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lunsford lynx discusses the early African American presence in San Francisco with Albert Broussard, centering on a 1978 oral history interview between Broussard and Arelious Alberga, an African American gentleman born in San Francisco in 1884.  

lunsford lynx, one of the four inaugural artists-in-residence at SFPL through the San Francisco Arts Commission's Artist-in-Residence program, spent ten weeks immersing herself in the Main Library. She became fascinated by the San Francisco History Center’s collection of oral histories. Her journey led her to stumble upon a remarkable series, the Afro-Americans in San Francisco Prior to World War II: Oral History Project and a 1978 conversation featuring an interview between Broussard and Alberga. As lynx delved into the transcripts and listened to Alberga's captivating stories, a vivid picture of African American people in San Francisco during the 1880s and early 1900s emerged.   

This program is a companion to the exhibit, we were here, an interactive creative investigation, which delves into the African American presence in San Francisco during the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a particular focus on the 1906 earthquake. It is on view on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library and in the African American Center, Dec. 14, 2023 to March 1, 2024.