African American Museum and Library at Oakland facts for kids
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Oakland Public Library
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The African American Museum & Library at Oakland
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 African American Museum and Library
Location in Oakland, California
African American Museum and Library
Location in California
African American Museum and Library
Location in the United States
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| Location | 659 14th Street Oakland, CA, U.S. |
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| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Walter Danforth Bliss, William Baker Faville |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001173 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 11, 1983 |
The African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) is a special place in Oakland, California. It's like a treasure chest for learning about African American history, culture, and experiences. AAMLO is both a museum and a library. It's part of the Oakland Public Library system.
You can find AAMLO on 14th Street in Downtown Oakland. It holds a huge collection of old items. These include diaries, letters, photos, and old magazines. These items help us understand the past.
Contents
Discovering AAMLO's History
Where AAMLO Began
The AAMLO building has a long history. It's called the Charles S. Greene building. This building used to be a Carnegie library. From 1902 to 1951, it was the main library for Oakland Public Library.
How AAMLO Grew Over Time
AAMLO started as a private collection in 1946. Two families, Eugene and Ruth Lasartemay, and Jesse and Marcella Ford, began gathering these items. On July 2, 1965, this collection became the East Bay Negro Historical Society (EBNHS).
Later, its name changed to the Northern California Center for Afro-American History & Life. In 1994, the city of Oakland took it over. That's when it got its current name, the African American Museum and Library at Oakland.
AAMLO's Journey to Its Home
The first collection was in a small shop on Grove Street. This street is now called Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The collection grew very fast. In 1982, it moved to the Oakland Public Library's Golden Gate Branch.
AAMLO officially became a partnership between public and private groups in 1994. It finally moved into its current building in 2002.
What You Can Find at AAMLO
Amazing Collections to Explore
AAMLO has more than 160 different collections. These collections include important archives. You can find materials about famous people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. There are also items about the Black Panthers and African history.
If you are interested in your family's past, AAMLO has resources for genealogy. Genealogy is the study of family history.
Types of Materials at AAMLO
The museum and library hold many kinds of materials. These include:
- Photographs
- Handwritten papers
- Letters and diaries
- Old newspapers
- Recorded stories from people (oral histories)
- Videos
- Microfilms (tiny copies of documents)
Visiting the Galleries
AAMLO has two galleries. These galleries often change their exhibitions. You can see art, learn about history, and explore different cultures. Sometimes, they even work with other groups for special exhibitions.
See also
