Content provided in partnership with
Search continues for Bey's missing protege
Oakland Tribune, Mar 19, 2004 by STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- The man who assumed the leadership of Your Black Muslim Bakery after the death of Yusuf Bey has been missing since Feb. 27, alarming those close to him.
Waajid Aljawwaad Bey, 51, president and CEO of the bakery, headquartered at 5832 San Pablo Ave., was last seen about 5 p.m. Feb. 27 when he dropped off an associate in East Oakland near 23rd Avenue and East 23rd Street, where the associate lived.
He told the associate he was going to get some sleep and go to the bakery, but never showed up. He also never went to work that night at a downtown business where the Bey organization provides security services.
- Most Popular Articles in News
- The Ten Best Laptop bags
- Tata plans cheapest-ever car for Indian market
- GLOBALIZATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD WORLD
- Corn is good for you; Corn is not only a tasty treat, but also a cereal that ...
- THE 50 BEST STYLISH HANDBAGS TO CARRY
- More »
He was reported missing to police on Feb. 29, and no one has seen or heard from him since, police said.
Bey was the name given to Aljawwaad by Yusuf Bey, who died Sept. 30, 2003. It was the custom of the bakery to give the name to people who had done positive work for the black community. It's unclear how many biological children Yusuf Bey had and how many were "adopted" sons and daughters.
Aljawwaad Bey had been the business manager for the bakery since the early 1990s and was one of Yusuf Bey's most trusted advisers. According to an agreement established by the board of directors, Aljawwaad Bey was to take over as CEO and president of the diversified business empire with the passing of Yusuf Bey, the operation's founder. Some bakery insiders fear Aljawwaad Bey's disappearance may be related to unchecked rivalries or maneuvering for power in the wake of Yusuf Bey's death.
Police are not commenting on possible motives or theories. Friends of the missing man are said to be conducting their own investigation.
Aljawwaad Bey had adopted children and formerly lived in Vallejo, where he still had some possessions in storage.
One bakery staffer said: "He works so hard we thought he was taking a break somewhere. But then people said he was too responsible not to call."
He also suffered from high blood pressure. "But the longer he was missing, we feared for the worst. If there was just a medical problem he would have called or we would have found him by now," said one bakery employee.
The bakery holds business meetings on Thursday evenings and Aljawwaad Bey had conducted the regular meeting the day before he vanished.
"He was determined to make the bakery survive and business was stabilizing," said the employee, who declined to be named.
The bakery has been circulating fliers and canvassing the community as part of its own "investigation." One flier says he was last seen at 773 21st St. near West Grand Avenue.
Police officer Todd Crutchfield of the Missing Persons Unit said Aljawwaad Bey's home on 21st Street was searched by police and nothing appeared to be in disarray. The TV set was on, bakery employees said.
His car was found at the house.
"We have no idea what happened to this man, whether he left town or is still in the area," Crutchfield said.
Aljawwaad Bey is African American, 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds with brown eyes and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black suit, white shirt and bow tie.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call police at (510) 238-3353 or (510) 238-3641.
The clothing he was wearing is a symbol of service to the community that had been adopted by followers of the late Elijah Muhammad, founder of the black Muslims that evolved into the Nation of Islam. Yusuf Bey displayed Muhammad's picture at the bakery and preached his teachings of a proper diet, self-determination and economic development for the black community.
Yusuf Bey had often noted that in 30 years no one had ever broken into the bakery -- a sign of the respect the black community had for the business and its mission of self-help, employment and training.
At the time of his death, Yusuf Bey was facing trial on criminal charges he had sex with underage girls, fathering children with some of them.
c2004 ANG Newspapers. Cannot be used or repurposed without prior
written permission.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
