Marketplace and Garden

Marketplace and Garden, News and Announcements, Projects /

Official name for outdoor venue unveiled: Karibu!

KARIBU means Welcome, and that is the official name of the Black Power Blueprint outdoor venue that’s home to the beautiful stage and Gary Brooks Black Power Community Garden!

Thank you to all the community members and artists who came out for our name unveiling ceremony earlier this month! It was a beautiful showcase of African brilliance and culture.

Speakers and performers included Black Power Blueprint resident muralist Jamie the Artist, one of our contractors Patrick Jefferson of Maintenance Boyz, poet FoFeet and singer Daneisha Young accompanied by drummer Baba Kelly, poetry by Ardimus, and by 5th Degree, vocals by Erika Clark, 18th ward alderman Jesse Todd, UAPO President Zaki Baruti, and the One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market manager Rage!

Want to host a concert or movie in the KARIBU outdoor venue? Contact info@blackpowerblueprint.org!

Marketplace and Garden, Projects /

Community enjoys 2021 Uhuru Halloween Festival

The Uhuru Halloween Festival and One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market held on Saturday, October 30, 2021 was epic!

MC Zondlile Mpiko welcomed the crowd and guided participants through the day’s program. Children and adults arrived in amazing costumes. They participated in games and activities like Uhuru Says, Exercise for Candy, a Halloween Hair Style Contest, Mummy Wrap and Dancing. Judges from the community awarded prizes in costume contests for both the children and adults.

Festival goers were treated to culture by DJ Oliver, mime artist Quincy GQ Fielding III and a fantastic drummer.

Uhuru Movement leader Chairman Omali Yeshitela also gave a powerful speech.

This final farmers market of the season featured wonderful vendors selling fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, prepared food, clothing, accessories, literature and more.

We can’t wait for next year — the One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market kicks off a season of weekly market dates in May of 2022!

Check out the Highlights Album:

2021 Halloween Festival Farmers Market (Highlights)
Marketplace and Garden, Projects /

Volunteers help paint marketplace stage

A huge thank you to the volunteers who contributed to painting the stage in preparation for opening day of the One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market!

Makel, Rebecca and Rhya, as well as One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market project director Ticharwa and Black Power Blueprint outreach coordinator Abdullah.

Together we sanded and painted base coats on the stage. Then volunteers applied the beautiful Congo design that the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF) uses in its institutions across the country.

Left: Black Power Blueprint Economic Development Director Ticharwa Masimba; Right: Black Power Blueprint Outreach Coordinator Abdullah Mohammad
Left: Black Power Blueprint volunteer photographer Rebecca  Center: artist Makel  Right: Rhya created the design stencils
The painted stage at the One Africa! One Nation! Marketplace and Gary Brooks Black Power Community Garden
Marketplace and Garden, Projects /

Volunteers help plant and prepare for painting

Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to the work day on May 15: Tarra, Mareay, James, KC, and Ashley, as well as the upcoming One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market coordinators Ticharwa and Marisa, our outreach chair Abdullah, and our promotions and projects coordinators, Penny and Kitty.

Together we sanded the stage to prepare it for painting (painting was postponed due to weather) and planted fruits and veggies (peppers, squash, zucchini, scallions, cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe), herbs (parsley, dill) and flowers (aster and marigolds)! All in preparation for our farmers market debuting June 5.

Salutes to Mr. Gary Brooks, longtime North St. Louis resident, the namesake of the Gary Brooks Black Power Community Garden, and the Black Power Blueprint’s master gardener. We were so excited that Mr. Gary was able to visit the garden while recuperating. He shared plans to bring hummingbirds and butterflies into the garden, continuing to bring to life his vision of making this black community space a true “destination.”

“Everything you need you can get from nature.” – Mr. Gary Brooks

Come see the garden at the corner of West Florissant and Alice! Sign up for the garden club!

Check out photos from the May 15 work day in the slideshow below!

Garden and Market Volunteer Day 2021-05-15 Highlights

Marketplace and Garden, Projects /

Water source installed at market site

Black Power Blueprint recently contracted CJ Plumbing to install a water source at the site of the One Africa! One Nation! Marketplace and Gary Brooks Black Power Community Garden.

One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market Coordinator Ticharwa Masimba and community garden volunteer Steve Brooks try the new water pump.
Marketplace and Garden, News and Announcements, Projects /

One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market coming to North St. Louis

In 2020, the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF) applied for and WON a 3-year grant to build a weekly farmers market in the outdoor venue across from the Uhuru House. 

The Farmers Market Team has been hard at work, preparing for the market’s launch in June!

The One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market will support African self-determination, building an anti-colonial economy and connecting the community to black growers and farmers. 

It means that fresh food is coming to North St. Louis!!!

The Farmers Market Team wants to hear from the community about your interest in visiting or selling products at the market. Please take the One Africa! One Nation! Farmers Market Community Survey by May 15, 2021.

Marketplace and Garden, Projects /

Community Garden Updates – March 28, 2021

On Saturday, March 27, members of the Gary Brooks Black Power Community Garden Team including Diana (left) and Steve (right) got the compost, seeds and starter plants ready for the April 3 garden work day.

Steve is the brother of Mr. Gary Brooks who leads the Black Power Blueprint community garden work.

Bulbs planted by the Garden Team last fall are now blooming flowers.
Bulbs planted by the Garden Team last fall are now blooming flowers.