Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library

08/18/2023

TONIGHT, Aug. 18 at 6 PM: Join the conversation, The Road to . Sponsored by the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus.

08/17/2023

Explore our research guide, Voices of the Harlem Renaissance Within the , to learn about materials in our collections documenting this era. https://libguides.nypl.org/Voices_of_the_Harlem_Renaissance?utm_campaign=schomburgsocialmedia&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

This guide will navigate researchers through materials documenting the Harlem Renaissance at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

08/17/2023

Friday, Aug. 18 at 6 PM: Join the conversation, The Road to . Sponsored by the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus.

08/16/2023

TONIGHT, Aug. 16 at 6 PM: Join us online for a book talk celebrating trailblazing legend . Award-winning reporter Sally H. Jacobs, author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson, and Katrina Adams, the first African American to lead the United States Tennis Association (USTA), will be in conversation.
https://ow.ly/Nnx150PA7Fw


Photo: Lisa Herndon

08/16/2023

Meet the residents of 409 Edgecombe Avenue—one of ’s most fashionable addresses —and discover their fascinating stories!

Learn more about our new finding aid highlighting residents of "Harlem’s House of Celebrities.”

08/15/2023

TONIGHT, Aug. 15, around 7:30 PM: Join us online for a talk back with director John Carluccio, writer and producer Tracy E. Hopkins, and specially invited guests following the screening of Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back. https://ow.ly/boce50PzE1W

Photo: Lisa Herndon

08/15/2023

Sunday, Aug. 20, 12–4 PM: The will be open in celebration of , the final day of . Explore our exhibition Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration and visit The Schomburg Shop. (All research divisions will be closed.) https://ow.ly/cUTF50PyZEy

Sunday's opening is sponsored by MoCaFi.

Photo: Lisa Herndon

08/15/2023

TOMORROW, Aug. 16 at 6 PM: Join us for a book talk and reception celebrating the trailblazing tennis champion . https://ow.ly/IfkT50Pye7a

08/14/2023

If you are walking around during (through Aug. 20), stop by St. Nicholas Park to view our outdoor banner exhibition, Beloved: African American Portraits from the Dawn of Photography. It's in three locations: 133rd Street (outside the park), 139th Street (outside the park and inside near the basketball court). The exhibition is produced in collaboration with .
Photos: Lisa Herndon

08/14/2023

TOMORROW, Aug. 15 at 6 PM: Join us for the screening of Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back. A talkback follows with director John Carluccio and special guests.

Documentary screening about the life show biz trailblazer Maurice Hines

08/13/2023

Coming up this week! https://ow.ly/Z7P850PycMp

Through Sunday, August 20 | Schomburg Center and Other Locations
Hip-Hop Film Festival: 50 Years of Culture
Tickets start at $30
Produced in collaboration with .

Tuesday, August 15 | 6 PM | Schomburg Center
Harlem's Finest | Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Register (Free Event)

Wednesday, August 16 | 6 PM | Schomburg Center
Harlem's Finest | Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson
Register (Free Event)

***Next Sunday, August 20 | Schomburg Center***
Schomburg Sunday on Harlem Day: On Our Block Sponsored by MoCaFi
Enjoy Harlem Day festivities on 135th Street! Discover Schomburg Center hospitality, exhibitions, and the Schomburg Shop, and learn about accessible financial services and wealth-building at On Our Block led by MoCaFi, Mobility Capital Finance, Inc., a Black-owned business serving all communities.

Materials from the Schomburg Center will be featured in several indoor and outdoor exhibitions in the city.

08/12/2023

Watch discussions recorded for our online archives. They include talks with some of ’s most influential artists such as DMC, Rakim, Timbaland, and more! ow.ly/4Epi50PnXJA

08/11/2023

the Stop the Violence Movement filmed a portion of the 1989 music video “Self Destruction” at the .

KRS-One, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, and D-Nice are some of the lyricists who supported "Self Destruction." Learn more about it, plus another moment in we were a part of. https://ow.ly/hKUV50PxICR

As we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop music and culture, discover two moments in its history that included the Schomburg Center.

08/11/2023

Discover materials in our collections that highlight the history of and its impact on music, film, art, culture, and the world! https://ow.ly/730M50PxCNf

Photo: Terrence Jennings

08/10/2023

Happening Tomorrow! Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 20 at the Schomburg Center & Various Locations: The 8th annual Hip-Hop Film Festival (HHFF) presents Stories from the Culture, celebrating the origins of hip-hop culture and the people who lived it. The lineup includes the highly anticipated documentary You Can't Erase Me, which tells the stories of some of the genre's pioneers who built a multi-million dollar cultural phenomenon, while calling out the people (or circumstances) that robbed them of their legacy.

On August 14 at 5 PM, Hodge Cinema and Harlem Film House are giving $1,000 for the strongest one-minute monologue for its ACT UP! event. Daytime screenings on August 15–17 are FREE for anyone with NYPL's new special-edition hip-hop library card. See the full schedule of events. Produced in collaboration with Harlem Film House. https://ow.ly/5jyO50Pw29U

08/09/2023

Explore our page to discover five quintessential films that have ties to — or people featured in our collections. https://ow.ly/xgrf50PtBxu

Digital Collections Image: 4018418

08/09/2023

TONIGHT, 8/9 at 6:30 PM: Hip Hop icon Jay 'Jeezy' Jenkins joins radio personality Charlamagne tha God to discuss Jeezy's book Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. A book signing follows.
https://ow.ly/eGOZ50Pw14g

08/09/2023

Next Wednesday: Join us on August 16 at 6 PM for a book talk and reception celebrating trailblazing tennis champion Althea Gibson. https://ow.ly/ELrN50PtBui

08/08/2023

TOMORROW, 8/9 at 6:30 PM: Hip Hop icon Jay 'Jeezy' Jenkins joins radio personality Charlamagne tha God to discuss Jeezy's book Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. Ticketed event. https://ow.ly/IY2150Pvi6O

08/08/2023

Next Tuesday, August 15 at 6 PM: Join us for the Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back screening. A talkback follows with director John Carluccio and special guests.

Documentary screening about the life show biz trailblazer Maurice Hines

08/07/2023

Aug. 11-19: Join us for the Hip Hop Film Festival, a collaboration with Harlem Film House. Purchase your tickets now! (Films will be screened at the Center and other locations.) https://ow.ly/xoQu50PtBqS

Friday, August 11 | 6:00 PM
BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN PHILADELPHIA
Bad Things Happen in Philadelphia is a full-length documentary focusing on the effects of gun violence on young men, women & mothers living in Philadelphia.

Friday, August 11 | 8 PM
KINGDOME
The remarkable journey of Terry 'Huncho' Cooper and his legendary Harlem basketball tournament, uniting a community through the love of the game and empowering generations to rise above adversity.

Hip Hop Film Festival. Stories From The Culture. For Filmmakers and Film Lovers In The Culture. Our Stories Matter.

08/05/2023

Wednesday, August 16 at 6 PM: Althea Gibson was a barrier-breaking icon in tennis. She developed her talents as a little girl living in Harlem. Join us for a conversation with prize-winning former Boston Globe reporter Sally H. Jacobs, author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson, and Katrina Adams, the first African American to lead the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Following the conversation, join us for a book signing and DJ reception to toast the many women in Harlem breaking barriers. This book talk is part of a series of programs highlighting the cultural impact of some of Harlem's finest residents. https://ow.ly/2AL150Pp7GS

Only on August 16, 2023! If you purchase a copy of Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson in person at the Schomburg Shop, receive a complimentary copy of Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One while supplies last.

08/04/2023

Watch discussions recorded for our online archives. They included talks with some of ’s most influential artists such as Chuck D, Rakim, and more! https://ow.ly/GqrE50PnWvQ

Watch discussions recorded for our online archive including talks with some of hip-hop’s most influential artists.

08/02/2023

These storyboard sketches and lyrics are from ’s 1993 music video Who Am I: What’s My Name? It was directed by visual artist, director, actor, producer, and filmmaker Fab 5 Freddy. We are home to his collection of personal papers, business records, photographs, and more. These items are in our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division and can be viewed by scheduling a research appointment.

Learn more about 's archives and see more highlights from his collection. https://ow.ly/UbU350PpbGY

07/31/2023

Join us for a free guided tour of our exhibition, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration. It explores the impact of the U.S. prison system on contemporary visual art. August dates are the 7th and 21st. https://ow.ly/ABJV50Ppmlv

Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration explores the impact of the US prison system on contemporary visual art. This exhibition...

07/31/2023

Wed, 8/16 at 6 PM: Join us for a conversation with prize-winning reporter Sally H. Jacobs and Katrina Adams, the first African American to lead the U.S. Tennis Association. They will discuss Jacobs’s book Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson.

A book talk and reception celebrating the trailblazing tennis champion Althea Gibson

07/30/2023

Tuesday, 8/15 at 6 PM: Join us for a free screening of Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, an intimate portrait of a trailblazing entertainer who navigates the highs and lows of his lengthy showbiz career and a complex relationship with his superstar brother Gregory Hines.

A talk back follows.

Documentary screening about the life show biz trailblazer Maurice Hines

07/28/2023

Save the dates! See our public programs schedule for August and exhibitions available to view in person and online. https://ow.ly/zGIJ50Pn2xJ

Materials from the Schomburg Center will be featured in several indoor and outdoor exhibitions in the city.

07/27/2023

Friday, August 11–Saturday, August 19: The 8th annual Hip-Hop Film Festival presents Stories from the Culture, celebrating the origins of culture and the people who lived it. Screenings will take place at the and other locations. Tickets start at $30. A collaboration with Harlem Film House. https://ow.ly/2Ig050PmO1a

07/27/2023

“I come here and walk through just to be reminded who I am,” said lyricist of the .

“I see one of my heroes when I first walked through the door,” the Atlanta-based rapper said. “There’s James Baldwin.”

There is a photograph of Baldwin taken by the famous photographer Richard Avedon, a high school companion of Baldwin’s, on the wall in the Center’s entry hall.

As we celebrate 50 years of , discover two moments in its history that included the Center. https://ow.ly/pXkR50PmajF

As we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop music and culture, discover two moments in its history that included the Schomburg Center.

07/26/2023

Artist and quiltmaker Michael A. Cummings collected Black art event postcards from the 1970s to the early 2000s. We've digitized a portion of this ephemeral collection, and layered within each item is a treasure trove of information about Black artists, galleries, gallerists, and curators. This stunning snapshot of a bygone era in New York City's art world is now available to view in NYPL's Digital Collections.

Video by our Digital Curator, Kimberly Annece Henderson in collaboration with Tammi Lawson, Art and Artifacts Curator, and Michael A Cummings, artist and quiltmaker. Special thanks to Emily Hoffman, Lead Photographer. https://ow.ly/Ps8o50PkVvl

07/21/2023

The priority deadline to apply to our Junior Scholars Program is next Friday, July 28. It’s a free Saturday in-person program taking place during the academic year. Youth from 5th through 12th grades are eligible to participate. The deadline to apply is August 28. https://ow.ly/WBfi50PhvYG

07/20/2023

Through stories from family and friends plus items in our collections, get an in-depth look at poet Joe Johnson. He was a founding member of the influential Umbra workshop, a collective of Black writers based in the Lower East Side in the early 1960s. We are home to the Joe Johnson papers, which have recently been made available to researchers to view. https://ow.ly/GLFa50PhuRH

Learn more about the poet Joe Johnson, whose papers are now available at the Schomburg Center.

07/14/2023

The special-edition library card, which commemorates 50 years of , is available TODAY (July 14) at the and all locations.

You can register for a card online and pick up the card TODAY. https://ow.ly/alEm50PbgqU

07/12/2023

Check out this blog post! Jackson Poetry Prize–winner Patricia Spears Jones (Femme du Monde: Poems, A Lucent Fire: New and Selected Poems, Painkiller: Poems Written 2000–2006, The Weather That Kills) discusses her new anthology The Beloved Community, which will be released in late September, and the collection of her papers held at the Center.

The Patricia Spears Jones collection includes personal correspondence, poetry drafts, manuscripts, audio-visual materials, photographs, and more. Materials were recently made available for researchers to explore. https://ow.ly/N6X450P96u7

Patricia Spears Jones discusses The Beloved Community, her newest anthology of poems, and her collection at the Schomburg Center.

07/10/2023

Coming Soon! A special edition hip hop library card. Get started online now and pick up your card from NYPL branches starting Friday, July 14!

The card features imagery from the soundtrack cassette of the iconic 1983 film Wild Style, directed by Charlie Ahearn, widely considered to be the first film dedicated to hip-hop.

Our Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division holds the original cassette in its collections alongside key archives related to the birth and legacy of hip-hop.

The cassette book, which was produced by Kaz Kuzui, includes photos of soundtrack producer Fab 5 Freddy and the “Wild Style” art that was created by artists Zephyr, Revolt, and Sharp. https://ow.ly/KSq350P6Lgo

07/08/2023

The photos of the Great Sphinx of Giza and an Arabic school learning the Qur’an in Egypt were taken in 1900. The images were part of a digital compilation to support the project "The African American Migration Experience" over a decade ago. It examined 13 defining migrations that formed and transformed the lives of Black people across the African diaspora. https://ow.ly/K2K350P29S3

Images ID: 1657176 and 1657174

07/06/2023

Have you seen our founder ’s books, writings, and photos on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York? They are part of the exhibition , Afro-Hispanic Painter. http://ow.ly/f7go50NEGXz

Mr. Schomburg’s materials offer the framework for discussing the painter. Pareja (c. 1608–1670) was enslaved and worked under famed Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (c. 1599–1660) for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right.

Mr. Schomburg’s materials were invaluable resources to expand the conversation on Pareja and offers valuable insights on 17th–century Spain. They also provided insight into 17th-century Spain.

Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés, author of Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Schomburg and associate provost for Community Engagement at The City College of New York, co-curated. Additionally, she wrote the essay “Arturo Schomburg, Juan de Pareja, and Afro-Hispanic Studies” for The Met’s exhibition catalog and served as its co-editor.

Juan de Pareja is open now through July 16.

Photos 1 and 3: Installation view of Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, on view April 3– July 16, 2023 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
Photo: 2: Lisa Herndon

07/04/2023

I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.

—Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” (July 5, 1852)

Learn more about Douglass’s speech and view our 2020 online exhibition Freedom’s Founders. https://ow.ly/mYzk50P2Gym

Image ID: 485472

06/23/2023

Join us for free guided tours of our newest exhibition Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration. Upcoming dates are June 26, July 10, and July 24. https://ow.ly/yHMq50OIzuJ

Photo: Lisa Herndon