Union Local 471, American Federation of Musicians
Organized in 1908, this local was one of the first African American musicians unions in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh was at the forefront of the jazz world in the mid-20th century, and jazz greats Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey, Ray Brown, and George Benson, among others, were members. A controversial merger with the white union local in the 1960s ended one of the oldest black union organizations in the US. Headquarters was nearby, 1940-1954.
Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public LibraryDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDigital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov
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