Mayme Clayton Library and Museum

Founded in 1976 by Mayme Agnew Clayton, PhD (1923 – 2006) and formerly called the “Western States Black Research Center”, the MLCM is already the largest black historical artifact collection on the west coast with over 25,000 books (many are rare), historic Black films and 8000 historical records, some of which date to 1902 — even features Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith’s earliest vinyl recordings; the library and museum is transforming a civil courts facility into (1st phase) 24,000 square foot facility that makes the Mayme A Clayton Collection and other contributions from the Civil Rights Movement, Movie, and Music industries available to the public for vital educational, artistic and entertaining programming; the result of this transformation will be the 5th certified African American Research Center in America and include the Courtroom Theater and the vintage movie poster gallery.