The oral history consists of eleven digital files: 2011.174.87.1a, 2011.174.87.1b, 2011.174.87.1c, 2011.174.87.1d, 2011.174.87.1e, 2011.174.87.1f, 2011.174.87.1g, 2011.174.87.1h, 2011.174.87.1i, 2011.174.87.1j, and 2011.174.87.1k.
Aaron Dixon describes his childhood in the Midwest and in Seattle and how he became a leader in the Black Panther Party, helping to found the Seattle chapter of the Party. He helped Dixon describes in detail his family history and the influence of oral tradition on his racial consciousness. He discusses the role of the Black Student Union at the University of Washington and details how the murder of Little Bobby Hutton influenced him profoundly and led him to join the Black Panther Party. He describes the Party's influence in Seattle and Oakland, his role in the Party, tensions with the police, tensions among members, and how the goals of the Black Panther Party shifted over the during 1960s and 1970s.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
The oral history consists of seven digital files: 2011.174.85.1a, 2011.174.85.1b, 2011.174.85.1c, 2011.174.85.1d, 2011.174.85.1e, 2011.174.85.1f, and 2011.174.85.1g.
The Reverend Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney recalls growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, and attending Morehouse College, where he got to know fellow freshman Martin Luther King, Jr. After service in the Army Flight Corps during World War II and finishing his college education, McKinney became a minister at a church in Seattle, Washington, where he contributed to the creation of the Liberty Bank. He discusses his role in founding the Central Area Civil Rights Committee in Seattle.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress