Harlem's Schomburg Center celebrates 100th anniversary
NEW YORK -- As we celebrate Black History Month, one institute in Harlem is dedicated to the achievements of African-Americans every day of the year.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is marking its 100th year with a new generation of librarians to preserve more than 11 million items in the archive.
"It takes money, it takes people, it takes historical understanding," said Anika Paris, an archivist who keeps watch over albums and video clips in the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division.
"Everybody thinks that everything is just like available via Google," Paris continued. "There's a lot of stuff that we're encountering that does not have much of a record beyond these walls."
History of the Schomburg Center
Namesake Arturo Schomburg and Catherine Latimer, the first Black woman hired by the New York Public Library, started the research institute together 100 years ago with their team during the Harlem Renaissance, turning the 135th Street branch into the global resource it is today, with staff painstakingly digitizing documents for anyone to access.
"I personally wound up in African American studies, partly influenced by the fact that Catherine Latimer and Benton Latimer gave us Black history books for Christmas," said Latimer's nephew Dr. Harold Weaver, Jr.
Weaver credits his aunt's relationship with WEB DuBois for a monumental recommendation letter he received from the iconic figure. The historian also launched Rutgers University's Africana Studies department and created the Black Quaker Project to preserve the stories passed on to him.
"Black history is being made here every single day"
"Getting her start at the Schomburg makes way for Black and brown women who get their start at the Schomburg and then go on to do amazing things in the field of library work," added Kassidi Jones, the Schomburg Center's assistant curator for manuscripts, archives and rare books.
Jones joined her division four months ago, carrying forward the work of predecessors like Latimer.
"Black history is being made here every single day," Jones said, "and the fact that I get to contribute just by doing something I already love, which is tending to Black books and Black history and Black culture, that's really special."
Jones and her colleagues will continue caring for this collection for the community for the next century and beyond.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will be hosting a full schedule of events throughout the year to continue its centennial celebration. To learn more, click here.
Have a story idea or tip in Harlem? Email Jessi by CLICKING HERE.
Concern DOGE could stop Social Security, Medicare payments
Hubble Telescope captures cosmic collision from 50 million years ago
Latest news on federal worker buyout proposal, Trump's shocking Gaza plans
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
AP PHOTOS: Brazil's Cavalhadas festival celebrates the Holy Spirit
PIRENOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces. The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church's trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors. The festivities include an open-air reenactment of a battle between Christian warriors and Muslims. At the end, the defeated Moors are converted to Catholicism. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Historic Juneteenth document debuts in Dallas
The Brief The only known original Juneteenth General Order No. 3 will be on exhibit at Fair Park's Hall of State in Dallas starting June 19. The historical document signifying the end of slavery in Texas was brought to Dallas by a Galveston newspaperman, G.B. Dealey. The exhibit is free and will continue to be on display through the end of the State Fair of Texas. DALLAS - The only known remaining, the original Juneteenth General Order No. 3, will go on exhibit at Fair Park's Hall of State on June 19. Civil rights leaders said it is special that Dallas gets to have this special piece of history. The only known copy of the order that symbolized the end of slavery both here in Texas and in the United States. What we know The Dallas historical society says their founder, a Galveston newspaperman, G.B. Dealey, brought this original copy of General Order No. 3 to Dallas, when he moved here from Galveston to start the Dallas Morning News. Executive director, Karl Chiao, says Dealey's family donated the hand bill to the historical society in the 1960's. "They came to Texas with a stack of bills passing them out. The only one that kept them was a newspaper in Galveston," said Chiao. "When we went through it, we realized we had one of the original hand bills that had been passed out to let slaves know they were free in Texas." Collections curator Kaitlyn Price says the order was recently framed in special glass that will protect it from UV light, as well as dust particles. "There are a few printed versions. This is the only one we know of that is an original-printed version signed by General Granger himself," said Price. "[This document] would have been posted in town squares, city halls and carried by union soldiers." The backstory The order guaranteed the "absolute equality of personal rights". Once on display to the public on June will be surrounded by other interactive exhibits that show how the order was received with firsthand accounts that often included the phrase, "you are as free as I am." Marvin Dulaney is the deputy director of the African-American museum and spoke on the historical significance of this document. "It is one of the significant documents in American history that signifies the end of slavery in Texas and the United States," said Dulaney. "It means a lot to me that we have this here in Dallas, of all places. Signifies Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 took another 2.5 years before it got to Texas, but when it got to Texas it was conclusive for ending slavery in this country." What they're saying Levi Davis, the first African American assistant city manager in Dallas, will be part of the panel discussions. He says change in Dallas took a long time. "Dallas was a different place. I became in charge of the police department and I called the police chief who reported to me. But he wouldn't answer the phone because I was black, although I was his boss," said Davis. What's next The document will continue to be on display through the end of the State Fair of Texas. The exhibit will be open to the public, starting with a panel discussion here on Thursday, June 19 at 6:30 pm. It is free, but a reservation is required. The Source Information in this article was provided by interviews conducted by FOX 4's Lori Brown.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Seven-day Juneteenth celebration to promote unity; Johnstown church's historic honor to kick off events
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A series of upcoming community events will bring people together for reflection, fellowship, friendship and unity. The Johnstown Branch of the NAACP and Flood City Youth Fitness Academy will sponsor a seven-day celebration in recognition of Juneteenth, with events to be held Friday through June 19 in Johnstown. Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in June 1865, and more generally the emancipation of slaves throughout the Confederate South. This year's theme is 'I Am Juneteenth.' 'Juneteenth highlights the fact that as African Americans in this country, we are full citizens, and it marks freedom,' said Alan Cashaw, president of the Johnstown Branch of the NAACP. 'We want all the power you get as a citizen to be available to you and for you to have that privilege to practice, and that's voting, employment, health care and education.' To kick off the celebration, the First Cambria AME Zion Church building, 409 Haynes St., will celebrate the honor of being included on the National Register of Historic Places at 6 p.m. Friday with a ceremony and plaque unveiling. PHOTO GALLERY | Rev. Sharon Johnson | First Cambria A.M.E. Zion Church Being on the list means the building, which is the oldest Black church in Cambria County, has been deemed an important part of the nation's history. The church was founded in 1873 by Black citizens, and members participated in many historic events, including when parishioners fought in World War I and later contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. The church helped mitigate tensions in 1923 when Johnstown's white mayor ordered the banishment of all Black and Mexican people who had not lived in the city for at least seven years. Barbara Zaborowski, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College's dean of library services and special projects, who wrote the application for the nomination, said the lengthy approval process went through several phases. 'It had to meet criteria for social and civil rights significance, and the church has been involved in the Civil Rights Movement since its founding,' she said. Additional events will be held at Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St. • The Juneteenth Music Celebration will be held Saturday. Gates will open at noon. Entertainment on the main stage will include Stemtec at 1 p.m.; DJ Mot Productions at 2:45 p.m.; Maestro Johnny Croom & Band at 3 p.m.; Dr. Hook, Flood City Youth Fitness Academy's Dazzlin' Divas 1 and Sidk & Kim Murray at 4:15 p.m.; Smooth Sound Band and Aaron 'The Entertainer' Jefferson at 4:45 p.m.; By Any Means Necessary – Kyle Steed, Michelle Steed and Damon Wilks at 5:40 p.m.; Poet Cool & DJ Zay Brick featuring Sidk & Kim Murray at 6:40 p.m.; Grammy Award-nominated artist Major at 7 p.m.; and Ang Michaelle, Luvsik and Nia Taylor at 7:45 p.m. 'Every year, we want this to grow, so this year we're able to bring in a national recording artist as our special guest who is R&B and gospel,' said Deacon Jeffrey Wilson, concert coordinator. 'We also want to highlight and showcase some of our local entertainment that would appeal to our younger people.' An honoring of veterans will take place at 2:15 p.m. The event also will include a three-on-three basketball tournament with 10 teams on four courts. 'This is a well-rounded event that will appeal to the entire region,' Wilson said. 'We want people to get an education on what Juneteenth is in America, and for them to have a wonderful family day in the city of Johnstown with music, food and fun.' There is no fee to attend. • At 3 p.m. Sunday, Johnstown Community Gospel Choir will perform. The Rev. June Jeffries is to speak at 4 p.m. Black Fathers Paint & Rip will feature painting, fashion and poetry at 5 p.m. with DJ Kvng Teej providing entertainment. • A walkathon against drugs and violence will be held at 2 p.m. June 16 starting from Trojan Stadium, 222 Central Ave., and proceeding to Peoples Natural Gas Park. At 3 p.m., there will be a rally against drugs and violence. • Juneteenth Youth Day will be held at 2 p.m. June 17, with a Michael Jackson impersonator, magician and ventriloquist Leonard D. Delesky, Simplicity's Wonderful World balloons, African storytelling by Ms. Enee and Deaconess Darlene Seals, a bouncy house and a water slide. At 3:15 p.m., Kulani West African Dance Group will perform, followed by Ibeji African Dance Group at 4 p.m. and music at 6 p.m. A showing of the movie 'Wicked' will be presented at 8 p.m. • A health fair will be offered at 3 p.m. June 18, followed by puppet ministry at 4 p.m. and a performance by Smooth Sound Band at 6 p.m. • The celebration will conclude at noon June 19 with a parade starting at Franklin and Washington streets and proceeding to Peoples Natural Gas Park. At 1 p.m., a Juneteenth proclamation will be read by Johns-town Mayor Frank Janakovic. A Black veterans recognition ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m., followed by music by DJ Moe Be at 3 p.m., Chris Dahlin and Yoko the cockatoo at 5 p.m. and The Palovations at 6 p.m. Cashaw said organizers hope to see 300 to 500 people per day attend Juneteenth events this year. 'If we're over 3,000 people for the week, that's increasing exposure, and we're looking to grow every year,' he said. 'The community is behind this and that's fantastic. They ask when they can see the Juneteenth schedule because their expectations are high, and I hope we meet them.' For more information, visit
