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Jon Onye Lockard was an artist and muralist, activist, and professor in Southeast Michigan. His papers document his career as an artist, as well as a professor at the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College, where he taught classes on Black Art and Culture, as well as traditional art classes. In addition, the collection documents Lockard's work with the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (now the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies), his work on the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C., and the National Conference of Artists.

The Jon Onye Lockard papers are organized into four series: Personal Files, Teaching, Art, and Activism. The Personal Files series is comprised of biographical materials and personal correspondence, and contains some of Lockard's autobiographical files. Materials in the Teaching series relate to the classes Lockard taught at both the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College, as well as other materials related to his work for institutions of higher education. The Art series is comprised of materials related to Lockard's art career, including materials about his murals, art events, and shows, as well as materials related to Black history, culture, and art and artists. Most of the audiovisual material within the collection is housed in this series. The Activism series is the broadest, and consists primarily of topical files, recordings, and materials from the organizations Lockard worked with over the course of his career, including the National Conference of Art, a Black arts organization. Because of the interconnected nature of Lockard's activism and his career as an artist and professor, there is significant overlap between the Teaching, Art, and Activism series; researchers are encouraged to consult multiple series when working with this collection.