply for any of the in-house jobs posted in the plant. A post for an Engineering Electro/Mechanical Layout Designer was posted – I applied and got the job.

At Lockheed I was exposed to the highest level of Engineering Technology because they had the contract to design the Polaris Missile for the U S Government. I was introduced to the new engineering technology of that time – the printer circuitry board using electronic design schematics with electronic components such as diodes, resistors, transistors, etc.; and the appropriate mechanical design to house all the electronic.

Next: Part 6 – My Journey to Kaiser Engineers. Some people say I had a lot to do with Oakland not burning in the 1960’s because of the things I was involved in at Kaiser Engineering, and being on the Kaiser Industries Advisory Board of Directors, Oakland California from 1963-1970. Stay tuned.

Follow Ed Howard’s Story! Click link for episodes 1,2,3&4 (www.westoaklandstories.org)

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

ED HOWARD LIFE STORY (Part 4)

ED HOWARD – WEST OAKLAND STORIES (PART 4: Young Adult Years, 18-22)

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

In our fourth segment, Mr. Howard in his own words shares fond, positive memories from his young adulthood in the vibrant community of West Oakland.

Photo 1: McClymond’s High School, 1955
Photo 2: Laney College
Photo 3: Ed Howard (seated, 2nd from right)
Photo 4: Oakland Merritt College, 1955
Photo 5: Ed Howard, present time.
Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1&2&3:www.westoaklandstories.org

— Apollo Papafrangou

ED HOWARD LIFE STORIES PART 4
18-22 Years Old 1955-1959

I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO IN LIFE
I have graduated from high school now but I have no idea about what I want to do in life.

McClymonds High school 1955

So, I register at Oakland Merritt City College. (I am the only one in my crowd that goes to college).
My mother tells me that I have to get my own place and I don’t have a job. The next week the manager of the service station “Thrifty Mac” on 12th and Cypress Street offered me a part time job; and one of my classmates tells me his mother has told him also that he had to move out on his own. We found a small apartment and I never looked back. These series of events turned out to be nothing but the best for me although I did not like my mother for kicking me out the house but now, I realize that she knew what was best for me.

Merritt College 1955

Thrifty Mac service station turned out to be a very good hustle for me. I worked the swing shift (4:00 pm -12:00 am) pumping gas. I, at that time, was one of the first Black Low Riders in Oakland. I put the word out in the neighborhood to come by and get oil change, tire repair, tire rotation, work on your car using the car lift at the station, and polish and wax your car all for a slight charge to me.

I continued through two years at Merritt College with no direction, no studying, or no plan. I just enjoyed going to school and being around people.
After two years I am feeling I don’t want to be at Merritt because I didn’t want to go to a four-year college because I knew I was not going to stop running the streets. The streets had been my life since I was thirteen years old. I love the streets.

A bright light came on in my head and I remembered that my high school mechanical drawing teacher had placed one of my Mechanical drawings I had constructed in class on display in the main school hallway. The teacher never did inform me he had done that, it was the students who let me know I had a drawing displayed in the display window. That display was the only feeling of accomplishment I had in high school except for graduating.

I knew that Laney College offered Industrial Design Configuration Engineering class and I applied and was accepted and the rest is history. What I loved about Laney College is that I did not need to bring any books home to study because you were in the same class room six hours a day five days a week for two years. You studied in class no need to study outside of the daily class information for me.

Laney College Engineering Class dinner 1958

Laney College 1958

Follow Ed Howard’s story! Click the link for episodes 1, 2 & 3: www.westoaklandstories.org

Ed Howard