Projects, Uhuru House /

Awning and electronic sign installed on St. Louis Uhuru House

Using a facade grant that APEDF applied for and won from the city of St. Louis, a beautiful new awning was recently installed over the office door entrance of the Uhuru House.

The grant also funded the installation of a new outdoor sign.

The beautiful new sign lets the community know about the Akwaaba Hall event space. The lower half of the sign is digital so APEDF can use it to announce all of the upcoming events!

Another victory for the Black Power Blueprint made possible with support from volunteers who put time and energy into our Mighty Mighty Grants Team. You can volunteer to help work on grants or one of our other teams!

News and Announcements /

Support for Black Power Blueprint pours in from California

In February, Humble Sea Brewing, located in Santa Cruz, California, released the “Uhuru Means Freedom” collaboration with Uhuru Foods & Pies Oakland.

Humble Sea Brewing put a brownie in a bottle, while Uhuru Foods & Pies put a brownie in a pie. The pairing received rave reviews.

As a result of this collaboration, Humble Sea contributed $5,000 to the African People’s Education and Defense Fund to continue to build the Black Power Blueprint.

What a way to celebrate African History Month!

Uhuru Foods & Pies thanks Humble Sea for this latest collaboration and for introducing Uhuru Foods & Pies to Northern California beer distributors.

Job Opportunities, News and Announcements /

One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market Job Opportunities

The African People’s Education and Defense Fund will be opening the One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market in the summer of 2021!

The market will create an oasis and a blueprint for addressing the issues of concentrated poverty, food apartheid and grave health disparities found in the historically black community of North St. Louis.

It will build capacity for local job creation and instill a community-based approach to black empowerment and economic development.

We know how important your contributions are to making this Farmers Market a reality in our community and we thank you.

The One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market is hiring for these positions:

Position Title: Market Assistant

The Market Assistant is a part-time seasonal position to carry out daily operations of a farmers market including recruiting vendors and building vendor relationships. Assists in maintaining the bookkeeping and records related to merchandise sales, the SNAP/EBT, and wireless processing of sales.

Read the Market Assistant full job description

Position Title: Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator is a part-time seasonal position that is responsible for all aspects of volunteer recruitment and training. Responsible for recruiting a team of volunteers who promote the market to the community through flyers, posters and tabling. Responsible for building an onsite farmers market volunteer team who fulfill various duties at the farmers market. Works with the Promotions Coordinator to build the volunteer social media team.

Read the Volunteer Coordinator full job description

Position Title: Promotions Coordinator

The Farmers Market Promotions Coordinator position is a part-time seasonal position responsible for promotions, marketing and advertising the farmers market to the community including a consistent social media presence. Designs all marketing and promotions media. Organizes and maintains relationships with local media outlets such as TV, Radio and Digital news outlets.  Implements a seasonal promotion and outreach plan and builds a volunteer team to carry out functions. Requires experience using design software such as InDesign, PhotoShop or Canva, and the ability to produce marketing/promotional materials such as leaflets, brochures, pamphlets or online newsletters.

Read the full Promotions Coordinator job description and how to apply

4-Plex Apartment on College Ave, Projects /

4-plex renovations nearing completion

Renovations on the four-unit apartment building, earmarked for housing for the African Independence Workforce Program, continue moving forward. Check out the latest photos from the work!

  • Leon, owner of Paradigm Builders, reviews the final stages of the renovation work with Abdullah, Black Power Blueprint facilities manager.
  • Raymond, HVAC worker with Paradigm Builders, installs the third furnace in the 4-plex.
  • Marcus from Paradigm builders installs hot water heaters.
  • Tadje, Paradigm site foreman for the 4-plex, sands the original 100+ year-old oak floors.
  • A Paradigm Builders worker lays planking on one of the bedroom floors of the 4-plex.
  • A Paradigm crew member completes final repairing and painting of windows.
  • New kitchen cabinets and sink installed.

Black Power Blueprint salutes the fabulous team from Paradigm Builders and all the contractors and workers who have contributed to this renovation!

Thanks to supporters like you, we are rebuilding our black community!

About this project: African Independence Workforce Program Housing

Black Power Blueprint is renovating a 4-plex apartment building on College Avenue in St. Louis, MO. It is earmarked for housing for the African Independence Workforce Program, creating jobs for those re-entering our community from the prison system.

Media Coverage /

We’re on a mission, we’re taking territory and we’re not turning back!

The Burning Spear newspaper featured the Black Power Blueprint in its December issue in-print and online:

The Black Power Blueprint is taking root in North St. Louis, claiming territory by and for us, the African working class.

Currently five blocks on West Florissant Ave. in the O’Fallon neighborhood are in the midst of rapid Black Power Blueprint transformation to serve our own black needs—not gentrification or big developers.

Step by step we are putting in place our own people’s urban plan based on the political and economic empowerment of the African working class.

A program of the African People’s Socialist Party, led by Deputy Chair Ona Zené Yeshitela, the Black Power Blueprint is renovating abandoned buildings and spaces, and developing economic projects for our community.

Read the full article online »

Uncategorized /

Fund the Black Power Blueprint

The Black Power Blueprint program is transforming the future through independent economic development. Help us raise funds for these St. Louis projects:

Commercial Kitchen and Bakery Café

Renovate and equip a bakery café for healthy food and a cultural venue. Future home of the African Independence Workforce Program and Uhuru Foods & Pies.

Community Basketball Court

Build on newly purchased property in an area where recreational facilities are almost non-existent.

Housing for the African Independence Workforce Program

Renovate an apartment building to provide dignified housing for those re-entering our community from the prison system and participating in this job training program.

Make a tax-deductible donation now through December 8 to the African People’s Education and Defense Fund. You can also host your own fundraiser or sign up to volunteer with the campaign!

Visit APEDF.org/GivingTuesday or call 215-546-9616!

4-Plex Apartment on College Ave, Projects /

4-Plex renovations began this week

This week, the Black Power Blueprint began renovations at the 4-plex apartment earmarked for the African Independence Workforce Program: housing and job training for our brothers and sisters coming out of the colonial prison system.

The demo crew from Paradigm Builders has been cleaning out debris, removing walls and old light and bathroom fixtures.

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