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

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library Where Every Month Is Black History Month For more information, please visit www.schomburgcenter.org
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Founded in 1925 as the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints of the 135th Street Branch Library by the Citizens Committee led by Arturo Schomburg and Ernestine Rose, a branch librarian, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the leading cultural institutions in the world devoted to the preservation of materials focused on African-American, African Diaspora, and Af

rican experiences. Recognized for its prominence scholarly research and its vast collection spanning over 11 million items, the Schomburg Center won the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2015. Today, the Schomburg serves as a space that encourages lifelong education and exploration with diverse programs that illuminate the richness of Black history and culture, and in 2017 it was named a National Historic Landmark.

Sign up for a curator-led tour of our newest exhibition, To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library!...
06/03/2026

Sign up for a curator-led tour of our newest exhibition, To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library! They begin next Wednesday, June 10 at 12 Noon and will take place on Wednesdays through July 8. See the full schedule. Limited tickets.

https://ow.ly/s14r50Z6MsP

Photo: Lisa Herndon

Monday, June 15, is the priority deadline to apply to the 2026 –2027 class of our Junior Scholars Program. Students in g...
06/03/2026

Monday, June 15, is the priority deadline to apply to the 2026 –2027 class of our Junior Scholars Program. Students in grades 6-12 are eligible to participate in our free Saturday academic program. It takes place from October to June. The final deadline is June 29.
https://ow.ly/n1wv50Z6PHq


Photo: Lisa Herndon

Coming up at 4 PM, TODAY, 6/2: Join us online for our talkback following our program Black on Screen: Black Feminist Sho...
06/02/2026

Coming up at 4 PM, TODAY, 6/2: Join us online for our talkback following our program Black on Screen: Black Feminist Shorts.
https://ow.ly/egkj50Z6NOm

Are you interested in learning more about Black authors, activists, filmmakers, and performers who identified or may hav...
06/01/2026

Are you interested in learning more about Black authors, activists, filmmakers, and performers who identified or may have identified as LGBTQIA+? Have you struggled with finding the right search terms or archival documents that tell the story of these marginalized voices? View our research guide, Exploring Black LGBTQ Studies in the Schomburg Center's Archive, to learn more about the groundbreaking activists in our collections.
https://ow.ly/pcMl50Z6hpH


Photo: "Stormé DeLarverié," 1956, Photographs and Prints Division, Schomburg Center,
NYPL Digital Collections Image: 58660966

: Shirley Brown Alleyne, associate director of Education at the Schomburg Center, led a training earlier this month wit...
05/29/2026

: Shirley Brown Alleyne, associate director of Education at the Schomburg Center, led a training earlier this month with a group of public school teachers in partnership with New York City's Department of Education. This full-day session highlighted our rich history, current exhibitions, education programs, and Teaching with Schomburg Center’s Archives curriculum series. The series are eight downloadable lessons written for students in grades 7–12 and created in partnership with NYPL’s Center for Educators and Schools. Topics include Abolition as a Black-led Movement, Black Women Writers, The Black Panther Party in Harlem, and more.

Our workshops show teachers how to seamlessly integrate our collection materials with established DOE curricula. https://ow.ly/gi5T50Z3Cba



Photo: Jenna Ryall

Closing Soon! Our exhibition 100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity is open through June 30, 2026. Cur...
05/28/2026

Closing Soon! Our exhibition 100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity is open through June 30, 2026. Curated by Schomburg Center Director Joy L. Bivins, 100 celebrates the story of our collections, which today number over 11 million objects, and continue to inspire learners, seekers, and creators. https://ow.ly/JlQN50Z59yU

Objects on display include: Pietro Calvo’s bust of actor Ira Aldridge as William Shakespeare’s titular character Othello; a page from Maya Angelou’s handwritten manuscript for her book, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes; an etching of “The Library” by Jacob Lawrence, and Malcolm X’s handwritten notebook detailing his observations during his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964.

Can’t make it in person? Listen to our audio guide on Bloomberg Connects to hear commentary from Bivins and Schomburg Center staff, hosted by actor LeVar Burton.

Photos: Lisa Herndon

The Schomburg Center, Schomburg Shop, and all NYPL locations will close at 5 PM on Thursday, May 28. We apologize for an...
05/28/2026

The Schomburg Center, Schomburg Shop, and all NYPL locations will close at 5 PM on Thursday, May 28. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Friday, June 19, at 1 PM: Join a Juneteenth celebration at Seneca Village in New York City’s Central Park. This special ...
05/27/2026

Friday, June 19, at 1 PM: Join a Juneteenth celebration at Seneca Village in New York City’s Central Park. This special program will celebrate the spirit of community and Seneca Village’s rich history through a dynamic performance of music, dance, and spoken word.

In collaboration with Broadway’s DeWitt Fleming, Jr., and an intergenerational ensemble of performers, the event will bring to life the story of Seneca Village—a thriving 19th-century free Black community that once stood along what is now the western edge of Central Park (West 82nd to 89th Streets). Directed by Tony Award–winning legend Ben Harney, and co-produced by DeW It Right Productions.
https://www.centralparknyc.org/calendar?interest=seneca-village
Park Central Park

Address

515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY
10037

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

(212) 491-2200

Website

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