WSOF FOUNDER
The We Shall Overcome Foundation was founded in 2012 by Isaias Gamboa, driven by his dedication to serving the poor, marginalized, and needy. These pursuits are rooted in his faith-based values and beliefs. Born in San José, Costa Rica to parents of Spanish and African ancestry, although born of maternal Jewish lineage, Isaias was raised in Christian Catholic and Baptist traditions, being the respective religious backgrounds of his parents. He describes himself as an avid student of the HOLY BIBLE and follower of the love and service-based teachings of Jesus Christ. Isaias believes that the demonstration of love, kindness and compassion for the poor and needy, are the only true measures of divine faith, obedience and discipleship.
MISSION WORK
Throughout his childhood, Isaias traveled through Mexico and many Central American countries with his family, where he witnessed his parents demonstrate their faith in God through acts of love, kindness, and compassion to those in need. Their example made a lasting impression on him. As an adult he has traveled to eight Latin American countries in service of those in need. In war and drug-ravaged regions, he's had automatic weapons held to his head by military insurgents. And yet, he has witnessed divine beauty, love, hope and joy in the faces, eyes and hearts of street children and the poor. He found all these experiences to be life-affirming.
In 2010, while in Brazil to donate toys and clothing to the poor, Isaias formed a strong relationship with three orphanages. The suffering of these Afro-Brazilian children reminded him of the cruelty, neglect, abuse, and hardships suffered by African Americans in South Central Los Angeles, where he lived. These and other formative experiences led him to establish the We Shall Overcome Foundation.
A LOVE OF MUSIC
Isaias began playing musical instruments as a young boy, nudged on by his Afro-Caribbean mother, who played the piano and sang Christian hymns to him before bed. As a young girl, she had been taught these hymns by her Jamaican mother and Christian missionaries, in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, where she was raised. Before long, Isaias' affinity for music was noticed by his parents and later, discovered by the music industry.
While still in his teens, Isaias was discovered and signed to Arista Records as a member of the band, Real to Reel, then in the early 90's signed to Polodor records as producer and member of "Double Action Theatre". He was fortunate to have experienced a 20-year career as a songwriter, music publisher, musician, recording artist, music-producer, arranger, and recording engineer. Gamboa has served as a voting member of the Grammy® organization and written more than 200 songs with Grammy® and multiple RIAA® Platinum and Gold awards. He is also a 40-year member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
AUTHOR and DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
In 2010 Isaias learned that the iconic civil rights anthem, We Shall Overcome may have ben stolen from an African American woman by folk singers in the 1960's. After discovering her copyright and conducting extensive recorded interviews, in 2012 Gamboa published the book, "We Shall Overcome: Sacred iong on the Devil's Tongue". He also produced an accompanying self-narrated 4-CD audio-book by the same name. The book and audio-book, are definitive guides to the true history of the powerful and globally revered protest anthem, "We Shall Overcome". These works also reveal Isaias' discovery of the extraordinary woman from Cincinnati, whom he believes to be the true original author of, We Shall Overcome; Rev. Mother Louise Shropshire. Louise Shropshire was a close friend of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activist Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and the "Father of Gospel Music"; Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey. Isaias' book and audio book also explore the historical attitudes of Black-exploitation, subjugation and racism in America by "non culture-bearers".
In 2010, Isaias began documenting his research into he origins of We Shall Overcome on film. This footage would evolve into a four-part documentary film series titled, "Claim the Sky: We Shall Overcome", produced, written, directed and edited by Gamboa.
WSOF WINS LANDMARK LAWSUIT!
In 2016, the We Shall Overcome Foundation, led by Isaias Gamboa, filed a class-action lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, that sought to free the civil rights anthem, We Shall Overcome from the illegitimate control and exploitation of, The Richmond Organization aka TRo Essex - a powerful music publishing company that had claimed control of the global protest and freedom anthem for nearly 60 years. In January of 2018, the We Shall Overcome Foundation won its fight and The Richmond Organization was forced to pay millions of dollars in legal fees, and relinquish all rights to We Shall Overcome, which is now in the public domain.
EDUCATOR and ADVOCATE
For 20 years, Isaias Gamboa served his Los Angeles community as a licensed California real estate broker, and owner of Beautiful Homes Real Estate, where he held free workshops for first-time home buyers from poor and underserved communities.
In 2014, Isaias re-located from Los Angeles to Cincinnati, to complete the documentary film he was directing about the true origins of We Shall Overcome. While there, he offered to restore an extraordinary residence that once served as a safe-house for the "Underground Railroad". Not long afterwards, he, came to observe the same racial and economic disparities he had seen in Los Angeles, and decided to establish the, Cincinnati Construction Academy, and later, Mr' G's Home-Care Bootcamp.
"CINCINNATI CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY" and "MR. G's HOME-CARE BOOTCAMP"
With the support of non-profit partners like the United Way and Greater Cincinnati Foundation, The We Shall Overcome Foundation established two programs; the "CINCINNATI CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY", and "MR. G's HOME CARE BOOT CAMP".
The Cincinnati Construction Academy (CCA) provides pre-apprenticeship carpentry training, mentorship, and employment placement assistance to at-risk minority-youth, and previously incarcerated adults who reside in the most vulnerable and under-served communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. These programs were born from, the Brother and Sisterhood of Minority Tradesmen, which in 2010, was established and led by Isaias in Los Angeles, California.
For its continued work training minority and underserved communities of color for Apprenticrship jobs in the constriction industry, in 2024 CCA has been honored by the US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR as an APPRENTICESHIP AMBASSADOR. Isaias Gamboa also sits on the Cincinnati Mayor's HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, and the Federally funded, BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE WORKFORCE ADVISORY BOARD.
MR. G's HOME CARE BOOT CAMP
"Mr. G's Home Care Boot Camps" are a rigorous weekend workshops, that provide residents of Cincinnati's underserved and underrepresented communities with a hands-on introduction to basic-carpentry, hand tools, power tools, and home-care skills,
In 1994 Isaias Gamboa earned a California Real Estate Broker's License and founded the residential and property management firm, Beautiful Homes Reall Estate in San Marino California. He is an ordained and licensed Christian minister, certified carpenter, authorized OSHA 500 trainer, certified carpentry craft Instructor, certificated high school career tech educator, avid photographer, licensed youth club soccer coach and licensed FAA Commercial SUAS pilot.
