In an almost inconspicuous building on the corner of Martin Luther King and 14th Street in downtown Oakland, lies an often overlooked gem - the African American Museum and Library of Oakland, or AAMLO.

In 1994, AAMLO was the product of a merger with the East Bay Negro Historical Society, who later changed its name to Northern California Center for African American History and Life - NCCAAHL. For 30 years NCCAAHL compiled historical information on the African Americans of Oakland and originally kept all of it in the basement of the Golden Gate Library.

The current building in Downtown Oakland is a 1906 Carnegie building that originally held the main branch of the Oakland Library until 1952. It housed various nonprofit organizations until it was officially closed in 1989 after severe damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake. In February 2002, the building was reopened as the African American Library and Museum of Oakland.

The building underwent an $11.2 million dollar retrofit after being identified by Dr. Lawrence Crouchette and approved by former Mayor Elihu Harris for the purpose of this museum. The first official art show that AAMLO hosted after its grand opening was "Reflections in Black," a three-part installation between AAMLO, Oakland Museum and Mills College that showcased the history of black photographers. The show set a high standard for all of its future shows and its capability as an organization. Since then, there are continous exhibits going and AAMLO has hosted international Nobel Laureates like Wole Sonyika of Nigeria and Ngugi wa Thion’o of Kenya, as well as celebrations for American artists and authors like Maya Angelou.

On average, AAMLO opens four shows a year, a surprising amount for a museum with no installation crew or intensive curating staff. Rick Moss, the chief curator and Veda Silva, the museum project coordinator, manage all of the installations and opening ceremonies with only a few staff and volunteers.

Along with art installations AAMLO also has an in depth archive of Oakland’s African American history. The archives serve as a research center of African-American history for schools, educators, researchers, Ph.D. students and anyone with an interest in Oakland’s history. It is mostly collections of books, photos and oral history from early black pioneers going back as far as the Spanish Inquisition. Also to be found are stories, documentaries and even music from Oakland’s early residents and families.

There is information on people like C.L. Dellums, a labor organizer and vice president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters - the first labor organization led by blacks to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor. There is also a small collection of recorded music and information on many of the musicians from Oakland, like William Keating who led a large orchestra and formed many chorales. He also produced concerts, which employed a lot of people during the great depression. The most extensive collection of Blues musician Brownie McGhee is available in the archives as well as a 30-minute documentary on the history of West Oakland and what led to its decline.

Currently, AAMLO is doing a membership drive and is preparing to have events that invite the public in their space. Until then, the library and museum are always open during regular business hours for free. For further information on membership, research interest or access to the archives contact the reference desk at (510) 637-0200 or visit at 659 14th St. Oakland.