Noted officials to attend the celebration at Mayme Clayton Library
Black History Month provides the perfect time to reflect on past struggles for equality and continuing struggles for equity while celebrating current accomplishments. On Feb. 23, at 2 p.m., the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) at 4130 Overland Ave., Culver City, will host a celebration of Black Leadership in Culver City.
Citizens can join State Sen. Holly J. Mitchell; Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove; Culver City Council Member Daniel Lee; Culver City Unified School District Superintendent Leslie Lockhart; Culver City School Board Member Summer McBride; Culver City Education Foundation President Melanie Mack; and Culver City Chamber of Commerce President Colin Diaz, for a spirited conversation on local Black Leadership and History.
Culver City has transformed from a sleepy middle-class town into a burgeoning new media hot spot. Amazon Studios and Apple Studios will join Sony Pictures in calling Culver City home with new production headquarters set to be completed in 2021.
But, locals believe it is possible to welcome this exciting innovation while maintaining the charm of the close-knit community.
Asked why this event is important for Culver City, Council Member Daniel Lee said, “I think it is important for people to know how dynamically the city has changed and how it continues to evolve. The relationship of Culver City with African American residents, workers, and visitors historically include trauma. While no one wants to shy away from understanding the past, it is important to recognize the changes that have occurred and to celebrate our fortunate present. There is no better place in Culver City to do this than at the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum. This private collection of African-American art, media, and literature is largest of its kind west of the Mississippi River.”
The museum is currently facing eviction as County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has targeted the property as the location for a new constituent center.
Locals hope to find a way to keep the collection in Culver City where the public can visit it, but the challenge of doing so is daunting.
The Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM) is home to the Mayme Agnew Clayton Collection of African-American History and Culture. The collection contains over two million rare books, films, documents, photographs, artifacts, and works of art related to the history and culture of African Americans in the United States, with a special focus on Southern California and the American West.
The collection is one of the most important collections chronicling the history and culture of Americans of African descent in the United States of America.
For more information about the event please visit the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2280035445576928/
For more information about the Mayme A. Clayton Museum please visit claytonmuseum.org
