Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He left home on a football scholarship in Arizona but soon decided to move to Los Angeles at the height of the turbulent sixties; it was then, during the Civil Rights Era, that Bakewell began paving his road toward community empowerment.

Today, his personal and professional commitment has paid tremendous dividends to both his family and African Americans throughout this country. He has become one of the most influential businessmen and community leaders in our nation, blazing trails as the people’s organizer, developer, and advocate.

Bakewell, Sr. possesses the unique ability to bring diverse bodies of people together for the common good of their communities and the nation as a whole. His commitment to self-help, dignity, and respect for African Americans has earned him the reputation as “one of the most dynamic leaders in America today”, says the Los Angeles Times.

Beginning his career as theo Director of New Careers at UCLA, he combined academic with social consciousness. He left UCLA and become a member of the Black Congress, and out of that position, came the opportunity to head the Brotherhood Crusade. With his leadership of over 30 years, Bakewell helped create the largest African American Philanthropic organization institution in the country, having donated more than fifty (50) million dollars to community programs and services throughout Southern California. His trademark is his visceral commitment to serve as a voice for the voiceless.

Bakewell’s commitment to activism and advocacy lead him to seek justice in the killings of La Tasha Harlins and Lee Arthur Mitchell in Los Angeles and again, in Riverside, California, he was there seeking justice in the abhorrent and senseless killing of Tyisha Miller. He has held press conferences and private meetings, demanding accountability from policing and Public Official organizations.

Bakewell, Sr., purchased the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper from the Thomases and became the Executive Publisher, Chairman, and CEO in March, 2004. Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. serves as the Executive Editor of the newspaper, Pamela A. Bakewell serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, and Brandikewell serves as the company’s Chief Administrative Officer.

As Chairman of the BAKEWELL COMPANY, one of the largest African American-owned development companies in the United States, the Bakewells broker and head multi-million dollar revitalization efforts in the cities of Los Angeles, Compton, Pasadena, and other California communities. Bakewell’s signature on a project provides a majority African American workforce and a working model of inclusion and financial success in four areas often considered by others to be unprofitable and improbable based on the lack of skilled-professional African Americans in the development field.

Bakewell is the Founder of the Taste of Soul Family Festival. The festival was created and founded in 2005 by Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., and has been dubbed by Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti, as the largest one-day 'free' street festival and event in all of L.A. “For Taste of Soul, I didn’t want to simply go rent a venue. I wanted Taste of Soul to be in the community, for the community, and hosted by the community, I wanted to do something right here, on Crenshaw Blvd.”

With the help of his dedicated and longtime executive assistant, and community activist, Ms. Brenda Marsh-Mitchell, who also served as the President of Mothers in Action – a Taste of Soul non-profit partner since the first year — It is possibly the largest Black-owned and operated street festival in the country.

Danny Bakewell has been featured in the national media on 20/20, B.E.T., in EBONY, JET, and many other national media programs and publications. His works have been written about and highlighted in BLACK PHILANTHROPY AND SELF-HELP IN AMERICA, THE BLACK SCHOLAR, and BLUEPRINT FOR BLACK POWER. Berry Gordy, Jr., the Motown genius, Quincy Jones, the musical genius, and Johnnie Cochran, the legal genius, all made honorable mention of Bakewell in their autobiographies.