By Xavier James
Norfolk, Va. - People are now coming forward revealing damaging information
about a popular black militant hangout called “The House of Consciousness” in Norfolk, Virginia. The venue is a bookstore turned ‘bully pulpit’
were black separatists gather to plan and discuss black history and how to
defeat white supremacy. The owner, Andrea
“Drea” Winstead is being accused of everything from drug dealing to
bootlegging the very lectures of the guests who currently visit her store.
Bold
allegations of lies, greed and betrayal are being launched by former friends
and business associates of Winstead. “We started the House of Consciousness
together,” said one former business partner who we’ll call ‘Gwen.’ “I
even quit my job and invested everything I had. But she forced me out by putting
everything in her name. Drea is very deceitful and she will say or do anything
to get money out of you.”
“She’s been
getting away with dirt for so many years it’s just an everyday thing to her,” recalled the woman who
wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. “She’s been ‘bootlegging’ other
peoples work and products for years. But to bootleg the very people who give
speaking engagements at her store is just low-down. If Ashra Kwesi and
Irritated Genie come to The House of Consciousness to speak, as soon as they
walk out the door, Angie turns her DVD burner on and goes to work duplicating
their stuff and keeping the money.”
No
stranger to controversy, Andrea Winstead,
who has also used the names Andrea
Winston, Andrea Wilson and now ‘Andrea Walker’, had two prior
businesses that were caught up in drug busts and subsequently shut down- in Virginia Beach and Norfolk’s Military Highway area. A few years ago, when
Bill’s Flea Market was raided by
federal agents, Winstead’s boyfriend, Victor, (pictured below) strolled into
the building carrying a brief case with marijuana
and cocaine inside. He was
immediately arrested. “He did the time
for her,” Gwen shrugged.
“That stupid
S.O.B. walked right inside the building while the police were tossing up everybody’s
store and had their dope with him. Now, how stupid was that…” recalled a white vendor whose
shop was set up right next to Victor and Winstead’s. “They never got along with
anybody in the building. They created a very hostile climate.”
Over
the past few years, several well known speakers visited the bookstore to give
lectures, speeches and advice to local patrons. Paid engagements and book
signings are common occurrences. Unfortunately, most speakers don’t know or
don’t care about the authenticity of the cause or the background of the owner.
They’re simply there to get paid.
“I can’t say
whether or not Ashra Kwesi or the Irritated Genie knew that Norfolk’s House of Consciousness
was a predatory business, but they should have done their homework. All money
ain’t good money. But I know that a lot of people stopped going there because
they felt Angie was a phony and that she’d screwed a lot of people out of money
over the years,”
said another former friend who was once in Winstead’s inner circle.
One
well known local activist told me, ‘snitching’
is frowned upon within the conscious
community even more harshly then the black community as a whole. This
atmosphere allows parasites and bottom feeders like Winstead to take advantage of people of color who come to her
doorstep seeking knowledge.
“I’ve known Angie for
years,”
said a former associate with close ties to the conscious community. He wasn’t
shy about his feelings for Andrea Winstead and the House of Consciousness.
“I could tell you a thousand stories
about her. Did you know that she had somebody rob her own ex- boyfriend for a
pound of weed? Swear to God! And they pistol whipped him, too. A brother named ‘Twin,’ ask her about that!
Hell, he probably doesn’t even know it was her that set him up. Another ex
named Brad said she started stalking him and put tape recorders around his
house. Three months later the feds raided his store and he ended up doing 4
years. One former business partner named
Julius got locked up after she had one of her girlfriends file false assault
and battery charges against him. While he was gone, she changed the locks to
their store and told the white man who owned the building not to let him on the
premises because he was dangerous. So, she works with them devils to help screw
black folks over. I’m telling you, she’s
really dirty.”
The
original proprietor George Welch,
affectionately known as “brother George” to the community, started the downtown
bookstore over 30 years ago. ‘The Self Improvement Center’ as
it was called, was one of the few places African-Americans could go to purchase
books by black authors, as well as herbs and dietary supplements. Several years
ago medical issues forced “bro George”
to sell the business to Winstead and
her associates.
Welch
died a short time later believing his legacy was in good hands.
Winstead
renamed the store ‘House of Consciousness’
after a popular activist’s store in New York, hoping that people would
think the two were linked. But Saa-Neter, the entrepmanuer and proprietor of
the New
York establishment said “they
are not in business together.”
When
asked if the above allegations were merely jealousy or hate, Gwen said she and
the others felt that the black community had a right to know who they were
dealing with. “The people we told you
about can be easily located. Sure, I lost a lot of money but I’ll let God deal
with Drea. I’ve moved on. I’ve got my own store now.”
House of Consciousness or A Den of Thieves?
Questions or comments:
xavierjames2010@yahoo.com
