Former Harlem Globetrotter ‘Big Brown’ Joseph Provides Air Conditioning Units To Louisiana Seniors

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July 23, 2026

Edwian Stokes, Black Enterprise

James “Big Brown” Joseph, a former Harlem Globetrotter and longtime UPS driver, installed 50 air conditioning units for elderly residents in Livingston, Louisiana, July 18. This continues his 17-year campaign to protect vulnerable seniors from extreme summer heat.

Through his nonprofit, Big Brown Reaching Back, Joseph has installed more than 2,500 air conditioners since 2009, including 100 units delivered statewide in two days. The wider campaign, supported by volunteer UPS workers, has distributed over 23,000 window units to low-income households across Louisiana under the slogan “Strengthening South Louisiana One Family at a Time.”

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