Overview
Uncovered after 50 years, an absorbing and illuminating photographic archive of Black West Oakland in the 1970s.
In 1974 Ken Light, a young underground photographer recently arrived in California, was encouraged by residents of West Oakland to document daily life in the neighborhood. A white activist building relationships in a major Black community, Light was invited into homes and churches, flagged down on the street for impromptu portraits. The resulting images, taken over two years and mostly unseen until now, form a stunning and historically important archive of Black life in the 1970s. These photographs illuminate the deep pride running through West Oakland, despite the formidable attempts of local governments and agencies to tear the neighborhood apart. Soul City presents the everyday experiences and emotions of West Oaklanders: hard work, love, determination, resistance, humor, delight. Including over 120 images, and featuring a foreword by celebrated author and longtime Oakland resident Ishmael Reed, Soul City is a deeply absorbing and enlightening contribution to Black California history.
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