The Black Heritage Auction Will Feature Relics From African-American History An auction that features all African-American memorabilia is headed to New York City next month. The Black Heritage Auction April 7 is your chance to own your very own piece of black history from Colonial times to the present day. The event will be the first of its kind so specifically showcase African-American collectibles, according to Paxton Baker, the event’s producer. “Most black items are added to an auction as an afterthought,” Baker told BOSSIP. “We wanted to curate something that was designed for people who had an interest in black culture.” Hosted by rapper Doug E. Fresh, the auction will feature several hundred artifacts from the African-American experience. Treasures like Tupac Shakur’s prison ID card, Muhammad Ali’s gloves and an original picture of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass will all go to the auction block. “We think we’ve created one of the most amazing auctions,” Baker said, adding that he wanted to create the auction to emphasize “the importance of collecting our own items for our own heritage and our own race and our own family.” Also for sale will be handwritten notes from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Brown’s microphone, the 1869 edition of “Scenes In The Life of Harriet Tubman,” an 1841 contract that freed an enslaved African-American from bondage and an 1889 edition of “The Freeman,” America’s first black newspaper. But Baker said the auction would be centered around Tupac, who is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the same day. Items for sale include his 1991 recording contract, his handwritten lyrics to the song “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” the Dolce & Gabbana shirt he wore for “2 Of Americaz Most Wanted” music video with Snoop Dogg and the bullet-damaged gold medallion he wore the night he was murdered. The Black Heritage Auction auction will be held April 7. For more information visit the auction’s website.
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Black-Themed Memorabilia Auction Coming To Brooklyn Next Month