South LA’s Southern California Library keeps social justice history alive

June 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment


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A wall of the library’s exterior features an Olmec statue. | Stephanie Case

It’s been fifty years since Emil Freed—son of anarchists, a Communist Party member, and staunch activist—founded the Southern California Library to save materials at risk of being destroyed amid fear of McCarthyism. A lot has changed in South L.A. since then: the 1992 riots rocked the city, workers’ unions grew stronger, and race, class and sexuality have been at the forefront of political battles. And today, more people than ever are using the social justice library.

“Maybe less than 200 people would come through the door in a year” in 2002, said communications director Michele Welsing. “Now, we’ve seen those numbers go up to as much as 10,000. And for researchers, we’re getting as many people now in one month as we would get in an entire year.”

Take an audio tour of the library with reporter Stephanie Case:

Freed’s small collection of leftist papers has blossomed into more than 400 archives, including vinyl records, film reels and shelves upon shelves of political pamphlets. [Read more…]

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El Camino College Compton Center opens library after seven year delay

April 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment


The first floor of the new library at El Camino College Compton Center | Mona Khalifeh

The first floor of the new library at El Camino College Compton Center | Mona Khalifeh

Cutting a crimson ribbon often heralds a new building. For El Camino College Compton Center, it also represents a new beginning.

Visible from Artesia Boulevard, the two-story Library-Student Success Center that opened in March towers over the comparatively flat classroom buildings. A grand opening on Tuesday featured building tours and speeches by officials and community members to celebrate the addition. The glass building has already become the college’s focal point.

The building is spacious and high-tech with chrome embellishments and a clean white interior that matches the futuristic gleaming glass. Some parts of the building even boast floor-to-ceiling windows. The first floor serves as an art gallery and library, while the Student Success Center with four drop-in tutoring centers occupies the second floor along with a writing lab with 100 computers and conference rooms for supplemental programs open to students and faculty.

The opening is especially significant because the Library-Student Success Center has sat lifeless for years.

The building was slated to open in 2007, but building code violations kept it closed. The $25 million needed for upgrades finally came from 2002’s Measure CC general obligation bond and State Capital Outlay funding – but only after Compton’s four councilmembers lobbied full throttle for funds for the 44th Congressional District, which includes Compton.

Read more about the building code violations in the Los Angeles Times: Compton Community College library opens seven years later than planned

[Read more…]

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Nonprofit Spotlight: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM)

March 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment


Photo Collage Courtesy of the Mayme A, Clayton Library & Musuem

Photo Collage Courtesy of the Mayme A, Clayton Library & Museum

Intersections’ Nonprofit Spotlight profiles organizations propelling positive change in South L.A.

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Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum features classic issues of Jet Magazine | Photo Courtesy of Mayme A Clayton Library & Museum

Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum features classic issues of Jet Magazine | Photo Courtesy of Mayme A Clayton Library & Museum

What is the purpose of the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum? Dr. Clayton, a university librarian, collector, and historian, believed that preserving and sharing the scattered and often neglected history of Americans of African descent was vitally important for current and future generations. Working independently for over 40 years, Dr. Clayton meticulously amassed a collection characterized as “one of the finest collections of African-American literature, manuscripts, films, and ephemera in private hands.”

Photo from the Freedom Riders Exhibition | Photo Courtesy of Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum

Photo from the Freedom Riders Exhibition | Photo Courtesy of Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum

Which areas does the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum‘s serve?

Culver City, West L.A., Baldwin Hills, South L.A. and Inglewood.

What services does the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum‘s provide? 

Tours, research opportunities, filming opportunities, intern assignments, monthly movies, meeting spaces.

What are some of the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum‘s accomplishments? 

MCLM’s Rare Books Collection contains more than 30,000 rare and out-of-print books written by or about African Americans. Our film archive contains over 700 film titles from 1916 in 16mm, 35mm, VHS, and DVD formats.

What does the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum consider as…

Grace Bumbry, opera singer, portraying Eboli in Verdi's Don Carol at the NY Metropolitan Opera | Photo Courtesy of the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum Photo Collection

Grace Bumbry, opera singer, portraying Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carol at the NY Metropolitan Opera | Photo Courtesy of the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum Photo Collection

…top recreational issues in South L.A.? South L.A is trying to become a more vibrant, recreational place to come to.

…top education issues in South L.A.? The need for more after-school and school vacations programs for kids.

In which areas could the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum use volunteers? 

Docent, archiving, digitizing, reception, social media and marketing, newsletter, computer maintenance.

What are Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum’s affiliated programs? Educational Tours, Manuscripts and Archives Collection, Rare Books Collection, Film and Recorded Sound Archives, Photographs and Prints Collection, Art and Artifacts Collection.

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter

Hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Contact info: Cara Adams, [email protected], 310-202-1647.

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