Paul Coates Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An oral history interview and conversation with book publisher and community activist Paul Coates. It consists of three versions of digital video recording, two camera card files (2025.12.12.1.1 and 2025.12.12.1.2, .mxf files) and one edited file (2025.12.12.1.3, .mov file).

Mr. Paul Coates was interviewed by American University student Isabella Salcedo on March 14, 2024, as part of the Social Justice Conversations Oral History Project. The interview took place at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. At the time of the interview, Mr. Coates was 77 years old.

This oral history interview consists of two distinct sections: an “interview” section (part 1) and a “conversation” section (part 2, 01:01:16). In part 1, Mr. Coates begins with a discussion of his parents, the family dynamics, and his upbringing in Philadelphia, including mentions of the violent murder of his father, and accusations of rape made by his mother against his father. He also discusses his early memories of school and learning, his growing understanding of race, and the development of his racial consciousness, recounting a story from his time in the military. Mr. Coates talks about his involvement with the Black Panther Party, his motivations for pursuing a degree in library science, and establishing Black Classic Press and BCP Digital Printing. In part 2, Mr. Coates describes his commitment to publishing books with the potential to liberate and community responses to his work. Salcedo reflects on her family’s support and her love for oral storytelling. Mr. Coates and Salcedo discuss their life paths, the power of intergenerational conversations, and moments of being “put on the spot.” Salcedo also talks about what she is most excited for, self-advocacy, and relationship building. She then expresses her gratitude for her parents, and they both reflect on the nurturing influence of Black women in their lives. Finally, Coates reflects on how he thinks about legacy and his mission to hand off the publishing business to another generation who can carry the vision forward. He also shares a story about visiting a local spice shop in Baltimore and learning a “foundational lesson” for manifesting his own vision.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: March 14, 2024
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Trudy Hutcherson, American
• Recorded by: Candace Dane Chambers, American
• Interviewed by: Isabella Salcedo
• Interview of: Paul Coates, American, born 1946
• Subject of: Nation of Islam, American, founded 1930
• Subject of: Malcolm X, American, 1925 - 1965
• Subject of: Richard Wright, American, 1908 - 1960
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2025.12.12.1.3, edited): 2 hr., 5 min., 53 sec.
• Dimensions: File size: 192 GB
• Place filmed: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Black Enterprise
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Communication
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Education
• Object number: 2025.12.12.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.