Maggie Brown on Oscar Brown Jr. and the Opportunity Please Knock Chorus

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Reclaimed Soul’s Ayana Contreras spoke with Chicago jazz vocalist Maggie Brown, daughter of playwright and entertainer Oscar Brown, Jr. Maggie is passionate about preserving the legacy of her father’s community-engaged artistry.

The Opportunity Please Knock Chorus (a creative collaboration between Oscar Brown Jr. and the notorious Blackstone Rangers street gang) premiered 50 years ago. Mr. Brown stated in 1967, “They’re not too disillusioned to work hard-if they ever had and illusions at all. It is up to us to give them a better picture of reality.”

As we look for solutions to quell today’s violence in our communities and to get kids off the streets, this is a notable model of artist intervention from Chicago’s past.

This was recorded in 2017 at a live event at Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.

Click here for more on the Opportunity Please Knock Chorus.

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