515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St and Malcolm X Blvd)
New York, NY 10037
917-275-6975
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Thursday 10 AM–6 PM
Friday 10 AM–6 PM
Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
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100 Schomburg logo on a green background.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries. A world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diasporic, and African experiences, the Schomburg stewards a collection of over 11 million items.  

This year, we're celebrating our 100th anniversary! Stay tuned for our official kickoff this spring, and join us all year long for a wide array of special events, exhibitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone and continue the legacy of Arturo Schomburg. Learn more.

Visit the Schomburg Center

The front doors of the Schomburg Center. The words “Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture'' is written as a metal awning above the front doors.

To learn about the Center's research divisions, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchers. Please note: Division hours may vary.

Explore our in-person exhibition, Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, through May 22. 

The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5:45 PM. The Shop sells books, clothing, jewelry, and more created by Black and Brown artists for all ages.

The Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute returns this summer! The four-week fellowship program is open to rising college seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The online application is open through Friday, March 28. 

Guided tours take place Monday–Friday from 11 AM through 2 PM. Visit our Schomburg Tours page. Confirmed reservations are required for all guided tours. 

Our 13th Annual Black Comic Book Festival will be part of a larger celebration during our Centennial Festival in June 2025. More information will be coming soon. 

Please note: Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.

Women’s History Month | Centennial Spotlight: Women of the Schomburg Center

Left: Mid-length photo of Catherine Latimer, who is seated. Middle: A headshot of Dorothy Williams. Right: Jean Blackwell Hutson in partial profile

Photos: (left) Digital Collection Image ID: 58942159, (middle) Photographs & Prints Division, and (right) Digital Collections Image ID: 58220943

Learn about some of the extraordinary women who built our renowned research center dedicated to Black history and culture. This year, we spotlight Dorothy Williams, former head curator of the Schomburg Collection. 

Plus, discover the stories of Catherine Allen Latimer, whose campaign to collect items that document the Black experience helped contribute to the founding of the Schomburg Center and Jean Blackwell Hutson, who grew the Schomburg's collection and for whom our research and reference division is now named. Read more. 

‘The Negro Digs Up His Past’ | A Look at Arturo Schomburg’s Seminal Essay 100 Years Later

Left: A black and white illustration of Arturo Schomburg. Right: A copy of March 1925’s Survey Graphics magazine open to an essay titled: The Negro Digs Up His Past.

Photos: (left) Digital Collections Image ID: 58805806 and (right) Lisa Herndon

March 2025 marks a century since the publication of one of Arturo Schomburg’s most famous essays, "The Negro Digs Up His Past" in Survey Graphic magazine’s issue "Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro." 

Five acclaimed scholars look back at our founder's essay, discuss excerpts that have special meaning to them, and reveal how his words influenced their work. Read more. 

What’s On | Get a Preview of Our Upcoming Public Programs

Left to right: Book covers: Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith, King of the North: Martin Luther King's Life of Struggle Outside the South, and Gender Talk: A Struggle for Women's Equality in African American Communities. All are placed against a dark gray background.

See our schedule of upcoming public programs for the Spring 2025 season. Read more. 

In the Spotlight

  • Discover an All-New Curriculum Series Based on Our Archives

    Explore a multi-part curriculum series that introduces middle and high school students to Black history, experience, and culture through our archives and collections. Access four all-new curriculum guides featuring primary source documents and ready-to-use discussion questions—plus, stay tuned for even more guides and resources!

    Madam C. J. Walker driving a car, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division.

  • New! Free Digital Guide on Bloomberg Connects

    Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, to explore the Schomburg Center on your mobile device.

    Schomburg Center cosmogram as seen from above.

  • Explore Past Schomburg Center Exhibitions and Multimedia Projects

    If you missed past in-person exhibitions such as Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, you can see them online! Also, explore online exhibitions such as Watercolors Amongst Friends and view past multimedia projects produced by students in our Junior Scholars Program.

    Three people are looking at archival materials inside a glass display case.

  • Space Rentals

    Hosting an event? Consider our Langton Hughes Auditorium, Langston Hughes Lobby, American Negro Theatre, or Schomburg Courtyard. Learn more about these spaces.

    Circle-shaped tables covered with blue tablecloths and chairs are arranged in the Langston Hughes Lobby. Along the left side is a rectuangular shaped table that has glasses on top. It is covered with a blue table cloth.

  • Get Updates from the Schomburg Center

    Sign up for our bi-monthly e-newsletter, Schomburg Connection. Get updates and information on our upcoming programs, exhibitions, research guides, blogs, and more!

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Featured at the Schomburg Center

  • Visit the Schomburg Shop

    The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM for in-person shopping. Or, you can shop online.

    A shelf containing books shown at a side angle. In the background there are floor to ceiling shelves with books and items.

  • From Our Blog

    Read blog posts from the librarians, staff, and fellows at the Schomburg Center.

    An archival photos of librarians sitting a table looking at paperwork and typing letters.

  • Public Programs

    The Schomburg Center advances knowledge of the global Black experience through dynamic programs and exhibitions.

    Two people are seated in club chairs onstage at the Schomburg Center. Behind the is a video screen listing the name of the program and panelists.

  • Digital Schomburg

    Access exhibitions, podcasts, videos, books, digital collections, and more about the global Black experience 24/7.

    A black and white illustration of people dancing.

  • Support the Schomburg Center

    Schomburg Society members receive discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and more!

    Photograph of the Schomburg Center's exterior facade

  • In the News

    Read news stories featuring interviews with Schomburg Center curators, librarians, and staff.

    A male sitting in profile reading a newspaper

Current Exhibitions

  • Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined

    Through May 22, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program. 

  • Nellie Mae Rowe: Something From Nothing

    Ongoing
    Online Only
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Inspired by the premiere of a documentary film honoring the creative spirit of Nellie Mae Rowe, check out this curated selection of…

About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Interior view of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

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