Centennial Celebration of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
# The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Celebrates 100 Years
The **New York Public Library’s (NYPL) Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture**, located in Harlem, is celebrating its **100th anniversary** in 2025. The milestone is being marked with a **yearlong celebration**, including an exhibition displaying rare collection items and a **centennial festival and block party**.
## A Legacy of Black History and Culture
The Schomburg Center has played a significant role in preserving and documenting the cultural and historical experiences of **African Americans** and people of African descent worldwide.
According to **Joy Bivins**, the director of the Schomburg Center, “This institution has been around during segregation, multiple movements, civil rights movements, labor movements, and terrible economies. Black history is our lifeblood. We don’t wait to celebrate it, and we don’t ask for people’s permission to celebrate it.”
## Origins and Growth
The Schomburg Center originated as the **Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints** in **1925**. In 1926, the library acquired a significant collection of **books, pamphlets, prints, and manuscripts** from Arturo Schomburg, a **scholar, historian, and collector** who dedicated his life to researching Black history. His donation of **more than 3,000 books and 1,100 pamphlets** became the foundation of what is now an internationally renowned research library.
The center was officially renamed in **1940** in Schomburg’s honor and has since expanded to house **over 11 million items**, making it one of the world’s most significant collections dedicated to the Black experience.
## Centennial Exhibition: *100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity*
To celebrate its **centennial**, the Schomburg Center is organizing an exhibition titled **”100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity.”**
The exhibition, opening **on May 8, 2025**, will showcase notable items from the Schomburg’s vast collection, including:
– Rare **manuscripts and historical documents** related to Black activism.
– **Photographs and artwork** depicting Black culture.
– Original literary works by **James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and Malcolm X**.
## A Year of Celebration: Festivals, Music, and More
In addition to the exhibition, the Schomburg Center will host a **centennial festival on June 14, 2025**. This special event will merge several key annual programs, including:
– **The Black Comic Book Festival**
– **The Schomburg Center Literary Festival**
– **A major block party and music performances**
A variety of **interactive events** such as **discussions, film screenings, and live performances** will be announced throughout the year.
## Defending Black History Amidst National Challenges
At a recent press conference, **NYPL President and CEO Anthony Marx** addressed the increasing attacks on diversity and inclusion programs in the United States.
“We live in a moment when that history, when the history of the essential peoples of America, including so essentially the African American people, is being pushed aside,” Marx said. “Our commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion are being threatened.”
United States Representative **Adriano Espaillat** praised the Schomburg Center as *“a center of Black culture that should be emulated by the rest of the country, if not the world.”*
Likewise, **District 9 City Council Member Yusef Salaam**, one of the exonerated members of the *Central Park Five,* emphasized the library’s importance to **Black intellectual and artistic excellence**.
“It has preserved the voices of James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Malcolm X, and Toni Morrison,” Salaam said, “and it will continue to amplify the voices of those who shape our future.”
## Looking Forward: Preserving Black Culture for the Next 100 Years
As the Schomburg Center embarks on its second century, it remains dedicated to **research, scholarship, and cultural heritage preservation**. The centennial celebration is not just a reflection of the past but a powerful statement about the significance of documenting Black history for **future generations**.
To learn more about the **Schomburg Center’s centennial events and exhibitions**, visit the official website of **[The New York Public Library](https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/schomburg-centennial)**.
Are you planning to visit the center for its **100th anniversary celebrations**? Let us know in the comments! 🎉