2007 Campus-Community Partnerships
The Black Los Angeles Oral History Project:
Black Politicians and How They Make Community
| Awardee: | Ana-Christina Ramon, Research Coordinator Bunche Center for African American Studies |
| Partner: | FRIENDS, Foundation of the California African American Museum |
Abstract:
The Bunche Center, the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research, and the California African American Museum are conducting an oral history project documenting Black politicians and their contributions to community making in Los Angeles from the 1940s to the present. The impact of these politicians has been greatly under-explored, particularly through their own words, as has their reflections on their contributions to community making in Black Los Angeles. As a generation of influential Black politicians begin to age, it is imperative to capture their stories now. By exploring the histories of Black politicians who led African Americans through tumultuous times to build strong community and a multi-ethnic political coalition, we wil document untold stories of struggle, creativity and triumph. Through these interviews, we will be able to trace how their efforts shaped not only Los Angeles politics, but the communities and the very lives of Black citizens they served. These oral histories provide a richly textured social, political, and personal context for the political events in Los Angeles and the Black community over the past sixty years and serve as an on-going resource for teachers, researchers, writers, filmmakers and others to utilize in years to come.
