Gwen Briant

Gwen, having turned a frightening shade of blue, was quickly placed inside the family’s woodstove by her alert grandmother

At this point, accounts conflict as to how exactly it all happened, but what we know for sure is that Gwen, having turned a frightening shade of blue, was quickly placed inside the family’s woodstove by her alert grandmother, who clearly “knew about such things.” The burning wood quickly warmed Gwen up back to the temperature that normal babies should be, and thus a near tragedy was thankfully circumvented. What a way to come into this world.

Having moved here with her Godparents when she was only 2 years old, Gwen, unlike most of us, can be considered a true native of Oakland. She went to grammar school in West Oakland, junior high in North Oakland, and McClymond’s high school in North Oakland. In 1943, Gwen even lived on 7th street (the same 7th St. our office is on today). To no surprise, Gwen has witnessed many significant moments and movements over the years, with her most memorable being the Black Panther movement. She admits she never became fully involved with their activities (as she was a “gullible 20 year old girl” at the time), but that doesn’t stop her from expressing her appreciation for what they accomplished.

Thank you Gwen for all that you do!

Somewhere in the 1960s (Gwen is decidedly ambiguous about dates), Gwen joined a singing group that toured the country. Singing as a part of this group not only gave her the opportunity to visit over 25 states, it’s also given her a love and appreciation for traveling. But there are two destinations she has yet to cross off her list of places to visit – Miami and Maui. So if you happen to have a few extra airline miles that you aren’t planning to use anytime soon, you know where to go…

Gwen’s been at LAS for about 18 months. She first joined the staff as part of the ASSETS program, a city program that trains seniors who are looking to reenter the workforce. As part of our extremely dedicated and highly valued reception staff, she has been instrumental in LAS’ efforts to provide consistent high quality services to our clients. Thank you Gwen for all that you do!