ST. LOUIS — The Black Power Blueprint Project is growing its vision with new construction.
Monday evening, the organization announced their newest addition to the north side of St. Louis.
“It’s not just about a basketball court, it’s about rebuilding an entire community, and that’s what we’re here to do. And we want everybody to be a part of this,” said OnaZene Yeshitela, the president of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund.
Now, the court has a name, Black Power Vanguards.
“You can see all down West Florissant people are starting to really see the impact that it’s making from the Black Power Blueprint and the ADPF,” Yeshitela said.
The project is a series of programs being built along the West Florissant corridor to address community needs and create economic development.
“This is about rebuilding the entire community, not just you know, one area,” Yeshitela said.
The announcement was made next to a renovated fourplex that will help people re-entering the community from the prison system.
“What we are doing now is trying to bring the people back into recapturing those hopes those dreams in real life,” said Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the Uhuru Movement.
Already, they’ve taken condemned buildings and demolished them to make way for One Africa! One Nation and the Gary L. Brooks community garden.
“The food desert is disappearing. We are wiping that out and bringig people back into active political economic life. So hat’s what it’s about. It’s not just a basketball court,”
The decaying dilapidated building that once called 4368 College Ave home is gone, making room for a better investment for the youth and others.
“North St. Louis looked like an area that had been bombed out it looked devastated, and that’s one of the things that inspires us to do what we’re doing now,” Yeshitela said.
