The Friends of Negro Spirituals is a educational and cultural organization based in Oakland, California dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Negro spirituals. Founded in 1998 by Sam Edwards and Lyvonne Chrisman, the Friends of Negro Spirituals offers lectures and radio programs on Negro spirituals, research assistance to scholars studying Negro spirituals, and publishes a news journal, The Negro Spiritual.
The Friends of Negro Spirituals Oral History collection consists of DVDs and transcriptions of ten oral history interviews conducted in 2007 with supporters of Negro spirituals who work to preserve spirituals in the African American community. The collection includes interviews with William Bell, Lyvonne Chrisman, Marcella Huggins Conley, Doug Edwards, Sam Edwards, Jacqueline B. Hairston, Autris Thomas Paige, Linda Tillery, and Cleophas and Sadie Carter Williams.
Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO)
We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.
