Harlem of the West — Author Talk & Book Signing

In honor of the closing of the Harlem of the West Photo Exhibit Elizabeth Pepin Silva and Lewis Watts will be speaking and signing books at two Bay Area locations in conjunction with the Harlem of the West SF Project. The first event is at the SF Public Library Merced Branch, 155 Winston Drive, SF. The authors will discuss the creation of the Harlem of the West SF Project and the many ways Elizabeth utilized numerous SF Public Library archives and resources in her research. Please note, that the second event taking place the same day (5:30 – 7:30 pm) at the African American Art and Cultural Complex, 762 Fulton St, SF, will be the last chance to see the three-story photographic exhibit, and ask the authors questions about the images. Books will be on sale at both events. The Harlem of the West SF Project is a book, website and photographic exhibit that celebrates the bustling Fillmore jazz era of the 1940s and 1950s, a period when the Fillmore was a vibrant neighborhood of more than two dozen nightclubs and music venues within its one square mile—all of which virtually vanished due to redevelopment in the 1960s. The project celebrates a unique and rediscovered chapter in jazz history and the African American experience on the West Coast.

• Saturday, August 19, 2017 2-3:30pm SF Public Library Merced Branch, 155 Winston Drive, SF

  In conjunction with the San Francisco African American Historical & Cultural Society and the San Francisco Public Library. Admission is free.  The new www.harlemofthewestsf.com website is live! For more information, contact:  Elizabeth Pepin Silva, Harlem of the West SF Project, otwfront@gmail.com, 805-272-8453 This project was supported by California Humanities’ Community Stories Grant. To find more about this past grant opportunity, visit our webpage HERE.