A peacemaker, master negotiator and hip hop royalty, Mpa passed away on September 30th.
Joseph Mpa, a longtime board member of People’s Action and Community Voices Heard in New York City, lived a rich and multi-faceted life: he got his first political experience as a teenager with the Black Panther Party, was a pioneer in the early days of hip hop, dedicated his life to youth development, contributed to building an ecosystem of supportive infrastructure in the South Bronx and embodied justice every day of his life. In this video, he tells the story of his early experiences and journey to becoming an organizer.
In 7th grade, through extracurricular reading, he became aware of the Black Panthers and the struggle to obtain racial equality. He soon joined the local Black Panthers chapter right around the corner from where he lived in the Bronx. There he received political education and also helped in the Black Panther Party free breakfast program.
He was a comrade and dear friend to many people in the extended People’s Action family. He had an unparalleled soul and spirit and could bring calm and clarity to the most challenging situations – small member meetings, large-scale public meetings, actions confronting power, tricky board conversations, you name it.
Joseph guided so many of us through some of our most challenging moments. Holding steady a moral and strategic compass as he held each of us. As George Goehl, former Director of People’s Action, said, “Every meeting or conversation I had with him was like being with a sage.”
As a young man, Mpa played a decisive role in negotiating a 1971 gang truce in the Bronx which led to a decline in street violence, and contributed to the emergence of hip hop.
In 1982, Joseph became the first manager of the Cold Crush Brothers – “acknowledged as true pioneers of hip hop, by those who know.” Joseph appears in the podcast Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story. This podcast explores the circumstances that led to the genre’s development in the Bronx. It features Joseph, and is narrated by Public Enemy emcee Chuck D.
Joseph worked for and contributed to several legacy South Bronx Organizations throughout his life. He founded Time to Rise Services and Programs – a consultancy with a focus on community needs and staff development; was the Executive Director of United Bronx Parents; was the Director of Programs/Acting Controller for Directions For Our Youth, Inc., and most recently served as the Operations Manager for the Bronx 161st Street Business Improvement District (BID). He was with the BID in various capacities for 12 years.
Joseph is survived by his partner of ten years, Nina Allen, and his sisters, Alison and Alicia Cox. He was the oldest brother of four children and had three sisters – Anita, Alicia, and Alison. He had a daughter in the spirit, Giselle, and his brother Victor. He has two nieces, two grand nephews, and one grandniece.
The life and legacy of Joseph Mpa will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2nd from 1-3pm at the MidBronx Senior Citizens Center at 900 Grand Concourse (161st Street) in The Bronx, NY.
