Jake Sloan, one of the youngest of the original 21ers had only begun working as a pipefitter helper in July 1960. Sloan had dropped out of the 10th grade in Richmond and joined the 21ers in his excitement over the Civil Rights movement. Older members didn't want him to jeopardize his career, but Sloan joined anyway.
After working at the shipyard for almost five years, he returned to school, eventually earning a master's degree in history at San Francisco State University and pursued a Doctorate in Education in Berkeley.
After a teaching stint, Sloan opened Oakland-based Davillier Sloan Inc., the state's largest labor compliance company. His company develops equal opportunity programs for minorities and women in the construction business.