Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is the world’s leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. One of four research libraries of The New York Public Library and seeded by the collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg 95 years ago, the Schomburg Center collects, preserves, and provides free access to materials documenting Black life locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more at schomburgcenter.org.

Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

Schomburg Center Public Programs

Schomburg Center continues to serve the community as a space that encourages lifelong education and exploration.The mission in public programs is to elevate the visibility of the archive and convene the public in meaningful conversations that thwart anti-black thinking, celebrate the brilliance of the African Diaspora, and promote historical literacy in the context of Black life. We offer a platform for new ideas and research that expand conversations about Black culture. Archival materials from the Schomburg Center’s divisions are used to enhance these presentations. This kind of integrated approach to storytelling is what makes public programs a gateway to the Schomburg Center’s rich, public archive collection of over 11 million items. Click below to watch past programs.

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