Oakland Celebrates Transition of Lothario Lotho

Lothario Lotho (the Lo Show) Transitions to the Ancestors

The Bay Area gave one of its much loved sons, Lothario Lotho, a joyful home coming ceremony Monday at St Paul's AME Church in Berkeley. The last rites was witnessed by a packed house of family, friends and associates of the man who was the Master of Ceremonies at numerous events throughout the Bay Area. For twenty-three years he was MC of Berkeley's Juneteenth Festival.

But Lotho touched many souls even beyond the entertainment world. Professor emeritus Oba T'Shaka of San Francisco State University told how Lotho joined the Civil Rights struggle while a high school student in San Francisco. Journalist Charles Aikens spoke of his association with Lotho while they were students at UC Berkeley. Lotho was an activist at UCB, who fought to establish the Black Studies program.

He joined the Black Panther Party and established himself as a serious social activist, even ran for Mayor of Oakland, competing with Bobby Seale who won 47% of the vote, although Lionel Wilsom became the first black mayor.

St. Paul's AME Church was packed with scholars, entertainers and common people who loved Lotho. Marvin X fought back tears to tell the congregation, "His last words to me were of anger at my not attending his mother's funeral a months ago. He taught me two things, (1) not to destroy a brother with drugs, (2) love the brotherhood, especially since he was an only child. He looked upon his friends as blood brothers."

Some of the Bay Area's top musicians performed during the ceremony, including Paul Tillman Smith, Butch Haynes, Rhonda Benin, Sonny Farley, Dorothy Morrison, Michael Robinson, Ricardo Scales, Levi Seaser and Derrick Hughes. Derrick's voice was simply from another world in its power and range.

Pastor Leslie R. White officiated but had to cut down the time for words of love that began with a two minute limit, but when so many lined up to express their love for Lotho, he cut the time to one minute and/or one topic.

Those present included Alameda County Suprervisor Keith Carson, the Legendary Fillmore Slim, a Berkeley City Councilman, Nisa Bey, organizer Mansha Nitoto, Charles Aikens, Delores Nochi Cooper, John McGaffy, David Glover, Alona Clifton, Henry Winston, Clifford Brown, Jr., Arif Khatib, Ed Howard, Leo Bazille, et al.