Black History
Stanford Libraries receives major Black music collection, supporting new department and expanding possibilities for research
Last Updated on August 7, 2024 by Daily News Staff
The Dijkstra Black Music Collection includes over 8,000 vinyl discs spanning the history of Jazz, Blues, Reggae, and R&B
STANFORD, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — Bram Dijkstra, professor emeritus at UC San Diego, and renowned literary agent Sandra Dijkstra have donated their music collection, nearly 65 years in the making, of irreplaceable recordings of jazz, Jamaican music, blues, soul, and other genres.
Stanford Libraries has accepted the generous donation of the Dijkstra Black Music Collection, a selection of approximately 8,000 commercial vinyl discs in near mint condition. “The collection is remarkable in its scope, depth, and curatorial vision,” said Michael A. Keller, the Ida M. Green University Librarian at Stanford.
About half of the discs in the Dijkstra collection document the work of essential twentieth-century jazz artists, creating a core jazz library that according to Keller “complements and dramatically enriches Stanford’s existing holdings, including the Monterey Jazz Festival Collection and the Riverwalk Jazz Collection.” The unparalleled corpus of Jamaican popular music, which includes representation of instrumentalists, vocalists, and DJs, establishes a new research strength for Stanford.
Once the collection is catalogued and available for use, Stanford will follow audio preservation best practices to protect the integrity of the discs and will provide digital listening access to students, faculty, and researchers while welcoming them to examine the physical discs, sleeves, and liner notes by appointment at Stanford’s Archive of Recorded Sound (ARS).
“The ARS was founded in 1958 to preserve sound recordings as a core part of our cultural heritage,” said Tamar Barzel, head music librarian at Stanford. “The Dijkstra Black Music Collection will have a meaningful and profound effect on ARS collections, which have historically been strongest in early jazz, classical music, and opera.”
Bram Dijkstra’s diligence and passion for documenting the full sweep of jazz history and Jamaican popular music has been a lifelong pursuit. Dijkstra, who was born on a small Indonesian island and raised in Holland, traces its inception to a transformative experience listening to a new record by the New Miles Davis Quintet in 1955. “I admired Miles Davis’ clear, coherent trumpet, but I was shocked into incredulous admiration by the hoarse, abrasive, yet melodious solos of the young tenor saxophone player Miles was featuring here for the first time, someone with the rather strange name of John Coltrane,” said Dijkstra. He recalled that Coltrane’s playing, “rough-toned and oddly jagged, daringly dancing on the edge of failure, but driven by an inner rhythm that steadied every part,” seemed to express what he was feeling – it “made almost physically tangible the music that was in my soul.”
That initial impression endured, inspiring a relocation to the United States, an immersion in African American music, and a commitment to creative work. John Coltrane, he wrote, “taught me to listen to Black music in all its many forms: Coltrane called me to America. He taught me that to be creative is to always search for what is better—and that searching for anything likely to make us better is never neat.”
Original and early pressings in the collection represent the best extant examples for many of Coltrane’s recordings. Rare individual discs, including Bob Marley’s original 12-inch 45rpm single of “Buffalo Soldiers,” Sun Ra’s original Saturn issues with blank or hand-made covers, and early hip hop LPs, are also rich in research potential.
“Recordings are essential primary sources for contemporary music scholarship,” remarked Professor Stephen Hinton, chair of Stanford’s Music Department. “As we expand our programmatic offerings in the areas of jazz studies, popular music, and ethnomusicology, the Dijkstra Black Music Collection will be an indispensable resource for research and teaching.”
Deep runs and other exceptional rarities are found within the Dijkstra Black Music Collection, including a full run of the Blue Note 1500 series of the late 1950s; virtually all John Coltrane commercial releases; a strong representation of avant-garde artists on small label releases from the U.S., Europe, and Japan; and a significant complement of artists’ private-issue and limited-edition releases. The collection’s appraised valuation exceeding $2.3 million reflects the many one-of-a-kind and extremely rare items, which are both of immense worth in the collectors’ market and priceless in their cultural heritage and research value.
The donated collection arrives at a fortuitous moment in Stanford’s history in tandem with the formation of the new African and African American Studies Department. Professor Ato Quayson, chair of the English Department, also chairs the Framework Task Force subcommittee focused on the departmentalization of African and African American Studies. “The Dijkstra Black Music Collection will instigate whole new research agendas in different areas of Black music studies,” said Quayson. “It will be a boon to the Stanford community, and indeed to anyone beyond who wants to take jazz, popular music, and ethnomusicology seriously.”
An event celebrating the collection is scheduled for February 13, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. at the Cecil H. Green Library on Stanford’s historic campus. The event is free and registration is requested. The collection will remain unavailable while it is being processed; inquiries about the collection can be submitted to the Archive of Recorded Sound at Stanford Libraries.
SOURCE Stanford Libraries
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Forgotten Genius Fridays
Alexander Miles: The Black Inventor Who Helped Make Elevators Safer
In 1887, Black inventor Alexander Miles patented an improved mechanism for operating elevator car and shaft doors, helping make elevator travel safer and more convenient.
Elevators transformed American cities, allowing buildings to rise higher and making upper floors more accessible. But early elevator travel carried a serious danger: doors had to be opened and closed manually, and an elevator shaft could remain exposed if someone failed to secure it properly.
Alexander Miles, a Black inventor, barber and businessman, developed an innovative solution. His patented mechanism helped elevators operate their car and shaft doors automatically, making elevator travel safer and more convenient.
The danger of early elevators
By the late 19th century, elevators were appearing in hotels, offices and other multistory buildings. Although they made vertical travel easier, many depended on operators or passengers to close the doors manually.
A carelessly opened shaft door could expose an empty elevator shaft. Miles recognized that elevator safety could not always depend on someone remembering to close every door.
He designed a system that connected the movement of the elevator car with the operation of its doors.
Alexander Miles’ elevator innovation
On October 11, 1887, Miles received U.S. Patent No. 371,207 for what he described as “new and useful improvements in elevators.”
His design addressed two related problems. It provided a way to close shaft openings above and below the elevator car, and it allowed the movement of the car to help open and close the elevator doors at the appropriate floor.
Miles’s mechanism used a flexible belt attached to the elevator car, along with drums positioned at the top and bottom of the shaft. A system of levers, rollers and specially designed grooves helped control the car and shaft doors as the elevator moved.
The goal was straightforward but potentially lifesaving: prevent elevator-shaft openings from being left unprotected because of human negligence.
Did Alexander Miles invent the elevator door?
Alexander Miles is sometimes described as the inventor of the automatic elevator door. The complete history is more complicated.
John W. Meaker received a patent for an earlier automatic elevator-door mechanism in 1874, approximately 13 years before Miles received his patent. Therefore, Miles should not be credited with inventing the first automatic elevator door.
What Miles did was develop and patent his own important improvement to the way elevator car and shaft doors operated. His design advanced the effort to make elevators safer, more reliable and easier to use.
Recognizing that distinction does not diminish his accomplishment. Invention is often a continuing process in which engineers and innovators improve existing technology. Miles contributed a valuable new solution to a dangerous problem.
More than an inventor
Born in 1838, Alexander Miles built a successful life during an era when Black Americans faced severe restrictions on economic opportunity.
Miles worked as a barber before establishing himself in Duluth, Minnesota. He operated a barbershop in the city’s St. Louis Hotel and invested in real estate. He also became the first Black member of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce.
His achievements extended beyond mechanical invention. In Chicago, Miles later established the United Brotherhood, an organization intended to provide life insurance to Black Americans who were frequently denied coverage by established insurance companies.
That part of his story demonstrates the larger scope of his work. Miles was not only interested in solving mechanical problems. He also attempted to create economic security and opportunity for members of his community.
A lasting contribution to elevator safety
Modern elevators use far more sophisticated electrical controls, sensors and computerized safety systems than those available during Miles’s lifetime. His exact mechanism is not the system operating inside every elevator today.
However, the safety principle behind his work remains essential: an elevator should coordinate the movement of the car with the opening and closing of its doors, while preventing passengers from entering an unprotected shaft.
In recognition of his contribution, Alexander Miles was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
Remembering Alexander Miles accurately
Alexander Miles did not invent the elevator, and he was not the first person to patent an automatic elevator-door system. He was a creative Black inventor who recognized a serious safety hazard and developed a patented method for addressing it.
Everyday technologies are rarely the work of only one person. They develop through generations of experimentation, refinement and improvement. Miles deserves recognition as one of the innovators who helped move elevator technology toward the safer automatic operation passengers now expect.
His work is another reminder that Black inventors helped build and improve many of the technologies that shaped modern American life.
Forgotten Genius Friday celebrates the Black inventors, scientists and innovators whose ideas helped shape the world—even when their names were left out of the history books.
Sources
- Alexander Miles — U.S. Patent No. 371,207
- Alexander Miles — National Inventors Hall of Fame
- Alexander Miles Patent — IEEE REACH
- Alexander Miles — Lemelson-MIT Program
- Alexander Miles — Duluth Public Library’s Vintage Duluth
Historical context
Health
Black Girl Sunscreen Founder Shontay Lundy Inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho’s 2026 TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Class
Shontay Lundy, Founder and CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen, has been inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 2026 TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Class—an honor recognizing women whose leadership and accomplishments create measurable impact across culture and community.
Announced July 29, 2026, the recognition places Lundy among 21 accomplished women celebrated for reshaping their industries through service, sisterhood, and scholarship. For Lundy, it’s a milestone that reflects not only entrepreneurial success, but also the broader advocacy work that has helped expand how the beauty and skincare world talks about inclusive sun care and representation.
What the TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Recognizes
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, founded in 1922, is a national collegiate sorority with more than 100,000 members across 500 chapters worldwide. Built on principles of leadership and service, the organization is known for its long-standing commitment to community outreach—captured in its slogan, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”
Honorary membership is among Sigma Gamma Rho’s most prestigious distinctions. It is awarded to women whose work excels in their field while also positively influencing society at large. The TrailblazerΣ class, in particular, highlights leaders who redefine what’s possible and open doors for others.
A Recognition Linked to a Larger Mission
Lundy founded Black Girl Sunscreen in 2016 to address a persistent gap in the market: sun protection products that work well for people of color, without leaving an unwanted white cast. Since then, the brand has become a recognizable name in inclusive skincare—helping educate consumers on sun safety and shifting public perception around who sunscreen is “for.”
Her induction into Sigma Gamma Rho’s 2026 class connects that work to a larger legacy of women breaking barriers across industries. It also underscores the brand’s impact beyond product innovation—positioning Black Girl Sunscreen as part of a wider movement toward representation, health education, and community-driven leadership.
In a statement, Lundy emphasized that the honor reflects shared values and a commitment to creating opportunities for others:
“To be welcomed into Sigma Gamma Rho is incredibly meaningful because it represents more than recognition—it reflects a shared commitment to service, leadership, and creating opportunities for others. Throughout my journey, I’ve always believed success should open doors, not just for yourself, but for the women coming behind you. I’m honored to join a sisterhood whose legacy is rooted in that same purpose, and I look forward to continuing that work together.”
A Class of Leaders Across Industries
Lundy joins a group of honorees spanning business, sports, media, and public service—reflecting Sigma Gamma Rho’s tradition of recognizing women whose achievements extend beyond personal success to broader community impact.
As the beauty industry continues to evolve toward more inclusive products and messaging, Lundy’s recognition signals how far the conversation has come—and how much it still depends on leaders willing to challenge assumptions, educate consumers, and build brands with purpose.
About Black Girl Sunscreen
Black Girl Sunscreen is a beauty and skincare company founded by Shontay Lundy in 2016 to address the lack of sun protection products formulated for people of color. The brand’s mission centers on educating consumers about safe skin practices and sun protection, while providing premium sun care products formulated for melanated skin and designed to be exceptional for everyone.
For more information, visit blackgirlsunscreen.com.
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The Bridge
McKinley Thompson: African American Auto Designer
The first-generation Bronco was designed by McKinley Thompson Jr., Ford’s first African American designer. This highlights his significant contribution to the automotive industry during Black History Month.
The first-generation Bronco was designed by McKinley Thompson Jr., who was the first African American designer hired at Ford Motor Company.
Edited by: Rod Washington
Images: Ford Motor Company
Storyblocks
Wikipedia Wiki Commons
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