Elaine Brown (born March 2, 1943) is an American prison activist, writer, and singer. She was also a Black Panther Party chairwoman.
The Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for School Children program began in January 1969 at an Episcopal church in Oakland, and within weeks it went from feeding a handful of kids to hundreds. At its peak, the Black Panther Party fed thousands of children per day in at least 45 programs. BPP’s breakfast programs put pressure on political leaders to feed children before school. The result of thousands of American children becoming accustomed to free breakfast was that the government was pushed to expand its own school food programs.
Elaine Brown has continued to advocate for civil rights and African-American people. From 1995 to the present, she has lectured at more than forty colleges and universities, as well as numerous conferences.
