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Osumare (Halifu) papers
BANC MSS 2019/198  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Accruals
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Alternate Forms Available
  • Appraisal
  • Biography
  • Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
  • Preferred Citation
  • System of Arrangement
  • Processing Information
  • Processing Information
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Publication Rights

  • Contributing Institution: The Bancroft Library
    Title: Halifu Osumare papers
    Creator: Osumare, Halifu
    Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2019/198
    Physical Description: 4.6 linear feet (3 cartons, 2 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
    Physical Description: 5.379 GB (38 digital files)
    Date (inclusive): circa 1967-2018
    Abstract: This collection documents the professional and artistic career of scholar, educator, arts administrator, community activist, dancer, and choreographer Halifu Osumare and her contributions to African American dance. Osumare divided her collection into 10 categories: career overview files; materials related to her memoir, "Dancing in Blackness"; Malawi and Central Africa files; community cultural activism files; choreography projects; the Stanford University years; materials related to Black Choreographers Moving toward the 21st Century and Black Traditions in American Modern Dance; color slides; and videotapes. The papers include administrative records, choreography projects, correspondence, lectures, manuscript drafts, newspaper and magazine articles, lots of photographs and slides, programs, publication files, reviews, digital audiovisual dance recordings, and teaching and research files.
    Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
    Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Cartons 1-2, Box 1, Digital Folders, and Oversize Folder 1A are open for research. Carton 3 and Box 2 contain videotapes and are being processed.

    Accruals

    Future additions are expected.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    The Halifu Osumare papers were given to The Bancroft Library in 2019 by Halifu Osumare, Ph.D.

    Alternate Forms Available

    There are no alternative forms of this collection.

    Appraisal

    Temporary, deleted files, and unnecessary software files were removed from the collection.

    Biography

    Halifu Osumare is Professor Emerita in the Department of African American and African Studies at the University of California, Davis. She is a choreographer, dancer, arts administrator, and a scholar of Black popular culture. Osumare holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and an M.A. in Dance Ethnology from San Francisco State University. She is a protégé of Katherine Dunham and a certified teacher of Dunham Dance Technique. Osumare has performed, taught, and done research in the United States, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Kenya, and Brazil and is recognized as one of the foremost scholars of global hip-hop.

    Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

    Access to audio-visual materials may be restricted due to technical limitations.
    Born digital materials can be accessed by requesting corresponding Digital Folders. Once the request has been processed, researchers will be provided with a link to view materials online.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Halifu Osumare papers, BANC MSS 2019/198, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

    System of Arrangement

    Arranged to the folder level.

    Processing Information

    Processed by Marjorie Bryer in 2019. Digital materials processed by Christina Velazquez Fidler in 2021.

    Processing Information

    Osumare's born digital files were received on 2 CD-Rs and 1 memory card. The files were scanned for viruses using Malware Bites. Archives staff utilized the Digital Archivists' Resource Toolkit (DART) to create logical copies of all files. Archivists also screened material for personal identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). TIFF files were migrated to .JPEG for access using Adobe Bridge, Audio CD-DA files were extracted using Exact Audio Copy version 1.3, and VOB files stored on the memory card were migrated to MPEG-4 for access using Handbrake version 1.3.1.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    This collection documents the professional and artistic career of scholar, educator, arts administrator, community activist, dancer, and choreographer Halifu Osumare and her contributions to African American dance. Osumare's original order was maintained. She divided her collection into 10 categories: career overview files; materials related to her memoir, "Dancing in Blackness"; Malawi and Central Africa files; community cultural activism files; choreography projects; the Stanford University years; materials related to Black Choreographers Moving toward the 21st Century and Black Traditions in American Modern Dance; color slides; and videotapes. The collection includes administrative records, choreography projects, correspondence, lectures, manuscript drafts, newspaper and magazine articles, lots of photographs and slides, programs, publication files, reviews, digital audiovisual dance recordings, and teaching and research files.

    Publication Rights

    Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Osumare, Halifu -- Archives.
    Dunham, Katherine.
    African American women dancers.
    African American dance.
    African American dance -- History.
    African American dance -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area.
    African American dance -- New York (State) -- New York.
    Modern dance -- United States -- History.
    Dancers
    Choreographers -- United States.
    Dance -- Malawi.
    Dance -- Ghana.
    Dance -- Kenya.
    Memoirs.
    Born digital