Upcoming Programs at The Schomburg Center

The Quiet Volume, a collaboration between Ant Hampton and Tim Etchells, exposes the strange magic at the heart of the reading experience. A self-generated and ‘automatic’ performance, Autoteatro, for two at a time experienced in the reading room of a library, two audience members sit side-by-side taking cues from words both written and whispered – via an iPod and headphones – and find themselves burrowing an unlikely path through a pile of books. Available in English 

Join the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for a special evening at Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Freedom Struggle and Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker.

Speakers include Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Senior Minister Emeritus The Riverside Church of NYC and professor at Union Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Grace Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, and Prof. Jonathan 

The Quiet Volume, a collaboration between Ant Hampton and Tim Etchells, exposes the strange magic at the heart of the reading experience. A self-generated and ‘automatic’ performance, Autoteatro, for two at a time experienced in the reading room of a library, two audience members sit side-by-side taking cues from words both written and whispered – via an iPod and headphones – and find themselves burrowing an unlikely path through a pile of books. Available in English 

Start the new month with First Fridays at the Schomburg, a popular monthly social gathering that welcomes the community with music and drinks. Exhibition galleries will be open late. Free!

The Quiet Volume, a collaboration between Ant Hampton and Tim Etchells, exposes the strange magic at the heart of the reading experience. A self-generated and ‘automatic’ performance, Autoteatro, for two at a time experienced in the reading room of a library, two audience members sit side-by-side taking cues from words both written and whispered – via an iPod and headphones – and find themselves burrowing an unlikely path through a pile of books. Available in English 

Join us for our monthly Saturday family gathering!

The Ordinary People film series concludes with Director/Writer Rodney Evans who will showcase two of his earlier shorts, Close to Home and Two Encounters, as well as clips from his feature-length film, The Happy Sad.

Broken on All Sides is a documentary focused on mass incarceration across the nation and the intersection of race and poverty within criminal justice. The film positions criminal penal­ties and their collateral consequences as a new ver­sion of Jim Crow. Join the Director, Matthew Pil­lis­cher, and other guests for a special talk back following the screening.

Are you working on your estate plans or need to update them?  How can you best provide for family and loved ones while also supporting your favorite charities?  Do you understand the probate process or want to avoid it?  Are you confused by the continued estate tax changes?  Most importantly, what will be your legacy? 

We are pleased to present an educational seminar for Library patrons and supporters.  John Bacon, Director of Planned Giving, will present estate planning concepts in easy-to-understand terms, in a relaxed and interactive environment—questions will be encouraged—and completely free of charge.

You are welcome to invite a friend, or your legal or financial advisor, to join you. The seminar will cover such topics as:

Enjoy a tour of our colorful exhibition, Lois Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color, with archivist of the Schomburg Center’s very own Art and Artifacts Division, Tammi Lawson.

Grab your copy of The Black Revolution on Campus by Martha Biondi and enjoy a discussion on the Black student movement in the U.S. with Biondi and Vincent Harding.

Join Learn My History, a Youth Empowerment Mentoring non-profit (founded by Ronnique Hawkins a Producer of the Emmy nominated film on Emmett Till), as it celebrates the hidden potentials of youth by connecting them to award winners and successful Professionals for a one-of-a-kind mass mentoring. All ticket proceeds will benefit the ongoing youth missions of the organization. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.learnmyhistory.org.

The Malcolm X Museum Annual Celebration of the Birthday of Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz).

A finding aid is a document used in archives for accessibility and discovery. Join this interactive multi-media dialogue that explores the intersection of experimental art practices and community-based archiving.

Town of Runners is a feature documentary about young runners from Bekoji - an Ethiopian highland town which has produced some of the world's greatest distance athletes. The film tells the story of two young girls, living in a rural town as they try to run their way to a different life. Narrated by their friend Biruk, it follows their highs and lows over three years as they try to become professional athletes. Directed by Jerry Rothwell, Documentary / U.K. /2012/86 min/ Amharic, Oromo with English subtitles.

Presented as part of the 10th Annual Sheba Film Festival.

Join Jamaican artist Lawrence Graham-Brown for a screening of "Rites of Passage/Sacred Spaces 2012,” his recent performance/film. After the screening, Graham-Brown will be in conversation with Steven G. Fullwood about his insightful views on art, politics, and public performance as a venue for change, expression, and liberation. Light refreshment will be served.

A One-Woman-Play

After being assigned more work than she can handle, social worker Lewis has a nervous breakdown, tries to kill her boss and is committed for psychiatric observation. After being restrained, Lewis recalls her true-life experiences working with prostitutes, drug addicts and prisoners, portraying twenty-five different characters from pimps to menopausal women.

Call Me Crazy is a unique look at the highs and lows of working for peanuts while trying to save the world one poem at a time.

Written and Performed by Helena D. Lewis. Directed by Leslie “ButtaFlySouL” Taylor. Presented by Urbintel Entertainment, Inc.

The Literary Society continues the tradition of African-American literary societies formed in the 1880's to encourage reading and education in African-American communities. Founded in Harlem in 1982, The Literary Society, a book discussion group of 50 members, meets monthly to discuss books reflecting the political and artistic experience by authors of African descent.

The public is invited to join The Literary Society at the Schomburg Center for a discussion of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis.

Start the new month with First Fridays at the Schomburg, a popular monthly social gathering that welcomes the community with music and drinks. Exhibition galleries will be open late. Free!

Terrie M. Williams, mental health activist and author of Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting  presents You Are Not Alone, a powerful film which explores high rates of depression among Black gay men and exposes the raw truths behind their devastatingly  silent pain. The film is co-produced by NAACP Image Award winner Stanley Bennett Clay and NYABJ Award winner, journalist and national gay mental health activist Antoine B. Craigwell.

Co-presented by Depressed Black Gay Men (DBGM). Following the screening, there will be a talk back discussion with noted panelists.

Growing Up Daddy is a groundbreaking one-man play written and performed by spoken-word phenomena, Kraal “Kayo” Charles.

In this semi-autobiographical piece, Kayo uses poetry and hip hop to explore what happens when a rising artist-entrepreneur is suddenly faced with impending fatherhood. With humor and honesty, Kayo conveys the complexities of a man caught between embracing and rejecting his newest and greatest role. He captures the essence of memoir by recounting tales of whimsical women, fair-weather friends, his devout grandmother and his strange Caribbean father. Growing Up Daddy is an honest depiction of what every father endures, when their sense of responsibility challenges their passion.

Written & Performed by: Kraal “Kayo” Charles.

To conclude our series, we are inviting club participants to swap their books, as well as to make suggestions for the book club. We’ll provide the refreshments!

Women In Islam, Inc. celebrates the example and legacy of Dr. Betty Shabazz annually and recognize women, of all backgrounds and faiths, who demonstrate their unwavering and courageous dedication to helping others.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit womeninislam.org.

The QBR Wheatley Book Awards recognizes the best African American books and writers in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children's books. Special awards will be also given for Publisher of the Year and Performance Poet of the Year. Music and Entertainment by Atiba Wilson & the Befo' Quotet and Poets of the Dispossessed. Join us for a stellar night of music, literary awards, and memorable entertainment on the night before the Harlem Book Fair.

Get your tickets at harlembookfair.com