Michael (T) Torrance

Michael Torrance joined the BPP in 1969 after leaving the San Jose State BSU. He worked in the San Francisco Chapter and at National Headquarters on Peralta. Being a full-time Party member Michael T. was always busy, working in many areas such as:

BPP Newspaper cartoonist, courtroom artist for Huey's and David Hilliard's trials, worked at the Samuel Napier Youth Institute, and worked on the Bobby Seale for Mayor campaign.

Michael helped form the Black Student Alliance, an alliance of all the BSU's in the Bay Area. His talents as a singer developed with the formation of the Lumpen, the revolutionary singing group which represented the Party on a national tour.

After leaving the BPP in 1974, Michael joined the singing group, Ladies Choice which toured with Marvin Gaye and sang background on Marvin's Distant Lover album. From 1977-1980, he was a staff writer for Jobete Publishing, a division of Motown Records.

1980 to the present, Michael has worked for Positive Alternatives, providing drug education and prevention programs, gang diversion, AIDS prevention and after-school programs for youth at risk in South Central L.A. and Watts. The last few years he has also worked in the Domestic Violence Prevention Program at the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center.

Michael is also the choir director and Deacon in training at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Watts/Willowbrook. A truly dedicated servant of the people.