Oakland: Rooted In Power

Image Credit: @jd_doyle

As the birthplace of the Black Panther Party, history has shown — we do things differently in Oakland. From our art and music to our values and politics, the Town has been at the forefront of activism, social justice, and community empowerment for decades.

At OMCA, we strive to document and preserve Oakland’s revolutionary history so that future generations can continue being inspired to work towards creating a more vibrant and just future. Our mission is manifested through our partnerships with local Oakland neighbors, as well as our programs, events, gatherings and exhibitions that focus on telling these undertold and untold stories.

Lisbet Tellefsen: The Memory Keeper Behind Angela Davis — Seize the Time

Image: Library of Congress

Some people collect baseball cards, coins, stamps, even Beanie Babies, with the hope they will be worth thousands, maybe even millions one day. For Oakland archivist, collector, and activist Lisbet Tellefsen, collecting relics of the past equates more to a meditative practice on memory, piecing together seemingly unrelated jigsaw puzzle pieces into meaningful pictures one may not fully see until 20, even 30 years later.

Browse through one of Tellefsen’s dozens of binders, overflowing with hundreds of Black cultural memorabilia, and you’ll feel the urgency of the memories stored in her archives. 

In OMCA’s major exhibition, Angela Davis — Seize the Time explores the life and legacy of renowned activist and cultural icon, Angela Davis. At the heart of this exhibition are the hundreds of artifacts from the dedicated Angela Davis archive by Tellefsen. 

Women Making History Today: The Oakland Museum Women's Board

Anthropologist Margaret Mead is famously known for saying, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” As we near the end of this year’s Women’s History Month celebration, we want to highlight one particular group of “thoughtful, committed citizens” who continue to make an impact at OMCA: The Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

3 Takeaways from a non-Black POC reflecting on Black History Month

Author’s Note: While I worked at SMASH, I was asked to contribute a guest post to the Kapor Center’s Medium publication, The Bridge, about Black History Month. The BHM Committee put on a series of events and programming to celebrate the holiday. My post reflected on those events as well as my personal experience as a non-black person of color participating in these activities. To read the full post on Medium, click the button below.

Growing up, I distinctly remember understanding the importance of Black History Month — at least on a surface level. I’m lucky enough to have had a Black teacher as early as elementary school — something I know many children of color can’t say today. Her name was Mrs. Pryor. It’s because of Mrs. Pryor that Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” became a couple of my childhood anthems.