Miriam Matthews was the first African American librarian in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Hired in 1927, she served in the library until her retirement in 1960 where she was instrumental in preserving the history and cultural heritage of black Angelenos. Miriam Matthews was … Read MoreMiriam Matthews (1905–2003)
In the article below historians Kathleen Thompson and Hilary Mac Austin describe Dr. Mayme Clayton, the longtime law librarian at the University of California School of Law who in her spare time accumulated one of the largest collections of African American photographs and other memorabilia … Read MoreIn Praise of Mayme Clayton: Images of the African American West
Roberta Byrd Barr was an African American educator, civil rights leader, actress, librarian, and television personality. She was a talented, multifaceted personality with a calm presence, thoughtful demeanor, and a darkly melodious voice which served her well in the many roles she played in the Seattle, … Read MoreRoberta Byrd Barr (1919-1993)
Nella Larsen, nurse, librarian, and, writer, was born Nella Marie Larsen in Chicago, Illinois in 1891 to a Danish mother and a black West Indian father. Knowing little about her father after his death when she was two years old, she was reared in the … Read MoreNella Larsen (1891-1963)
Hannah Diggs was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on November 1, 1923. Several of her relatives were teachers, and her parents instilled in her a love of reading and an appreciation for education. She became the valedictorian of her high school class before enrolling at … Read MoreHannah Diggs Atkins (1923-2010)
