The #SchomburgSyllabus renders visible a trove of compelling documents that will shift how it is we study and teach the varying contours of Black history across time and space. These thoughtfully-curated items speak to one another in striking ways, shining new light on a wide range of topics that demonstrate the boundlessness of the Black imagination—even under the most dire circumstances. The possibilities for future iterations of this exciting project make it one to utilize now and follow for years to come.

Dr. Michelle D. Commander, Associate Director and Curator of the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The #SchomburgSyllabus simultaneously documents and contributes to Black people's longstanding self-organized educational efforts. Inspired by the hashtag-syllabus movement, this fascinating collection uniquely brings together born-digital and analog resources. The syllabi alone are a treasure-trove, and their organization here represents a new and dynamic way to explore Black life, culture, and history.

Dr. Brian JonesDirector, Center for Educators and Schools, The New York Public Library

Watch #SchomburgSyllabus Videos

Explore videos from Schomburg Center public programs on culturally responsive teaching and educational justice movements. Click the links in the slideshow below to watch each video.

Image for the Schomburg Center event: From Brown to the Boycott
From Brown to the School Boycott: Teaching the History of Segregation and Struggle in NYC Schools
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Side-by-side image of Bettina L. Love's headshot alongside her book: We Want to Do More Than Survive
Book Talk: We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom
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Event image for Conversations In Black Freedom Studies: How Did We Get Here? The Long Struggle for Educational Justice in New York
Conversations in Black Freedom Studies: How Did We Get Here? The Long Struggle for Educational Justice in New York
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A close up shot of a person's face with grains of sand on it and the words 'Til We Free
'til we free: presented by the Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program
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Event image for the Lapidus Center Presents: Teaching Slavery
Lapidus Center Presents: Teaching Slavery
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Historic photo taken from high up in a college hallway filled with Black students
CBFS: The Black Revolution On Campus
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Event card image for Week of Action with an illustration of a Black girl and the title Black Lives Matter at School; alongside text that includes: National Demands, End Zero Tolerance, Mandate Black History & Ethnic Studies, Hire More Black Teachers, Fund Counselors Not Cops
Making Black Lives Matter in NYC Schools
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Image for event featuring the Schomburg Center logo and a painting of a Black woman jumping in the air with text that reads: Teaching for Black Lives
Educator Book Talk: Teaching for Black Lives
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Historic photo of a white woman glaring and yelling at a Black woman who is wearing sunglasses and holding books in the foreground
CBFS: The Long Struggle Against Educational Injustice
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The Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List

For 95 years, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has preserved, protected, and fostered a greater understanding of the Black experience through its collections, exhibitions, programs, and scholarship. In response to the uprisings across the globe demanding justice for Black lives in 2020, the Schomburg Center published its Black Liberation Reading List. The 95 titles on the list represent books we and the public turn to regularly as activists, students, archivists, and curators, with a particular focus on books by Black authors and those whose papers we steward. Explore the lists for kids, teens, and adults, and discover which titles are available in accessible formats.

Don't forget to explore JSTOR's companion to the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List. 

Special Thanks

The #SchomburgSyllabus is made possible through The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s generous support for the #SchomburgSyllabus project, and the Community Webs program, which is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Internet Archive, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.