Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
In 1925, The New York Public Library established the Division of Negro History, Literature and Prints in the 135th Street Branch. The distinguished Puerto Rican-born Black scholar and bibliophile, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, served as curator of the Division. The next year, Mr. Schomburg’s personal collection of 10,000 items was acquired by the Library. The Division was renamed in his honor in 1940 and in 1972 it was designated as a research library of The New York Public Library and became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Since then, the Center has amassed a vast collection of over 10 million items that document the history and culture of the African diaspora. The four images above showcase and link to this year’s Black History Pearls contained within the Schomburg.
The stunning breadth and depth of Black history couldn’t possibly be covered in a mere 28 days. The Schomburg Center doesn’t limit Black history to the month of February.
As a research library as well as a cultural center, the Schomburg sponsors exhibitions, scholarly and public forums, youth education events, and cultural performances that interpret and share its collection year-long.