The Fall History Series is an array of events designed to highlight, celebrate, and explore the rich history of Oakland and East Bay.
"We're excited to offer a diverse slate of in-person programs for the 2023 Fall History Series, with eight events over the course of eight weeks,” says Oakland History Center Librarian Erin Sanders. “We're celebrating local authors, oral historians, educators, Black Panther Party history - not to mention two programs on Mountain View Cemetery. This year, we're bringing back the Haunted History Bike Ride and introducing a history program for teens. There's truly something for everyone in this lineup!"
The Fall History Series begins on September 26 with a panel discussion with local authors Andrew Alden and Jenny Odell about the unexpected and unseen parts of the Bay Area and reveal the structures beneath both our built environment and our lived experience, and end with a special writing workshop for teens, “Teen Imagined Histories: Make New Stories from Old Photos” on November 8.
This year's line-up also includes two exhibitions:
“Sister Love: Celebrating the Women of the Black Panther Party,” running Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, features photographs from 1969-1973 by Black Panther Party Photographer and Labor Organizer Ducho Dennis, and color photographs from 1996-2001 by Billy X Jennings. Additional photographs will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Black Panthers Party Oakland Community School, founded in 1973.
Exhibit curator, Billy X Jennings, former Black Panther Party member and now historian, will lead a discussion of the vital role that women members served in sustaining the Party through its heyday and beyond, Saturday. October 7, 2pm.
“Dr. Marcus Foster: Making Oakland Schools Work”, running Oct. 3 – Dec. 30, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth and 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Marcus Foster, superintendent of Oakland public schools during the 1970s. This exhibit explores Foster’s arrival in Oakland, his transformative vision for Oakland public schools, his assassination in November of 1973 and his enduring legacy.
The full list of Fall Oakland History Center events can be found at oaklandlibrary.org/ohcfallseries
About Oakland History Center
The Oakland History Center's mission is to collect, maintain, and provide materials that tell the story of Oakland and the East Bay. Located on the second floor of the Main Oakland Public Library, the Oakland History Center offers reference services, lectures, educational programs, tours, and exhibits. Oaklandlibrary.org/ohc
Follow Oakland History Center: @oaklandhistorycenter
About Oakland Public Library
The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow.
