Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People of California was established on September 26, 1892 in Oakland, California and was the first institution to provide elderly care and housing for African Americans in California. The organization was created by Mary E.A. Cole, Ann S. Purnell, Elenora Amos, Areminto Stanford, Mary Goodman, Rosa H. Lockett, Mary C. Washington, Ellen Whiting, Harriet E. Smith, Mary J. Humphrey, and Anna Williams to “sustain a home for the aged and infirm who may be from any cause, incapacitated from taking care of themselves, and such others as the Board of Directors or trustees …

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Harold Jenkins Photograph Collection includes 81 photographs documenting Harold Slim Jenkins' various businesses in downtown Oakland, California. A majority of the photographs are publicity stills of bands and performers, interior shots of patrons and employees, or exterior photographs of Jenkins' businesses used for advertisements.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

Photographer Emmanuel Francis (E. F.) Joseph (1900-1979) was born on November 8, 1900 in St. Lucia, West Indies. He was the first professional African American photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area operating a commercial and studio photography business in his home initially at 1303 Adeline St. and then at 384 50th St. in Oakland. The E.F. Joseph photograph collection includes 2,518 photographs from Joseph’s work as a portrait and commercial photographer. The collection is organized into four series: Portraits, Commercial photography, Assorted photographs, and Letter and customer card.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Mayme C. Netherland Photograph Collection includes 41 photographs of friends and family of Mayme C. Netherland. Included in the collection are circa 1880s-1900s tin-type portraits and cabinet card portraits of African American women and men, as well as photographs of Netherland’s grandfather, father and husbands.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Oakland Economic Development Council was a local agency established in 1965 to implement programs associated with the Office of Economic Opportunity and the ‘War on Poverty’ in Oakland, California. The council’s programs were funded through Office of Economic Opportunity and Ford Foundation grants and were administered at Neighborhood Service Centers in North Oakland, West Oakland, East Oakland, and Fruitvale. Programs included family planning clinics, preventative health programs, legal aid services, job training, remedial instruction, small business development, dental and eye services, head start and day care, youth employment, and emergency aid and housing for women and children.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Oakland Unified School District Newsletter Collection consists of 19 issues of the New Directions (1966-1969) and Urban Education (1969-1971) newsletters. The newsletters were published by the Oakland Unified School District with federal funds from the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and featured articles and photographs of ESEA programs, school integration and busing, curriculum, scholarships, administrative news, and free lunch, ESL, and head start programs.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Roberts Family Papers document the activities of a family who achieved many milestones for African-Americans in California. Frederick Roberts was the first African American to graduate from Los Angeles High School and the first African American state assemblyman. In addition, he worked for the first African-American mortuary to be established in Los Angeles. His wife, Pearl, attended both the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. She became the first African-American woman pipe organist in Northern California and founded a very successful choral group which was acclaimed for its performance of spirituals. Frederick and Pearl's daughter, …

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The Stephens Family Papers consists of photographs and ephemera documenting Stephens Restaurant, Virginia's winning entry in a 1915 newspaper contest, and Virginia Stephens Coker's achievements as a lawyer.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

Royal E. Towns (1899-1990) was born February 10, 1899 in Oakland, California to William and Elizabeth Scott Towns. The Royal E. Towns Papers consists of photographs, correspondence, publications, financial and legal records, and ephemera that document Towns’ work as a City of Oakland firefighter, photographer, director of public relations for Free and Accepted Masons of California, and as an amateur historian.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland

The United States. Naval Supply Depot (Oakland, Calif.) newsletter collection includes 34 volumes of the newsletter, Oak Leaf, of the United States Navy Supply Depot in Oakland, California.The monthly newsletter began publication in 1943 and featured photographs and newstories related to human resources and general Navy issues at the supply depot.

Institution: Oakland Public Library, African American Museum and Library at Oakland