Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

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

A new exhibition will be opening in early May. Until then, on Saturdays, there are limited opportunities to visit the Center between 10 AM–3 PM when our youth education program meet. 

All of our research divisions will be open during the Black Comic Book Festival on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15. To learn more about them, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchers. Please note: Division hours may vary.

Mellon Foundation awards Schomburg Center $2 million grant to strengthen access to Black studies resources.

The Schomburg Shop sells clothing, jewelry, books, and more for all ages. Items are created by Black and Brown artists. The Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 11 AM—6 PM.

Though there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in summer 2023. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Masks are strongly recommended in the Schomburg Center and all NYPL locations. 

“She is the reason we are the Schomburg Center,” said Center Director Joy L. Bivins of curator and librarian Jean Blackwell Hutson. “Her footprints are all over this institution. This does not exist without her.”

Mrs. Hutson championed what was then known as the Division of Negro History, Literature and Prints and a branch of NYPL, into becoming one of NYPL’s research libraries. In 1972, the division became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and years later housed in a separate building. 

Mrs. Hutson, legendary activist Ella Baker, groundbreaking sculptor Augusta Savage, award-winning playwright Lorraine Hansberry, beloved writer Zora Neale Hurston, and many more extraordinary women have materials in our collections. Discover more sheroes who left powerful legacies. See more.

Our founder Arturo Schomburg (1874-1938) continues to inspire and inform curators and scholars nearly a century after his death. His writings, books, and personal photos are featured in the upcoming exhibition, Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Co-curated by his biographer Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés (Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Schomburg), Dr. Valdés discusses how she collaborated with the Center’s curators on materials to feature and how items from Mr. Schomburg’s collection proved to be invaluable resources. See more.

The Black Comic Book Festival returns in person for the first time since 2020. Attend our discussions, meet legendary and upcoming comic book writers and artists, plus get ready to cosplay.

Panelists include: Karama Horne (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda, A History and Training Manual of the Dora Milaje from the Marvel Universe), John Jennings (graphic artist, educator, and co-author of Black Comix Returns), David Crownson (Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer), Tim Fielder (Infinitum), Regina Sawyer (writer The Rippers, publisher, and founder of Women in Comics NYC Collective International), Elizabeth Columbo (Queenie: Godmother of Harlem), and many more. See more.

Coming up! Attend a screening of the documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything and a talk back with the film's director Lisa Cortés. Our Conversations in Black Freedom Studies series returns with a look at new biographies bringing us a deeper understanding of familial freedom fighters and lesser-known, but critical lifelong activists.

Plus, get a preview of more Center programming for the season. See more.

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.