Founded in 1925, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 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”.
A cornerstone in Harlem’s cultural life, the Schomburg Center acts as the leading national research library in the field of African American and African Diasporic studies, providing free access to its wide-ranging noncirculating collections.
According to the its site, the centers deep roots can be traced back to the collections of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg 95 years ago. The Schomburg has collected, preserved, and provided access to materials documenting black life in America and worldwide
In 2015, the Schomburg won the National Medal for Museum and Library Service and in January 2017, the Schomburg Center was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, recognizing its vast collection of materials that represent the history and culture of people of African descent through a global, transnational perspective.
Today, the Schomburg continues to serve the community not just as a center and a library, but also as a space that encourages lifelong education and exploration.
The Center also sponsors programs and events that illuminate and illustrate the richness of Black history and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017,and culture worldwide.