During the Harlem Renaissance, Afro-Boricua scholar Arturo Schomburg transformed New York Public Library’s “Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints” into an epicenter grounded in telling the story of the African diaspora.
Today, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture stands as a National Historic Landmark after the Department of the Interior (DOI) recognized the longstanding cultural hub on Jan. 11, days before President Barack Obama completed his tenure in office.
According to Latina, the impetus of the Santurce native’s contribution to black history began in grade school, where he was told that “black people had no history, heroes or accomplishments.” Setting out to New York, the renowned bibliophile collected and preserved thousands of books, manuscripts, pamphlets and artwork throughout his lifetime that proved otherwise.
Known to be black history’s curator and guardian, it’s safe to say the historian’s contributions to the world cannot be ignored as we celebrate Black History Month this February.