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

09/02/2026

Tomorrow, 9/3 | 6:30 PM | Online: The new season our our Conversations in Black Freedom Studies series begins with an online discussion about Black women and biographical writing with authors Ashley D. Farmer, Alison M. Parker, Susana M. Morris, and Elizabeth Todd-Breland. Join us!

Please join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 6:30 PM to kick off the Fall 2026 Conversations in Black Freedom Studies season!

08/31/2026

Mon, 9/14 | 6 PM | : Join us for our Second Annual Jean Blackwell Hutson Award & Lecture. This year's honoree is Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Library Alliance.

Join us for the Jean Blackwell Hutson Award and Lecture amplifying the invaluable work of librarians and library professionals

08/30/2026

Tuesday, 9/15 | 6:30 PM | : Join us for a book launch about the Black architect who designed our Main Building and Langston Hughes Wing! Brian D. Goldstein will discuss his book, Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People’s Architect.

Join us to learn about the life and legacy of J. Max Bond, Jr., a legend in urban architectural design.

08/28/2026

: Check out this article by scholar and historian Felix Vladimir Arroyo-Rios, which discusses , the 13th Amendment, and our namesake Arturo Schomburg.

Freedom, Historical Memory, and the Continuing Struggle for Democracy from Emancipation to the Present

08/28/2026

Thurs, 9/3 | 6:30 PM | Online: Our Fall 2026 programming season begins with a discussion about Black women and biographical writing with authors Ashley D. Farmer, Alison M. Parker, Susana M. Morris, and Elizabeth Todd-Breland.

Please join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 6:30 PM to kick off the Fall 2026 Conversations in Black Freedom Studies season!

08/25/2026

Happy Birthday to tennis trailblazer Althea Gibson (1927-2003). She made history during her time in tennis as “the first.” She broke the color barrier in 1950 and was the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam with her victory as the Women's Singles champion at the French Open in 1956. https://ow.ly/gLKs50ZElKU

Additionally, Gibson was the first Black player to win the Women's Singles at Wimbledon and US Open in 1957. After successfully defending both titles the following year, she retired from the sport. She had a total of 11 Grand Slam victories as a Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles player.

After tennis, Gibson pursued a singing career. She released her jazz album “Althea Gibson Sings” in 1959. She was also an accomplished saxophone player.

Did you know that Althea Gibson has a collection here? It includes one of her tennis uniforms and racket plus a photo collection. Items are available to view by scheduling a research appointment. Althea Gibson Sports and Education Foundation

Digital Collections Image 5031486
Gibson is pictured with New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner and posing with copy of her record album.

08/23/2026

The Central Park Conservancy is inviting artists to submit original designs for a poster promoting the Gottesman Rink at the Davis Center in Central Park. Sunday, Sept. 20 is the deadline to enter. https://www.centralparknyc.org/poster-contest

08/21/2026

Celebrate the legacy of Arthur Ashe! If you are in Harlem on Friday, 8/21, (10 AM–5:45 PM), and Saturday, 8/22 (10 AM–4 PM), check out our pop-up display highlighting the tennis legend and his legacy of activism in the anti-apartheid movement.

Items include:
–A 1973 letter from poet Nikki Giovanni in support of Ashe’s 1973 visit to South Africa
–A letter from Nelson Mandela to Ashe inviting him to take part in Mandela’s 1991 Democracy Now Tour
–A brochure from a 1984 event with Harry Belafonte from their organization Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid

Did you know that Ashe also co-founded the USTA’s National Junior Tennis League, today known as the National Junior Tennis and Learning? The program introduces the sport to youth in underserved communities. On Sunday, the US Open kicks off its Fan Week with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at their stadium named in his honor at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

We are home to the collection of Arthur Ashe. Materials include photographs, personal correspondence covering his work in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, his time as an active and retired tennis player, manuscripts to books such as A Hard Road to Glory: History of the African American Athlete, and more. Items are available to view by scheduling a research appointment with our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division. https://ow.ly/6mSc50ZC7R8



Photos: Lisa Herndon
Credit for Photo 3: © The Nikki Giovanni Trust. Courtesy of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library.

08/19/2026

Friday, August 21 | 6:30 PM | Schomburg Center: For two centuries, the Harlem African Burial Ground was a place where New Yorkers of African descent were laid to rest. Over time, the history of this site was lost—erased by the subsequent redevelopment of the site. The Harlem African Burial Ground project seeks to right this wrong, by honoring and memorializing this historic site with a new outdoor memorial and indoor cultural education center while also addressing affordable housing and jobs needs in the East Harlem community. Hear more about the story through a public screening of the Unearthing Our Legacy Together documentary film. https://nycedc.formstack.com/forms/habg_documentary_screening