User:Adjoajo/Jitu

Jitu Weusi His birth name was Leslie R. Campbell. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Jitu as an educator, author, a community leader, writer, activist, mentor, jazz and art program promoter. He is the founder of the National Black United Front, and Jitu Weusi Institute for Development.

Jitu was an institution builder and creator. He founded The East (Brooklyn) (East Cultural and Education Institution), Uhuru Sasa School (Freedom Now School), in Brooklyn for grades K through 12,  the African Street Festival in Brooklyn which became the  International African Arts Festival, the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium,  Black News co-founder, founding member of the African American Teachers Association, and For My Sweet. For my Sweet is a cultural events and art gallery space.

Early life
Jitu was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was born in St. John's Hospital in Brooklyn. He graduated from P.S. 54 in Brooklyn in 1952. He was the oldest of seven children.

When Jitu was 16 and growing up in Brooklyn he met John Oliver Killens. Killens lived across the street from Jitu. He found out that Killens was a writer. Killens gave Jitu a copy of his first novel Youngblood. He says that Killens practically raised him and other teens in the neighborhood.

Jitu's first visit to the South in the United States was when he was eighteen, and attending Virginia Union in Richmond, Virginia. He later received a basketball scholarship to attend Long Island University.

Career
In 1962 Jitu's career as a teacher started with the New York City Public schools.

In 1968 Jitu founded the African American Student Association.

In 1969 Jitu found The East a community education and arts organizations was create in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, after quitting the New York Public school system. It was located at 10 Claver Place. The East closed in 1986. Such notable artists as Max Roach, Roy Ayers, Betty Carter, McCoy Tyner,   Pharoah Sanders, Olu Dara, Freddie Hubbard, Leon Thomas, Lee Morgan, Dewey Redman,Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sun Ra and Denzel Washington performed at the East.

The East was one of the earlier promoters of Kwanzaa in New York.

He was a chairperson for the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium.

In 1972 - Jitu leadership in the creation of the Council of Independent Black Institutions (CIBI).

In 1989 - Jitu worked on mayoral campaign of David Dinkins, the first African American mayor of New York City.

Jitu was a member of Brooklyn's CORE in its' early days.

He also served as Chair for the National Black United Front.

In an interview with Julius Lester in 1968. Jitu explains that the poem written by a young African American student showed verbally how the student felt. The poem was aired on WBAI, which created a lot of controversy.

Awards
The Bedford Stuyvesant Community Board 3 voted to rename St. Claver Place to Jitu Weusi Way.