Portrait of the Rousseau Family with musical instruments: ‘The World Famous Rousseau Family,' circa 1920s, Rousseau family papers, MS 44, African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
African Americans and the Arts in Oakland
Study Guides
Visual Art
A guide to African American visual artists in AAMLO's archives.
Theatre
African American theater, playwrights, and actors, in AAMLO's collections.
Poetry
Discover African American poets and poetry in AAMLO's collections.
Music, Opera, and Singers
Items related to African American music, opera, and singers of the early 20th century (1900-1940).
Visual Art
A guide to African American visual artists in AAMLO's archives.
Theatre
African American theater, playwrights, and actors, in AAMLO's collections.
Poetry
Discover African American poets and poetry in AAMLO's collections.
Music, Opera, and Singers
Items related to African American music, opera, and singers of the early 20th century (1900-1940).
Special Collections
Special Collections
E. F. Joseph Photograph Collection
Photographer Emmanuel Francis (E. F.) Joseph (1900-1979) was born on November 8, 1900 in St. Lucia, West Indies.
Ruth Beckford Papers
Beckford (Ruth) Papers
The Ruth Beckford Papers include dance programs, correspondence, lesson plans, oral histories, manuscripts, newspapers, and photographs.
Henry Williams Jr. Film Collection
Williams (Henry) Jr. Film Collection
Films and reel-to-reel audiotapes mostly documenting the Black Panther Party and student and union protest movements of the late 1960s.
Black Panther Community News Service Collection
Black Panther Community News Service Collection
214 newspapers published by the Black Panther Party between 1967-1976 and includes a commemorative edition published in the Spring of 1991.
Oakland History Center has a wealth of resources available featuring Black artists, poets, musicians, and entertainers including artwork featured in the Black Panther Intercommunal News Service by Emory Douglas and Tarika Lewis.
Oakland History Center Video Archives
Oakland History Center Video Archives (Calisphere)
Browse video archives from the Oakland History Center on Calisphere.
Oakland Tribune Archive
Oakland Tribune Archive
Full-text of articles since September 14, 2001.
Laney College collection, 1980-2000
Laney College collection, 1980-2000
Announcements, newsletters, press releases, schedules, and photographs from Laney College.
Black Filmmakers's Hall of Fame collection
Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame collection, 1974-2015
Programs, promotional materials, articles and other documents from and about the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
News, Blogs, Videos
Emory Douglas back cover, vol. IV no. 22, Black Panther Black Community News Service collection, MS 178, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library.
Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement in Oakland and Berkeley
The Black Arts Movement was a vibrantly creative period that has had a lasting cultural impact on the East Bay.
Boogaloo Originals
Boogaloo Originals
Now in their 50th year, the Black Resurgents are helping keep the Oakland boogaloo spirit alive.
Black Matters
Black Matters: the world of Afrofuturism
Local exhibits, lectures, and film festivals celebrate the cultural movement of Afrofuturism.
E. J. (Evangeline) Montgomery
E.J. (Evangeline) Montgomery
The African American Museum & Library at Oakland celebrates an arts champion.
Evolutionary Blues
Evolutionary Blues: West Oakland’s Music Legacy
Staff at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland share stories and information about West Oakland's Music Legacy.
The Jay Payton Show
The Jay Payton Show: Oakland’s Own Soul Train
The African American Museum & Library at Oakland is working to preserve Oakland's music heritage.
African Americans Music History
African American Music History
Collections focused on music from our Archives and Library. African Americans in the Art of Music
Rapper and Pianist Kev Choice
Rapper and Pianist Kev Choice Makes Music to Heal Oakland
Video from KQED Arts: Rapper and Pianist Kev Choice Makes Music to Heal Oakland—and Himself
Nijla Mu'min
Nijla Mu'min Brings Black Muslim Coming-of-Age Story to Film
KQED Arts video on Nijla Mu'min Brings Black Muslim Coming-of-Age Story to Big Screen
That's My Word
(KQED) That's My Word
A Year-Long Exploration of Bay Area Hip-Hop History
Black Love and Hip Hop
Black Love and Hip Hop Heal an Oakland Community's Pain
Watch members of SOL Development as they embody a new vision for how art and music reflect a community’s pain and work to heal its traumas.
Whittier School student viewing Marie Johnson's Dream deferred, a construction in mixed media at New Perspectives in Black Art show at Oakland's Kaiser Center gallery, Oakland Post Photograph collection, MS 169, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library.
"Black Art was her language"
“Black Art was her language”
East Bay Yesterday podcast interview with Babette Thomas about the history of California Black Arts and her "Raw Material" podcast.
Raw Material Podcast
Raw Material Podcast - Produced by Babette Thomas
Podcaster-in-residence Babette Thomas leads listeners on a journey of Black ideas, surfacing voices of Black Bay Area art history pioneers.
On Visions of Black Futurity
On Visions of Black Futurity
Babette Thomas discussing her project "On “Visions of Black Futurity” looking at the work of E.J. Montgomery and the Black Arts Movement.
