Tasha W. Hunter is the co-founder of Wiggins Hunter Consulting Group which specializes in event planning, cultural, creative, and business consulting. She teaches in the Film and Electronic Arts Department at California State University, Long Beach, and is the executive director of the Uptown Business Improvement District. 

Ms. Hunter received a Master’s of Fine Arts from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Conservatory of Motion Pictures, and B.A. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Hollywood Foreign Press Association Award and Scholarship. 

For over 25 years, Ms. Hunter has been a program manager at KAOS Network, a community-based multi-media organization and helped run Project Blowed, an internationally renowned Hip-Hop wordshop based in Los Angeles’ Leimert Park where she manages annual Day of the Ancestor and Festival of Masks and Artwalk for the arts non-profit, LA Commons.

Ms. Hunter has traveled all throughout the African diaspora studying Black Culture, arts, and language. She served as president of the Arts Council for Long Beach for two terms spanning from 2016-2019.

Phaedra Allen currently works at California State University, Long Beach as a faculty member in the School of Social Work and is also a faculty advisor to the Tessie Cleveland Student groups which focuses on the mental health and wellness that is specific to the African American community. 

She received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California and holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and Afro-Ethnic studies.

Phaedra lives in Long Beach and works with juvenile justice reform and public child welfare programs aimed at helping high-risk youth. She is a member of the Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce and serves as the  Secretary for the AACCLB.

Dr. Shelby Lewis is a Political Science Professor Emerita of Clark Atlanta University.  She served as Education Officer, Uganda, a Senior Fulbright Scholar, Lesotho, CIES Board Member, Ford Foundation Fellow in Zambia, and Presidential appointee to the J.W. Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

She is an International Development Specialist for USAID, UNDP, and UNCF in various universities and NGOs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Dr. Lewis served as manager of university partnerships and programs in 32 countries and was founding Director of an International Center Network, a Pan-African Women’s Forum, and the only Africana Women’s Studies Doctoral Program in the United States. Dr. Lewis was President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the African Heritage Studies Association.

Dr. Lewis currently serves as the interim Chair of the AACCLB Archives and History Committee.

Raymond “Yayah” Quarles is the director of a Long Beach-based West Afrikan drum/dance ensemble and has been committed for 30 years to the research, preservation and education of West African culture. Mr. Quarles does community outreach, continually educating others on many facets of the African Diaspora.

He is affiliated with many history study groups, including the Afrikan Research/Study Group, Long Beach that was founded in the late 1980s.

He is an alumni of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and loves R&B music, the Dodgers, the Lakers and traveling.  

Mr. Quarles serves on the  AACCLB, African American Cultural Center Long Beach Programs/Activities committee.

Al Austin II was elected to the Long Beach City Council in 2012 and re-elected to a second term in 2016.

Councilmember Austin has been a leader in the region on issues such as transportation, economic development, and sustainable planning.  He has represented Long Beach on the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, which consists of 27 cities in Southeast Los Angeles County, focusing on transportation, air quality, housing, and economic development.  As President of the Council of Governments, Councilmember Austin worked on several initiatives, including the I-710 Corridor Project, the Climate Action Planning Framework, and regional approaches to address homelessness. Councilman  Austin also served for four years on the League of California Cities Board of Directors

Councilmember Austin represents the Eighth District on the City Council, which includes the communities of Bixby Knolls, Los Cerritos, and North Long Beach.

In February 2018, Councilmember Austin  introduced and the City Council approved an item requesting the City Manager to work with community stakeholders to identify potential city-owned sites in the city for an African American Cultural Center.

Erroll Parker has been a community activist and veteran journalist in the City of Long Beach for over 50 years. He is a licensed evangelist in the African Methodist Episcopal Church stationed at Grant AME church here in Long Beach. Until his retirement, Errol was employed with the City of Long Beach for 33 years; an employee in the Parks and Recreation Department, as well as Health & Human Services, where he served in various capacities.

Currently, he is the chair of the Facilities Committee of the AACCLB and is also a member of the Communications-Public Relations Committee. Erroll also is host and producer of the weekly public affairs local cable television program “Conversations with Erroll Parker”.

“I feel that the AACCLB will be the most outstanding Black historical institution in the City of Long Beach and will leave an ongoing and powerful legacy for our children to draw from”.

Sharon McLucas and her husband David are the collectors who have amassed the collection featured in the exhibit. He began with music— collecting old vinyl records. She started with pictorial images that she hung on her walls. Together, they focused their attention on pre-Civil War and Reconstruction-era memorabilia and began shopping for items around the country, eventually extending their avocation into 20th Century reality.

Sharon began using her collected items as educational tools years ago. Her daughter’s friends would visit their home, and Sharon would give them a history lesson, making a game of it by quizzing the children upon their return— telling them they couldn’t come back unless they’d remembered what she had taught them.

Her daughter, Sheba Gillis, has joined David and Sharon in conducting tours of the exhibit.

Sharon is an alumnus of Long Beach Poly and California State University, Long Beach.

Monte Beard, Sr. born and raised in Long Beach, and along with his wife Yvonne are lifelong residents of Long Beach.

Mr. Beard graduated from Wilson High School, and Long Beach City College with an A.A. degree. He attended California State University, Long Beach and graduated from the University of Redlands with a B.S. degree in Business and Management.

He is active in his church, Our Savior’s Lutheran, where he serves on the executive committee as the Treasurer. His dream is to have AACCLB become an integral part of Long Beach’s diverse community. Mr. Beard retired after 34 years with the City of Long Beach’s Financial Management Department. 

Mr. Beard is a member of the AACCLB’s Finance and Facilities Committees.

Jazz MaGee is a former Teacher’s  Aide with the Los Angeles Unified School District.  She has volunteered with organizations such as the YMCA where she tutored K-6 students as well as Reading Partners, Inc., which is a literacy program for K-6 students. She has also worked with the program Volunteer in Public Schools (VIPS) through the Long Beach Unified School District.

Ms. MaGee studied Radio and Television Communications at Long Beach City College, and Journalism at the UCLA Extension program.

She is a former participant of the City of Long Beach Neighborhood Leadership Program, and served as a member of Toastmasters, Inc, where she was the recipient of awards for speech contests that she competed in.

Ms. MaGee serves as Chair of the Technology Committee and as a member of the Communications/Public Relations Committee, the Grants/Fundraising.

Max Viltz started her career as a Government Contracts Manager at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing Corp. She currently owns and operates Village Treasures, an African Gift Shop, Boutique and Gallery. 

Ms. Viltz has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Redlands and holds a Professional Designation in Government Contracts Management from UCLA.     

Currently, she is the chair of the AACCLB Communications/Public Relations committee and also serves on the Facilities Committee.

Among honors and awards received include:  Aquarium of the Pacific Heritage Award; Long Beach Branch NAACP Lillie V. Grigsby Award; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc Award; Wall of Excellence in Business  in Business Award/Andy Street Community Association.

The Deputy City manager works closely with the City Manager and Assistant City Manager to provide general oversight of City’s operations and ensures that policies and programs approved by the City Council are implemented in a collaborative, consistent, and efficient manner.  The Deputy City Manager has direct oversight of Government & Community Relations for the City Manager’s Office, consisting of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission; Office of Government Affairs; Office of Sustainability; Office of Cannabis Management; Accessibility Compliance; and City initiatives relating to water quality, transportation, regional planning,  and grant development.  

Kevin holds B.A. degrees in Psychology and Sociology and a M.A. degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University. Kevin has over 23 years of local government experience. His career profile includes a wide range of Community Development experience in Housing and Community Development, Neighborhood Revitalization, Community-Economic Development, Property Maintenance, Building and Fire Safety Code Compliance, Community & Neighborhood Engagement and Youth and Family Services.  Kevin’s previous experience included work in the Cities of Champaign, Illinois and Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona.  

He is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the National Association of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA).

Sharon Diggs-Jackson’s professional career includes 12 years with IBM and 20-years with the City of Long Beach. She served as an Analyst in the LBPD, the Neighborhood Nuisance Coordinator and the Long Beach Airport’s Public Affairs Officer.

Following her retirement, Sharon and husband David, landed in Selma, AL, where they renovated a historic home. The home has been used as a center for racial healing, social action and a learning center for students studying the Civil War, the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Movement.

Sharon is a trained genealogist and author of, Images of America: SELMA. Currently, Sharon serves as the Program Officer for Elite Skills Development. She is a member of the LBCC Citizen Oversight Committee, a board member for the LB Center for Economic Inclusion and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Charles M. Brown currently serves as personal advisor to Long Beach Council District 8 council member Al Austin. Mr. Brown served as the chief of staff for former Long Beach councilmember, Laura Richardson. He authored the first City Council approved district-wide strategic plan in Long Beach.

He received a B.S degree in Political Science and completed post-graduate work in Public Administration from the University of Los Angeles, California, and completed post-graduate work at California State University, Los Angeles.

Mr. Brown is dedicated to community outreach and project development and has sat on the Board of Directors for several Long Beach non-profits, including Long Beach Community Action Partnership, 100 Black Men of Long Beach, and Kingdom Causes Long Beach.

He  serves on the AACCLB as chair of the Membership Committee and is a member of the Grants/Fundraising Committee.

Dr. Minnie Douglas is a Long Beach City College Professor Emeritus.  

Her education includes an A.A  degree in Nursing from Long Beach City College, a B. A. and M.S. degree in Nursing from California State University, Los Angeles.

Dr. Douglas is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Long Beach Branch NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, (NCNW) Long Beach and California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ).

Judy Seal is a Long Beach native and nationally recognized educator, known for strong leadership in state and federal government, and was instrumental in the development of the Long Beach College Promise, a partnership between Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City Coĺlege and CSU, Long Beach that ensures an opportunity for every Long Beach Unified High School student to enroll in college upon graduation. 

Ms. Seal celebrates her hometown and invests her time and talents as a highly successful fundraiser. She seeks practical funding solutions to ensure equity and access for all students. Her work spans three decades and includes working with some of the nation’s top foundations, facilitating the nation’s longest-lasting Kindergarten – 12th grade collaboration between LBUSD, LBCC, and CSULB. Ms. Seals serves as Chair of the AACCLB Grants/Fund Development Committee.    

Tracy M. Colunga is the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Long Beach. She leads the Office of Civic Innovation which partners with City departments on several projects including Police Recruitment, Long Beach Airport Customer Experience (CX), Census 2020, the African American Cultural Center Visioning Process and   Reducing Homelessness in Long Beach. The Office of Civic Innovation works closely with the Long Beach Police Department to understand trends and patterns of people cycling in and out of the justice system.  She has focused her career around community improvement. 

She holds a M.A. degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Luskin School of Public Policy and a B.A. degree from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. Tracy sits on the Board of Directors for the UCLA Luskin School of Public Policy and was the visionary for BRAVE Young Women’s Empowerment Conference rescuing girls from human trafficking. Tracy and her family reside in Long Beach, CA.