The New York Public Library Celebrates Juneteenth with the Release of the Schomburg Center’s Black Liberation List for Young Readers

The Library will also host virtual readings and programs around the list, which includes 65 titles for kids and teens that celebrate and foster a better understanding of the Black experience


Other Juneteenth offerings include a virtual public program with Carla Hall, unlimited downloads of the new novel Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, and a host of educational resources


Media Contacts:  Angela Montefinise, angelamontefinise@nypl.org / Christina Santi, christinasanti@nypl.org

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JUNE 19, 2020—The New York Public Library is celebrating Juneteenth—a holiday commemorating Black freedom, marking the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching enslaved Black people in Texas on June 19, 1865—with a full day of virtual readings and programs, and the release of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture’s Black Liberation List for Young Readers.

The Schomburg Center—one of NYPL’s research centers that for 95 years has preserved, protected, and fostered a greater understanding of the Black experience—last week released its Black Liberation Reading List, featuring 95 titles for adults that celebrated Black culture (see it at nypl.org/schomburg95). The list—which received over 7,000 checkouts in only eight days—was a response to the uprisings and discussions that continue to happen across the globe following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Today, in honor of Juneteenth, the Schomburg Center has released its list for young readers, which includes 65 titles for children and teens. The books celebrate Black culture and artistry, teach important history, educate on current events, and spark important conversations. The list was created by Schomburg staff including curators, librarians, educators, and the Schomburg Shop. 

The Library has invested in as many e-copies as possible of the titles. They are available to browse and borrow for free via the Library’s digital collections, including through its e-reader app, SimplyE. 

The adult and young persons reading lists can all be found at nypl.org/Schomburg95 (with the young persons list broken into kids and teens sections). PDF versions of the lists are also available for download. Patrons can use the hashtag #Schomburg95 to share and discuss the list on social media. Selections from the List are also available at the Schomburg Shop.

“Juneteenth is a celebration of lasting freedom for African Americans, who mark the day with food, friends, and family. It is traditionally a day to fill one’s belly and one’s heart,” said Kevin Young, director of the Schomburg Center. “Juneteenth is also a reminder that the fight for freedom is ongoing, and that justice delayed is justice denied. This year especially, Juneteenth is a day to reflect and talk about urgent topics that are often painful and uncomfortable. Our great hope is that the Black Liberation Reading Lists we have released in the last week, including the list for young readers released today, will provide resources everyone needs in this complex time and necessary refreshment for body and soul.”  

The Young Readers list ranges from board books to chapter books for teenagers, and includes titles by writers whose collections are held by the Schomburg Center: for example, James Baldwin’s Little Man, Little Man: A Story of Childhood, and Ann Petry’s Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. Other contemporary authors on the list include Vashti Harrison, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, Lucille Clifton, Marilyn Nelson, Morgan Parker, and Kadir Nelson, among many others. Titles range from critically acclaimed works such as The Hate U Give to classics such as The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales, and award-winners Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan and National Book Award finalist Pet by Akwaeke Emezi.

“Literature for young readers of all ages is so formative in the development of all children,” said Rio Cortez, manager and creative coordinator of Schomburg Shop, who started compiling the young readers list in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. “We try to celebrate and amplify the voices of Black writers every day. Many of our patrons connect with the Schomburg Shop specifically for the books by Black and brown authors whose work enables Black and brown children to see themselves in complete and dynamic ways.”

Several books on the list will be read in virtual story times happening throughout the day on Juneteenth, and throughout the following week. Librarians, elected officials, and authors themselves will read and discuss Juneteenth and other matters during the programs, which will be shared at nypl.org/juneteenth2020 and on the Library’s social media channels. Examples of programs being shared on Juneteenth include:  

  • Author Mahogany L. Browne will read Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice at 10 AM

  • Author Ibi Zoboi will read the introduction of Black Enough at 12 PM

  • Author Carole Boston Weatherford will read Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library  at 4 PM

In addition to the list and associated programming, the Library and Schomburg Center are offering several other programs, initiatives, and, as always, resources for Juneteenth, including: 

About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the preservation, research, interpretation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diasporan, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections totaling over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global black history, arts, and culture. Learn more at schomburg center.org.

About The New York Public Library

For 125 years, The New York Public Library has been one of the world’s leading free providers of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming, and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves nearly 17 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

About the Schomburg Shop

An emporium for products related to the global Black experience, the Schomburg Shop has many items ranging from classic and contemporary books for adults and children, unique gifts, and exclusive collaborations and products designed for the Schomburg Center. Like the Schomburg Center, named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the shop's selections are chosen to inspire learning and advance knowledge, providing a distinctive shopping destination. Not only is the Shop “Your Black Bookstore Uptown,” we are also online. All proceeds from the Shop go toward supporting the Schomburg Center’s public services, collections, programming, and exhibitions.