Two Original Panoramic Photographs. BLACK PRINCE HALL FREEMASONS and WOMEN'S ORDER of the EASTERN STAR. Original silver gelatin photographs, Portland Oregon, 1951. Photographed by Theodore Mentzer, Portland Oregon, with his ink stamp on the verso's. Both photographs are in VERY GOOD Condition: light edge wear, a few bumps in the margins, and light toning to the verso, overall excellent tonality and detail. A stunning photographic record. Scarce.

"48th Annual Communication, Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, State of Washington and Jurisdiction, Portland, Oreg. July 8th, 1951." Sized 28.5" x 7" inches. Featuring 73 Black men, all exquisitely dressed and festooned with freemason regalia.

"38th Annual Communication, Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, State of Washington and Jurisdiction, Portland, Oregon, July 8-11, 1951." Sized 36" x 7" inches. Featuring 86 Black women and 23 Black men, all exquisitely dressed and festooned with freemason regalia.

Prince Hall Free Masonry is an historically African American fraternal organization founded by Prince Hall, a free Black man in 1775. Prince Hall formed in the Northwest in the 1880s and 1890s. The Prince Hall chapter in Portland was organized in 1891. At the turn of the 20th century, many African Americans were less than 40 years removed from slavery. Many were poor, illiterate and had no political power. Several community institutions were established at this time including fraternal lodges, civic organizations, benevolent societies and social clubs which provided Portland's Black citizens with political, social, and economic stability and a platform for Black activism. Because of red-lining and segregation, Albina was the only Black neighborhood in Portland. By the 1950s, the Prince Hall Masons were a pillar of Portland's Black community, headquartered at the Masonic Temple at N. Rodney Street and N. Russell Street.

The midcentury represented the fraternity's zenith and Portland's African American women established a Women's auxiliary, the Order of the Eastern Star. Black women were able to exercise power, influence, and independence apart from their families or husbands and become leaders in their communities in their own right. Prince Hall members worked alongside the NAACP and local civil rights leaders to push for legislative milestones, such as the Oregon Public Accommodations Act (1953) and the Fair Housing Act (1957). The Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Portland oversaw scholarship programs, youth initiatives, and mutual aid networks, which were documented in grand lodge souvenir programs throughout the 1950s.

Theodore Mentzer (1892-1953) was a prominent early 20th century commercial photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Operating out of 1608 NE Halsey St, he specialized in large format, sweeping panoramic photos of various subjects throughout the Pacific Northwest.

FEBRUARY 1969 ISSUE OF EBONY MAGAZINE featuring SHRIRLEY CHISHOLM on the cover and with the title: NEW FACES IN CONGRESS - MRS. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM IS FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON CAPITAL HILL. Complete issue.

Magazine, side-stapled, 10x13.5 inches, 122 pages. Illustrated throughout.

VERY GOOD condition, complete, solid, clean, clear and unmarked, with NO mailing label. One of the cleanest copies of this important issue I have seen.

Shirley Chisholm made history as the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, winning her congressional seat in November 1968. She represented New York's 12th congressional district, centered in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, for seven terms, 1969 - 1983. Her motto was "UNBOUGHT and UNBOSSED".

NOW LAWS ARE BEING PASSED TO HINDER AS MANY BLACK VOTERS AS POSSIBLE. I guess UNBOUGHT and UNBOSSED doesn't apply to many in Congress these days.

NEW HOMES FOR TODAY Remodeling, Interiors, Duplexes, Ranch Houses.

Paul Williams. Published by [Murray and Gee, Inc], [Hollywood, CA] [1946]. Illustrated wrappers, 80 pages.

This appears to be a smaller paper bound issue from the original publisher using a cut down version of the original dustjacket as the wrapper, with the same architectural plans. A seminal book of small house plans and designs by famed Southern California architect Paul R. Williams. Very Good Condition: spots of foxing to the covers, title page and inside front cover has off-setting from laid-in paper, otherwise, tight, bright, clean and unmarked.

Paul Revere Williams, FAIA (1894-1980) Legendary, trailblazing Black architect known as the "Architect to the Stars." Over his 50 year career, he designed more than 3,000 buildings, primarily in Southern California, and broke monumental racial barriers in the field of architecture. He designed the homes of numerous celebrities, such as Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, Barbara Stanwyck, and Charles Correll. He also designed many commercial, institutional and civic buildings.

JACKIE ROBINSON'S POCKET BASEBALL GAME

Published by Advertising Services Division, Inc., New York City, 1950. Offset lithograph on paper board, printed in red, green and black ink, with metallic dials, slide indicators and scoring spools, 6.5" x 4.5" card that folds open to reveal 6.5" x 9" baseball game field. The cover shows Jackie Robinson at the plate waiting for a pitch, the inside shows rotating playing wheel and pointer to indicate innings, balls, strikes, outs, and score for visiting and home teams, and the back cover shows game instructions and Jackie Robinson's facsimile signature. EXCELLENT CONDITION: stored away for 75 years and probably never played, all wheels, arrows and sliders function and move freely, none are seized or bound, just light signs of age, including a bit of light toning to the margins, a touch of rust on the metal dials and light offsetting from the rust. A complete, solid, bright and unmarked copy, very uncommon, especially so in this condition.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) broke the color barrier and became the first African American athlete in modern history to play for a major league baseball team. Once he slipped on jersey # 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became a civil rights icon and one of the most integral figures in American sports history, Robinson won the National League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards during a 10 year career that led to a first ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. After he retired from baseball, Robinson became more active in the civil rights movement.

Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was drafted into military service in 1942 and eventually joined the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers. He was court-martialed in July 1944 after refusing an order by a driver to move to the back of an Army bus. Robinson was acquitted and coached Army athletics teams until his honorable discharge in November 1944. Robinson remains an icon in MLB and every year on April 15 the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, honoring his debut with the Dodgers.

The Patent Wood Box Blacking Songster, circa 1876

Rare unrecorded Songster with song lyrics, illustrated quack medicine and household polishing product advertisements. What makes this piece exceptional is the diabolically racist reconstruction era advertisement for a mousetrap, depicting a caricaturized Black man holding a Catch-Em Alive Mouse Trap with mouse tails dangling from it and on the bottom of his shoe is written 15 Amendment. The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. Its appearance on the sole of his shoe coupled with the offensive caricature reflects the social and political climate of the Reconstruction era writ large, mocking Blacks newly acquired voting rights highlights the challenging racial dynamics of the time. I could not find another copy of the Songster, the ad, or a trading card depicting the ad.

With the emphasis on blacking polish, and requests for agents to sell their wares, perhaps published by the American Chemical M'F'G Co., Rochester, New York, manufacturers of the Patent Wood Box Stove Blacking Polish Paste for leather, furniture and stoves (cakes of black-leading or graphite-based blacking and polishing paste in a patented, paddle-shaped, wooden box with swivel lid), circa 1876. Lacking its wrappers (4 pages: the front cover, inside front cover, (unnumbered), inside rear cover, and rear cover (numbered pages 29 and 30)), 5.5" x 4.5", 28 pages (of 30), single thread sewn stitched binding. CONDITION: Imperfect, lacking wrappers, edgewear, edge chips, soiling, tearing, toning, creasing, and mouse gnawed at the bottom edge, page 12 containing the racist ad has a 1" closed edge tear, tiny stab hole in the upper margin, mouse gnawing in the lower margin, and age toning but remains solid and bright. Unrecorded and scarce.

STAY IN THE STREETS FREE THE PANTHERS

ORIGINAL PINBACK BUTTON, 1.75" inches in diameter, printed in red, blue and yellow with a graphic Black Power raised fist in the center. No date, circa 1968. Issued by the Black Panther Party for Self Defense to raise funds and support for the legal defense of Party members imprisoned by the state and federal government. EXCELLENT CONDITION: the edge has some tiny light spots of discoloration, the back is oxidized, overall a bright, wearable and relevant original piece from the era when protestors voices were heard.

The Black Panthers were emblematic of the Black Power Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Following the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton formed the Black Panther Party. After Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, the Panthers grew rapidly into a national revolutionary party with over 5,000 members in cities across America.

SCARCE GROUP OF IMPORTANT AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS BOOKS ONE SIGNED

1. Exhibition Catalogue. THE PROPHET AND OTHER PAINTINGS by Alvin Hollingsworth

ALVIN C. HOLLINGSWORTH attracted widespread critical acclaim with his groundbreaking exhibition THE PROPHET SERIES held at the Harbor Gallery in Long Island that travelled to the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1970. Harlem Renaissance Artist and Civil Rights Advocate Romare Bearden lauded the exhibition in the October 1970 issue of the New York Amsterdam News. And in a 1971 Ebony magazine interviewed Hollingsworth who provocatively stated, "I have always felt that Christ was a Black man . a symbol of any of the modern prophets who have been trying to show us the right way. To me, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King are such prophets." Published by the Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1970. First Edition. Softcover, dark yellow textured card covers with black printing and tipped on color plate, 9" x 6", side staple bound, 12 unnumbered pages including covers, illustrated with 7 b&w photographs of Hollingsworth's paintings and a b&w photographic portrait of the artist. NEAR FINE Condition: tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Scarce, only 11 copies in OCLC collections worldwide.

2. SIGNED Conference Program. THE SLAVERY DEBATE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? April 1975, Queens College, University of New York. John Henrik Clarke, Convener. Illustrated wraps 11" x 8.25", side staple bound, 8 un-numbered pages. SIGNED by HOLLINGSWORTH in blue pen on the front cover. Hollingsworth created the cover art for the program. NEAR FINE Condition: tight, bright, clean, unmarked and Hollingsworth's signature is bold and bright. Scarce.

3. Children's Book. I'D LIKE THE GOO-GEN HEIM. Written and Illustrated by A.C. Hollingsworth. Published by Reilly & Lee Books, a division of Henry Regnery Company, Chicago, IL, 1970. First edition. Hardcover in illustrated dustjacket, light yellow cloth covered boards with embossed metallic blue printing on the spine, 7" x 8", sky blue endpapers, 48 un-numbered pages, colorfully illustrated throughout, the inside rear panel of the dj has a b&w photograph of the artist Book and un-price clipped dustjacket are in NEAR FINE Condition: tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Scare first edition of Hollinworth's only children's book.

ALVIN C. HOLLINGSWORTH (1928-2000) Leading African American Artist, trail blazing Black comic artist, painter, illustrator, abstract expressionist, best known for his paintings relating to civil rights issues, the experience of Blacks within the urban landscape, Black women's rights, jazz, spirituality, and dance. Founding member with Romare Bearden of the Spiral Group of African American artists who linked their creative expression to social justice, other prominent members included Charles Alston, Emma Amos, Earl Miller, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff, Richard Mayhew, and Reginald Gammon. As early as 1945 he was illustrating comic books for various publishers including Cat Man Comics, which were issued under his name and pseudonyms, by the early 1950's he successfully created his own nationally syndicated comic.

THE DOWN OF A THISTLE Selected Poems, Prose Poems, and Songs by Margaret Esse Danner

SIGNED & INSCRIBED by African American Poet MARGARET ESSE DANNER

" For Al Birdsong / Margaret / Esse / Danner " in blue ink on the blank free front endpaper.

Published by Country Beautiful, Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1976. First edition. Hardcover in dustjacket, 144 pages. NEAR FINE CONDITION BOOK, un-price-clipped dustjacket has some small edge chips and the spine is lightly sunned.

In 1976 Margaret Esse Danner (1915-1984) published her final major work, The Down of a Thistle, which she dedicated to Black Poet Robert Hayden. Much of her poetry is about the relationship between Black Africa and Black America. Some poems are a homage to Langston Hughes, who also displayed a strong connection to his African heritage and inspired and influenced Danner throughout her life. Her message is one of hope but she did not trivialize the difficulty of being Black in America.

The Prince of Washington Square An Up-To-The Minute Story By Harry F. Liscomb

Published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1925. First edition. Hardcover in original orange dustjacket. Hardcover, illustrated orange paper covered boards, hint of grey topstain, 7.5" x 5.25", 180 pages, in its un-priceclipped dustjacket. GOOD CONDITION: the covers have a few small droplet stains, toning and wear to the edges but remains solid and bright, internally very good, some areas of small staining, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. In a fair dj with droplet staining, toning to the spine and folds, chipping to the fold and spine-ends, and some small scrapes, overall solid, legible and the flaps remain quite bright!

One of the first Black authored novels of the 1920s, it was published by a major white New York publisher and was very popular and aggressively advertised especially in the Black media. Suddenly it was totally ignored by the white press after being destroyed by a white critic in the Saturday Review of Literature [May 23, 1925]. Set in Greenwich Village, focusing on multiethnic youth gang culture and contemporary Blackness. Written when the author was just 19 years old, he was planning another novel but that never happened. A lifelong New Yorker, Harry F. Liscomb (b. Circa 1906) died in obscurity probably in Queens.

For informational purposes, the last three photos are images of 1925 newspaper reviews of Liscomb's novel: review with photograph of the author, from the The Afro-American, South's Biggest and Best Weekly; The Saturday Review of Literature (May 23, 1925) white media takedown of the book; The Negro World April 18, 1925, Newspaper devoted solely to the interests of the Negro race. (These clippings are not included).

EXTREMISTS RIGHT AND LEFT

Concern: A Discussion Series. Published by Silver Burdett Company, Morristown, NJ, 1970. Softcover, illustrated wraps, side staple bound, 10" x 6", 56 pages, illustrated throughout with evocative b&w photographs and bold red and blue graphics. VERY GOOD CONDITION: former owners name stamp on the inside of front and rear covers, light bookplate remnants on inside front cover, light edgewear, some age toning and light signs of use and wear, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked.

Scarce 1970 work addressing the radical counterculture, race and extreme political polemics. The "Concern" series was a set of discussion booklets aimed at engaging students in critical thinking and discussion around various social issues. They were used in school settings to promote dialogue and understanding of complex topics like violence, poverty, and civil rights.

AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY - LETTER by WILLIAM HENRY FITZHUGH printed in the CHRISTIAN MIRROR detailing the PLANS OF THE COLONIZATION SOCIETY. Fitzhugh's letter is printed on the left two columns of the front page.

Christian Mirror, Portland, Maine. Volume V, Number 15, November 24, 1826. Folio, single fold broadside (4 pages), each page approximately 15x21 inches.

Only FAIR Condition: Center and horizontal folds as issued, fraying at margins, creases, toning and foxing, some stains, a piece missing from the front edge affecting some text; nonetheless still holding together with text that is clear and legible. The name of "Mrs. M. J. Lewis" is written at the top of the front cover.

The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the repatriation of freeborn people of color and emancipated slaves to the continent of Africa.

Opposed by Abolitionists, one saying: "We recognize in the scheme of African Colonization the most intense hatred of the colored race, clad in the garb of pretended philanthropy; and we regard the revival of colonization societies as manifestations of a passion fit only for demons to indulge in."

William Henry Fitzhugh (1792-1830) was a Virginia planter, politician, and a Vice President of the American Colonization Society (ACS). Fitzhugh believed free Black people could never be integrated into American society. Fitzhugh was one of Fairfax County's largest landowners and slave owners. In 1810 he owned 242 slaves in the county. In 1818 he became very active in the ACS and sold 2000 acres of his Ravensworth plantation, a large brick building in Alexandria, and about 80 slaves, to raise funds for its cause. In 1820 he owned 158 slaves, vowing to eventually repatriate them.

In 1822, the ACS established a colony on the west coast of Africa. In 1847, the colony became the independent nation of Liberia.

RARE HISTORIC DOCUMENT RELATING TO PLANS FOR THE DEPORTATION AND COLONIZATION OF BLACK AMERICANS.

Unique Photograph of African American Domestic Worker Holding White Infant.

Original Cabinet Card Photograph circa 1884 featuring an unknown African American woman tenderly caring for a white baby. The woman is quite handsome and clothed in a crisp natural form pinstripe bustle dress with matching pinafore apron and headscarf, her hair is graying. The baby she is holding is dressed in a long gown and lace top. The back of the card does not identify the Black woman but a penned notation states the child's age and initials, D.B.M. 3.5 months, [Dorothy B. Mann].

Hugh J. Brady, Photographer. Albumen print cabinet card. Size 6.5" x 4.25". VERY GOOD CONDITION: a unique image, sharp and bright. Printed on the verso: HJ BRADY Leading Photographer. COR MAIN and PARK STS. Orange N.J. Additional Copies Can Always Be Obtained And Instantaneous Portraits Of Children A Specialty

Hugh J. Brady (American, b. circa 1859) Professional Photographer whose studio and business were in Orange, New Jersey from about 1884 to 1910. His cabinet cards from 1884-1885 were printed with variations of Main Street, Corner of Park Avenue, Orange, NJ. In 1886 his business burned down "The photographic gallery of Hugh J. Brady, Main and Park streets, Orange, N. J., was destroyed by fire lately." (Anthony's Photographic Bulletin of 1886.) After rebuilding, his cabinet cards were printed with the street address 393 Main Street, Orange, NJ, from 1887 to 1910.

Interestingly, in 1880, 35% of married Black women and 73% of single Black women were in the labor force compared with only 7% of married white women and 24 % of single white women, most Black women were in low wage domestic service jobs. The legacy of Black women's employment in industries that lack worker protections continues today. The ongoing culling of the federal workforce reinforces this historic discrimination.

THE JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY Volume I and Volume II. By CARTER G. WOODSON.

Each copy is SIGNED, INSCRIBED and DATED by the author, CARTER G. WOODSON, as follows:

"To Miss M. E. Cromwell / with the best wishes of / C. G. Woodson / Jan 19, 1918".

Mary E. Cromwell was a founder of the The National Association of University Women, an activist for equality for African-American girls, and a mathematician. Her father was John Wesley Cromwell. John Wesley Cromwell is listed in the Index of Volume I.

Two hardcover books, gilt titling to the spines, 5.5x8.5 inches. Pagination: Volume I, iv, 462 pages. Volume II, iv, 464 pages.

Published by The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Lancaster, PA, and Washington DC, 1916 and 1917. First editions.

VERY GOOD condition: The covers had some professional restoration to the cloth boards, they are solid and lovely with just light signs of handling and wear. Internally, the front and rear inner hinges are professionally reinforced; overall the inner pages are tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A nice, solid, very presentable set.

HISTORIC and IMPORTANT African-Americana. SIGNED and INSCRIBED by CARTER G. WOODSON to his 1918 colleague at M Street / Dunbar High School MARY E. CROMWELL, the noted Black activist and mathematician, these two volumes are not only rare but unique..

About CARTER G. WOODSON (from Wikipedia):

******Carter Godwin Woodson, b.1875 d.1950, was an American historian, author, journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African diaspora, including African-American history. A founder of The Journal of Negro History in 1916, Woodson has been called the FATHER OF BLACK HISTORY. In February 1926 he launched the celebration of Negro History Week, now known as the Black History Month.

In 1911 he began teaching at M Street (Dunbar) High School - An Elite Black

school. One of his colleagues was the mathematics teacher, Mary E. Cromwell. In 1912 Woodson was the second African American, after W. E. B. Du Bois, to obtain a PhD degree from Harvard University. But he continued for years teaching at M STREET HIGH SCHOOL until, in 1919, he joined the Howard University faculty.

Woodson worked to preserve the history of African Americans. He noted that African-American contributions were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history.******

Read much more about Carter G. Woodson on his Wikipedia Page, in the article: THE BURGEONING 'CAUSE,' 1920-1930 AN ESSAY ON CARTER G. WOODSON (found when searched under that title), and elsewhere on the Internet.

About MARY E. CROMWELL, to whom the books are inscribed:

******Mary E. Cromwell earned her A.B. degree from the University of Michigan and her M.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and did additional graduate work at Columbia University. She taught mathematics at M STREET HIGH SCHOOL / DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL, an elite public High School for African-Americans in Washington, D.C. Miss Cromwell was keenly interested in social problems, especially as they concerned African American women. She was a founder of the National Association of University Women, and served as its first Secretary.

The noted African-American JOHN WESLEY CROMWELL b.1846 d.1927,

was her father.

MARY E. CROMWELL and CARTER G. WOODSON both taught at M Street / Dunbar High School in 1918, the year in which these books were inscribed by Woodson to Miss. M. E. Cromwell.******

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: These two books will require substantial additional shipping charges. Please contact us for costs to your country.

INFORMAL ADOPTION in BLACK FAMILIES in LOWNDES and WILCOX COUNTIES, ALABAMA. By Lewis W. Jones, Director, Tuskegee Institute Center for Rural Development.

Published by the Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, under a Grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1975.

Printed paper covers, side stapled with black cloth tape covering the spine and staples, 8.5x11 inches, 51 pages, pages printed on one side only.

GOOD condition, a few small, light stains, a couple corner creases, overall tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

From the Introduction: "In 1972, forty-eight black children were legally adopted in Alabama. This number by no means accounts for black children who were taken into substitute families. This rearing of children in a substitute family without observance of the prescribed legalities we designate "informal adoption"...It is, of course, difficult to know precisely how many children in what areas are being brought up, and by whom, under such conditions, but there can be no doubt that the number is considerable, in the tens of thousands...It is unlikely that many of the adults and children who have entered into such arrangements are aware of their legal responsibilities and rights...The problem this research considers is that of illuminating the legal, social and cultural contexts in which informal adoption of black children takes place in the rural South..."

The Black Riders Liberation Party is a revolutionary descendant of the Oakland born Black Panther Party founded by imprisoned gang members in a Youth Authority college class in 1996. The Black Commune Program is an upgraded version of the original Black Panther Party's Ten Point Platform and Program, which includes the demand for treatment of AIDS patients and an end to capitalists smuggling drugs into Black communities and adds a point on ecological destruction as it relates to the oppressed.

THE BLACK COMMUNE PROGRAM BROADSIDE

Produced by The Black Riders Liberation Party, Oakland, California, no date, circa 2010. Photocopied, white paper, 17" x 11". VERY GOOD CONDITION: stiff vertical and horizontal creases from being folded in half twice, and some crinkles and creases from handling, overall a solid and bright copy of this scarce Oakland Black Riders manifesto.

The Oakland BRLP Chapter was created in 2010 during the struggle for justice for Oscar Grant. Known for their community advocacy work, they gave public presentations on the Black Commune Program and passed out these broadsides at their events between 2010 and 2015 until the Chapter closed.

WOMAN'S CONVENTION AUXILIARY NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION 65th Anniversary Program Dallas, Texas 1901 - 1966 : Theme "Together We Stand"

Souvenir Program, Published by the Woman's Convention Auxiliary to the National Baptist Convention, Dallas, Texas 1966. First edition. Softcover, illustrated green wrappers, side staple bound, 12" x 9", 62 pages, historically illustrated throughout with b&w portraits, and photographs of the Black woman and men leaders of the NCB. GOOD CONDITION: covers have edge and corner creasing and some closed tears to the top edge, internally light creasing to the corner-tips, and light wear from age and use, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A remarkable historic documentation of the Black Women in the leadership roles of a pivotal African American religious and activist organization at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Scarce, none in OCLC collections worldwide.

The National Baptist Convention (NBC) was founded in 1895, A major organization of African American Baptists and the nation's largest Black religious organization. Unfortunately, the NCB was not supportive of women's leadership so in 1900 two Black Women Suffragists and Civil Rights Activists, Sarah Willie Layten (1864-1950) and Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961) played pivotal leadership roles in founding the Woman's Convention Auxiliary to the NBC. Representing over one million Black Baptist women, the Auxiliary provided means through which women organized on state and local levels around religious, political, and social issues, making their place of worship an epicenter for Black liberation and social change.

SECOND BETHEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 25th Anniversary Souvenir Program (Silver) 1954 - 1979 : The Rev. Charles F. Thomas, Pastor

Black churches were the heart and soul of the Civil Rights Movement. Educating the African American community was essential to furthering the Movement. Second Bethel Missionary Baptist under the leadership of Reverend Charles F. Thomas was an important voice for Oakland's Black experience during a very tumultuous time.

Scarce Souvenir Program, Published by the Second Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Oakland, California, 1979. First edition. Softcover, illustrated silver paper wraps, side staple bound, 11" x 8.5", 24 pages, illustrated throughout with b&w portraits, photographs, and community advertisements. VERY GOOD CONDITION: corner creasing, light wear from age, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. An historic documentation of Oakland's thriving African American Baptist community. Scarce, none in OCLC collections worldwide.

Souvenir Program, published by the Council of Organizations, Meridian, Mississippi, 1974. First edition, first printing. Organized by C. E. Oatis, Jr. Softcover, illustrated paper wrappers, side staple bound, 11" x 8.5", 110 pages, illustrated throughout with historic b&w photographs, portraits and advertisements of members of Meridians Black Social and Fraternal Clubs and many Black community business advertisers. GOOD CONDITION: covers pulling/tearing from the staples but still attached, covers have wear, light creasing, small spotting and penned contact info, internally, some penned name and addresses, and light signs of wear from age and use, overall a respectable copy of this historic documentation of the Black urban and cultural landscape in 1974 Mississippi. Scarce, none in OCLC collections worldwide.

The African American Business District provided services that Meridian's Black community could not otherwise receive. Jim Crow laws that were passed across the country from 1876 to 1965 kept most of Meridian's businesses segregated. Many white owned businesses either refused to serve Black customers or served them on a limited basis. Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, pioneering African American businesspeople stepped forward to fill the needs of their community. The Council of Organizations formed in 1972 to promote the social, cultural, and educational interests of the African American community in Meridian. With representation from Black civic, social, business, professional, fraternal, and educational clubs, the Council provides scholarships and hosts the celebrated Meridian Picnic each year in Meridian or host regions. Long time Black Community leader and educator C. E. Oatis, Jr. (1925-2011) served as President of the National Council of Meridianiates for 30 years.

1983 Retrospective of Black Dance in America. A landmark dance festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) celebrating Black Dance, Blackness and the African Diaspora featuring performances reflecting the richly diverse traditions of African American dance.

DANCE BLACK AMERICA Souvenir Program April 21 - 24, 1983

Published by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York, 1983. First edition, first printing. Softcover, illustrated wraps, side staple bound, 8.5" x 10", 47 pages, includes the festival program, articles by festival panelists, bibliography, filmography, and is illustrated with historic b&w photographs. VERY GOOD CONDITION: front cover has a penned date, light wear from age and use, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Also included is the 1984 touring program, 16 pages with five articles and b&w photographs reprinted from the original 1983 program, plus a six panel folding BAM mailer advertising the 1984 encore of Dance Black America with a street party event "Sweet Saturday Night".

A dynamic presentation of African American dance celebrating over 300 years of Black dance featuring legendary Black dancers, choreographers, scholars, and dance companies. The performances covered key ethnic, modern and theater dance concert works by trailblazing Black choreographers from Asadata Dafora, Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, and Blondell Cummings. Street and Social dance performances include the Catwalk to Breakdancing, and the Juba through Mama Lu Parks.

The performers include The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (featuring Donna Wood and Gary DeLoatch), Garth Fagan's Bucket Dance Theater, Mama Lu Park's Jazz Dancers, The Charles Moore Dance Theater, The Chuck Davis Dance Company, Eleo Pomare, Chuck Green, The Magnificent Force, The Jazzy Jumpers, Al Perryman, Leon Jackson, Halifu Osumare, Dejan's Olympia Brass Band of New Orleans, Rudy Stevenson Band, Ruth Brisbane, BISS Harmonizers, Fab 5 Freddy, Arthur Hall's Afro American Dance Ensemble, Baba Chuck Davis, Rock Steady Crew, and many more.

Kappa Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Presents "FASHIONETTA" 1986, 1988, and 1990 DEBUTANT BALL PROGRAMS

THREE SOUVENIR PROGRAMS, published by Kappa Beta Omega, Vallejo, California, 1986, 1988, 1990. First editions. Illustrated softcovers, 11" x 8.5", pink tinted paper, 208, 142, 151 pages respectively, featuring the b& w portraits of the Debutantes, their escorts, short biographies of each of the Debutantes that showcase their service to the community and educational activities, also Advertisements, many illustrated, from family, friends, community members, and local businesses in support of this group of young Black women. The Ball culminates in the crowning of "Miss Fashionetta." Also included are some invitations, programs and tickets. The 1986 and 1988 programs are in VERY GOOD CONDITION: just some light wear from age and use, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked, as are the invitations, program and ticket. The 1990 Program is in GOOD CONDITION: with nail polish stains, corner creases and chips on the covers, internally some light wear from handling and some corner-tip creases, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. An uncommon group of vintage programs documenting the young Black Sorority Women of the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay region.

Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first Greek sorority founded by African American women. Established on January 15, 1908 at Howard University by nine Black students wishing to create an organization for college educated women that would support their academic and personal goals. The Vallejo California's Kappa Beta Omega Chapter in the Bay Area's Solano County is known for their community service and sponsorship of Fashionetta, an annual event during which African American high school girls in their senior year compete for college scholarships by engaging in various academic and civic activities. The Ball is a fundraiser for the Kappa Beta Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Debutante program is open to a select group of young Black ladies who are high school seniors or local college freshmen.