{"product_id":"soul-city-ken-light-9781597147316","title":"Soul City: Oakland, U.S.A.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUncovered after 50 years, an absorbing and illuminating photographic archive of Black West Oakland in the 1970s.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1974 Ken Light, a young underground photographer recently arrived in California, was encouraged by residents of West Oakland to document daily life in the neighborhood. A white activist building relationships in a major Black community, Light was invited into homes and churches, flagged down on the street for impromptu portraits. The resulting images, taken over two years, ended up unseen in archives for half a century. Now made public for the first time in \u003ci\u003eSoul City\u003c\/i\u003e, they form a stunning and historically important archive of Black life in the 1970s. These photographs illuminate the deep pride running through West Oakland, despite the formidable attempts of local governments and agencies to tear the neighborhood apart. \u003ci\u003eSoul City\u003c\/i\u003e presents the everyday experiences and emotions of West Oaklanders: hard work, love, determination, resistance, humor, delight. Including over 120 images, and featuring a foreword by celebrated author and longtime Oakland resident Ishmael Reed, \u003ci\u003eSoul City\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply absorbing and enlightening contribution to Black history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ken Light\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1597147311\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781597147316\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Heyday Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 160\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Ken Light","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48217897107711,"sku":"9781597147316","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_7d516e8b-4b04-46aa-b6b5-a1c211ccabc7.jpg?v=1772000158","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/soul-city-ken-light-9781597147316","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}