This story was originally published by the San Francisco Foundation.
Growing up in East Oakland during the 1970s, one of Carolyn Johnson’s most vivid memories is of pancakes breakfasts on International Blvd.
The daily breakfasts were organized by the Black Panther Party as part of their Free Breakfast Program for Children after the organization moved their headquarters to East Oakland. The program was one of the many ways that the Black Panthers assisted with basic needs that government programs failed to provide for the Black community…