CLA 2024 Press Release

California Library Hall of Fame selects California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC) leaders for 2024 Induction

For Immediate Release, September 16, 2024

CONTACT:  Dominique Dozier

Communications Chair, California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC)

Clbc1972@gmail.com

www.clbc.org

The California Library Association (CLA) selects founding leaders of the California Librarians Black Caucus, (CLBC), Dr. James E. Crayton and the late Joyce Madkins Sumbi, as two of the 2024 inductees into the California Library Hall of Fame.

Dr. James Crayton, has been referred to as the "Godfather of the California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC).  Dr. Crayton's researched discrimination practices operating in the Los Angeles County Public Library System against minority librarians in the 1960s and early 1970s. This information challenged the administration about its promotion of African Americans to middle management and administrative positions.  The information also led to a class-action lawsuit filed by Crayton and two other County Librarians, Louis J. Moses and Joyce Sumbi, with the state's Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC). 

Simultaneously, Crayton, Moses and Sumbi worked with the officers of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) to form the California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC) in 1972. 

Known as an advocate for African American Librarians, Crayton and his associates brought resolutions before the CLA Council to 1). To support the Black Librarians Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) class action suit against Los Angeles Public Library and 2) To assure that there will be a definite percentage of minority representation on the California Library Association Council.

James Crayton received his PhD in Higher Education from Claremont Graduate School in 1980. He has a M.A. in Education, Instructional Media, M.L. S in Library Science and B.S. in History.

He participated actively in professional local, state and national organizations.  Crayton is a lifetime member of the NAACP, has served on the Board of Governors with the Urban League and was active both with the American Library Association (ALA) and CLA.

Dr. Crayton, retired after an extensive professional career, having worked both in public and community college libraries and in an education center.

The late Joyce Madkins Sumbi was viewed as a mentor and an inspiration to librarians throughout the state of California.  She was an exceptional leader, organizer, innovator, visionary, storyteller, writer-researcher and tireless community advocate for excellence in library services.

After obtaining her master’s in Library Science from USC, Sumbi joined the Los Angeles County Public Library System in 1960 and remained there until she retired, 32 years later.  During her employment Sumbi held various positions and as she stated, was probably the first African American librarian serving the public in a Los Angeles County community library."  She said, "There were a few other African American librarians on the payroll, but they worked at headquarters behind the scene,” 

In 1971 Sumbi joined five black colleagues in filing a class-action lawsuit charging the LA county library system with discrimination against minorities in job assignments and promotions. At the time, the system had 242 librarians, of which 13 were black and 4 were Hispanic. Sumbi became the first African American library administrator to serve as a Regional Administrator in the Los Angeles County Library System. "

Sumbi was known for bringing cultural programming to Chicano and African-American libraries in Los Angeles.  She led the Our Authors Study Club, a group dedicated to promoting black history and culture in Los Angeles.  Librarian, Elizabeth Martinez, referred to Sumbi as the “compass who calmly brought reality to our work", when controversy arose about a Langston Hughes quote, used on a poster about gay history in the Way Out Project.  This project was a federal grant to bring cultural programming to Chicano and African-American libraries in Los Angeles.   

Sumbi was named a 1994 Living History Maker by Turning Point magazine, and won the Phyllis Wheatley Award from International Black Writers and Artists. In 2003 she received a President Award from the USC Alumni Association, for serving on the board of directors of the university's Black Alumni Association from its founding in 1976. She also received recognition from the American Library Association, the YWCA of Great Los Angeles, the Mayor's office, and others. In 2008, she gave an oral history interview for the UCLA Center for Oral History Research.

Sumbi, along with other black colleagues in the Los Angeles County Library System worked with the officers of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) to form the California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC).  She was a founding member of the California Librarians Black Caucus in 1972 and served as its president in 1976.  

In recognition of her leadership, the California Librarians Black Caucus established the Joyce Madkins Sumbi Emerging Leaders Award at the Leimert Park Book Fair in Los Angeles, at an event she helped to create.  This award recognizes a California librarian for worthwhile professional contributions to promote access and exemplary opportunities for all.  It seeks to encourage librarians to pursue mid- or high-level administrative positions in order to successfully effect change benefiting library users, potential librarians, and colleagues.  The award is granted to a librarian who, through his or her practice and example, provides inspiration and leadership in promoting exemplary library services to individuals of all ages and ethnicities.

The California Library Hall of Fame honors the historical significance and lifetime achievements of the many librarians, library workers and supporters who have helped promote and improve library services in California. All members of the library community may nominate individuals who have made an historically significant contribution to the improvement of California libraries over a sustained period of time.

No more than ten nominees are inducted into the Hall of Fame in any given year.  Inductees are featured in CLA's online California Library Hall of Fame and honored at the CLA annual conference. The 2024 CLA Awards Gala will be Friday, 18 October from 6 - 8 pm in Pasadena, California.  

For more information on the Library Hall of Fame and the gala, go to California Library Hall of Fame - California Library Association (cla-net.org) and 2024_registrationfees.pdf (ymaws.com) respectively. 

The California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC) is a statewide organization that was established in 1972 to eradicate inequities facing African Americans in the library workplace.  CLBC is an independent California non-profit 501(c) (3) organization.  CLBC is an affiliate of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), but not directly affiliated with the American Library Association or the California Library Association. For more information, please visit https://clbc.org.