The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama (Detroit Public Library)

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama was established at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library in 1943. The collection consists of sheet music, books, recordings, photos, and other materials relating to the history of African Americans in the performing arts. The collection is named for Emma Azalia Hackley (1867-1922), an African American singer, political activist, teacher, and lecturer. Ms. Hackley was active during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. She founded organizations such as the Hackley Choral Society, the Colored Women's League, and the Vocal Normal Institute of Chicago. Ms. Hackley passed away in 1922.

*Update 05/04/2015:

 The E. Azalia Hackley Collection was recently featured in the May/June 2015 issue of Michigan History:

Minor, Romie. "Preserving the Black Performance for Posterity." Michigan History 99.3 (2015): 50-55. Print.

See related posts: Clara Stanton Jones: ALA's First African American President ; The Mayme A. Clayton Library Museum and Cultural Center (MCL) ; and Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, 1874-1938: Noted Bibliophile, Collector, Curator,and Scholar.

Sources: Campbell, Dorothy Wilson. "Curators of African American Collections." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library of Science, 1980. 193. Print. ; Kinney, Sylvia. "The E. Azalia Hackley Collection." Ethnomusicology 5.3 (1961): 202-203. Print. ; LaBrew, A.R., and E.A. Hackley. Fifty Years of Programs Given in Memory of the E. Azalia Hackley Collection, 1943-1944. Detroit: Arthur LaBrew, 1999. Print. ; Peterson, Heather. "Hackley, Emma Azalia (1867-1922)." BlackPast.org. BlackPast.org, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012.

 

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