Winter 2019 Programs & Exhibitions by Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Winter/Spring 2019 Programs & Exhibitions Malcolm X p. 6

From the Director Winter/Spring 2019

Libraries never forget. At the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, we have spent 94 years remembering and inspiring the community about the import and impact of Black thought and creativity worldwide. Each season we connect you to our renowned archive of over 11 million items through robust programs and exhibitions. Foremost among these is our collection of Malcolm X materials, including the recently acquired manuscript of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, including unpublished fragments and the “lost” chapter titled “The Negro.” With an NYPL library card, visitors can engage with the legacy of our “Black Shining Prince,” as the archive is open to the public for research. We also invite you to join us for several dynamic programs commemorating Malcolm X’s death on February 21 (p. 6 and 9). This January we opened Crusader: Martin Luther King Jr., an archival photography exhibition in our Latimer/Edison Gallery, presenting an intimate travelogue of King’s domestic and international efforts. Later this season, our main Exhibition Hall will feature a major exhibition on Harlem’s rich history and culture—including for the first time recently acquired materials from the artist and activist couple Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis (p. 27). It was Ossie Davis who wrote Malcolm X’s eulogy— this document, along with Dee’s script for A Raisin in the Sun and other aspects of their lifelong journey together, have now been brought home to Harlem. This winter season includes some annual stalwarts, such as the ever-popular Women’s Jazz Festival (p. 14) as well as new presentations from the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery (p. 22). And, please join us in February for the Langston Hughes Birthday Bash, a very special First Fridays celebrating the Poet Laureate of Harlem (p. 28), whose ashes repose below the iconic cosmogram.

01 01 Authors & Archives

04 06 Community Events

05 Between the Lines 06 Open Archive

28 Community 29 First Fridays

07 About Us 04

Arts, Ideas & People

08 Talks at the Schomburg 10 Performance 12 Film 12 Theater Talks 14 Women’s Jazz Festival 03 04 Education

Finally, I will have the opportunity to share the stage in April with two dynamic Black women: Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, the first Black person and first woman to hold this post, and the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States, Tracy K. Smith (p. 9), as we consider the future of Black librarianship and inquiry in our current cultural moment. We look forward to seeing you here with us at the Schomburg Center, where every month is Black History Month.

16 Youth Programs 18 Professional Development 19 Conversations in Black Freedom Studies

05 04 Lapidus Center Presents

32 Map 33 Points of Interest 34 About the Schomburg Center

HOW TO REGISTER

To register for our free events, please visit: schomburgcenter. eventbrite.com THERE’S MORE

The featured calendar listings are highlights from our full program schedule. For the most complete and up-to-date information, please visit: schomburgcenter.org/calendar

22 Lapidus Center Presents 23 Reading Slavery 05 06 Exhibitions

Kevin Young Director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Connect with us: 27 Crusader: Martin Luther King Jr 27 Syncretic Vibrations

Authors & Archives

BETWEEN THE LINES

Crusader Without Violence with Dr. Derryn Moten Tuesday, January 15 7:00 PM Lawrence Dunbar Reddick was a scholar, historian, and activist, and the second curator of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature. In 1959, Reddick wrote Crusader Without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr., the first profile of the young leader before his rise to global prominence as a civil rights icon. Join us as we celebrate the 60th Anniversary Edition of Crusader Without Violence as it returns to circulation with new biographical details on Reddick and a special introduction by Dr. Derryn Moten, professor of history and department chair at Alabama State University. This program coincides with the opening of Crusader: Martin Luther King Jr., p. 27.

The Bold World by Jodie Patterson Monday, February 11 6:30 PM Join us for an evening with entrepreneur and activist Jodie Patterson as she discusses her new memoir The Bold World with Tiq Milan, a media advocate and one of the leading voices for transgender equality. Patterson explores identity, gender, race, and authenticity to tell the real-life story of her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and transformation. Inspired by her transgender son Penelope, we learn about Pattersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children, who act as a vehicle for growth and acceptance in her diverse family, and her experiences as a wife, mother, and eventually, LGBTQI advocate. Read and discuss A Bold World with the Schomburg Reading Circle at Countee Cullen Library on March 23, p. 13.

Dr. Derryn Moten, Photo courtesy of the publisher

OPEN ARCHIVE

Join Schomburg Center librarians and archivists as they unveil our latest pop-up displays featuring items from our coveted collection of archival materials. Be the first to get up close and personal with selected items and enjoy an audience Q&A with the collection’s curators.

Malcolm X Thursday, February 21 1:00 PM Librarians and archivists will display selected items from our collections related to the civil rights leader, including never-before-seen handwritten letters and postcards, photographs, and the recently-acquired manuscripts related to The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

The Poetics of Anti-Slavery Protest Wednesday, April 3 1:00 PM Michelle Commander, associate director and curator of the Lapidus Center, will explore archival material capturing the use of poetry and related arts in anti-slavery efforts in the Atlantic World.

The Slave Ship Wednesday, February 13 1:00 PM Explore items from our collection of archival material related to an image that became an epochal symbol of transatlantic slavery— the slave ship. Presented in partnership with the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg Center.

Regina Andrews & Jean Blackwell Hutson Tuesday, April 9 1:00 PM In celebration of National Library Workers Day, Schomburg curators, librarians, and archivists will display selections from our unparalleled collection of archival materials highlighting the influence of NYPL librarian Regina Anderson Andrews and Jean Blackwell Hutson, archivist, curator, and former chief librarian of the Schomburg Center.

Volunteer at the Schomburg! Schomburg Center volunteers play an important role in helping us achieve our mission. Volunteers have the opportunity to share their talents, learn more about the Schomburg, and engage with the community while contributing to the Schomburg Center’s success.

Apply to become a Schomburg Center volunteer or docent today. 212.491.2252 schomburgcenter.org/ volunteer

TALKS AT THE SCHOMBURG

Arts, Ideas & People Revisiting Alex Haley’s Autobiography of Malcolm X Thursday, February 21 6:30 PM

Annual Arturo Schomburg Lecture & Conversation: The Lost Black Scholar Thursday, January 24 6:30 PM Allison Davis was one of America’s first Black anthropologists and the first tenured African American professor at a predominantly white university. Davis’s groundbreaking investigations into inequality, Jim Crow America, and cultural biases of intelligence testing had lasting effects on public policy, including contributions to Brown v. Board of Education, the federal Head Start program, and school testing practices. Join us for our annual Arturo Schomburg Lecture as Davis’s son Gordon Davis, author David A. Varel, and Schomburg Director Kevin Young discuss how Black scholars like Davis laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement by advancing American social thought.

The Schomburg’s recently acquired manuscripts of The Autobiography of Malcolm X include handwritten corrections and notes between Malcolm X and Alex Haley and the full, unpublished chapter titled “The Negro.” Following personal exploration into the manuscripts, scholars will discuss these revelatory materials and how they may shape a more authentic and accurate understanding of Malcolm X as a political thinker and pioneer of Black liberation philosophy. Sponsored by M&T Bank.

Artist & the Archive: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon Thursday, March 14 6:30 PM Dr. Cheryl Finley discusses her latest book Committed to Memory: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon, the first in-depth study of the epochal image associated with slavery. Finley traces how the slave ship icon became a powerful tool in the hands of British and American abolitionists, and how its radical potential was rediscovered in the 20th century by Black artists, activists, writers, filmmakers, and curators. Co-presented with the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg Center.

Dr. Carla Hayden & Tracy K. Smith Monday, April 29 6:30 PM, Schomburg Society Reception at 5:30 PM Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden and Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith join Schomburg Director Kevin Young for a special conversation and program.

PERFORMANCE

The Harlem Chamber Players’ Oratorio: Black History Month Celebration I Will Tell You Thursday, February 28 the Truth 6:30 PM About This, I The Harlem Chamber Players’ 11th Annual Black History Will Tell You All Month Celebration will feature two world premieres by the noted African American composer Adolphus Hailstork. About It with Baritone Kenneth Overton, violinists Ashley Horne, Orlando Tracy K. Smith Wells, and Amadi Azikiwe, and cellist Seth Woods will perform works, including Hailstork’s “Nobody Know” (with text by Herbert Martin), commemorating the 400th anniversary of the importation of the first Black slaves to America, and his Piano Quintent “Detroit.” The concert will conclude with Dvor̆ák’s String Quartet in F Major “American."

Carnegie Hall Citywide: Lorraine Klaasen Tuesday, January 29 7:00 PM South African music royalty and daughter of renowned jazz singer Thandi Klaasen, Lorraine Klaasen honors the vibrant musical traditions that emerged in South Africa’s townships: the poor, racially segregated urban areas of the apartheid era. Influenced by South African legends such as Miriam Makeba—the inspiration for her 2013 JUNO Award– winning tribute album— Klaasen makes the music her own with impassioned singing and a dynamic stage presence.

Chevalier de Saint Georges of Guadeloupe: Recital & Lecture Thursday, January 31 6:30 PM Joseph Bologne (1745–1799), better known as Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is a historical figure of Guadeloupean descent who was a virtuoso violinist, conductor, and composer. He is known to have influenced composers Haydn and Mozart and was the colonel of the famous “Légion Saint-Georges,” the first all Black military regiment in Europe where he fought for equality in the face of France’s slavery trade laws. This year marks the 220th Anniversary of his death. Musicians from the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges will present a United States preview concert and lecture of the music of Saint-Georges under the direction of Marlon Daniel, the festival’s artistic director, music director, and conductor of Ensemble du Monde. This program is sponsored by Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board.

In Perpetual Flight: The Migration of the Black Body Tuesday, April 16 6:30 PM In partnership with the Schomburg Center, The National Black Theater (NBT) presents a one-day event examining the movement of Black bodies in America and the impact on the quest for liberation. Using Schomburg Center archives, multidisciplinary performance, and community dialogue, NBT commissioned new pieces by theater-makers of African descent to examine the works of James Baldwin, Harriet Powers, Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, and Jacob Lawrence to understand the complexities Black people have faced migrating in America. Presented as part of the Carnegie Hall Migration Festival.

Tuesday, April 30 6:30 PM United States Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith presents a 10-poem sequence capturing the lives and stories of African American soldiers and their families during the Civil War. Derived entirely from historical record, the sequence includes the voices of a mother pleading with President Lincoln to release her son from the army, a soldier sending love to his children back home, and deposition statements given by African American veterans, their widows, and descendants hoping to receive their rightful pensions. Set for choir, soprano, and baritone soloists by composer Aaron Siegel, this oratorio is a gripping tribute to these unheard voices from a pivotal time in American history.

FILM

THEATER TALKS

Schomburg Reading Circle

African Film Festival Black History Month Film Screening Tuesday, February 26 6:30 PM In partnership with the African Film Festival (AFF), join us for our annual Black History Month film screening featuring the best of African Cinema past and present. AFF is committed to increasing visibility and recognition for African media artists by introducing African film and culture to a broad range of audiences in the United States and abroad, bypassing economic, class, and racial barriers.

SCHOMBURG CENTER READING CIRCLE

Black Theater Winter Preview Monday, January 28 6:30 PM Hosted by four-time Tony award–winning producer Ron Simmons, this groundbreaking event will feature performances from the current Broadway hit Choir Boy and the highly anticipated production of Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, conversations with Pulitzer Prize– winner Suzan-Lori Parks (White Noise) and breakthrough writer Jeremy O. Harris (Daddy), and much more. Don't miss this celebration of Black theater in New York City.

Join the Schomburg in your branch libraries, sharing conversations with readers exploring diverse writers and subjects that amplify Black culture and history, including a new “Reading Slavery” series presented in partnership with the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery. All Reading Circle discussions will be held at Countee Cullen Library.

Saturday, January 26 12:00 NOON

Monday, February 25 4:30 PM

She Would Be King: A Novel by Wayétu Moore

Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

Saturday, February 16 12:00 NOON*

Saturday, March 23 12:00 NOON

Saturday, April 27 12:00 NOON*

Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route by Saidiya Hartman

The Bold World by Jodie Patterson

Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Dunbar

Presented in association with NYC Black Theater Network and Walk Tall Girl Productions/Black Theater Online.

Theater in the Time of Black Lives Matter Monday, April 22 6:30 PM Recent theater productions are exploring the stories of Black youth and young adults most affected by issues that ignited the Black Lives Matter movement—a cause they also created and led. Join us for a discussion on the theater community’s responsibility to help audiences reflect upon and be challenged by Black Lives Matter as a turning point in recent history that continues to evolve as we live it.

*Reading Slavery Series

WOMEN’S JAZZ FESTIVAL

Join the Schomburg every Monday in March for this annual tradition during Women’s History Month featuring some of best known and unsung female performers in jazz today. Mondays in March 7:00 PM Tickets $25–35

Dear Nina March 4

A sonic love letter to Nina Simone with Drea d'Nur and Strings by Rootstock Republic

Salute to Women in Bebop March 11

Curated by musician and composer Diedre L. Murray, Oo-Bla-Dee

Lakecia Benjamin March 18

The acclaimed saxophonist and bandleader

Closing Celebration March 25

The Schomburg Shop

Curated books, jewelry, decor, and more capturing the global Black experience. Follow us: instagram.com/ schomburgshop Shop online: schomburgshop.com

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Education

Teen Night at the Schomburg: Black Lives Matter Open Mic Edition Saturday, February 9 6:00–9:00 PM Youth ages 14–18 are invited to join us for the Black Lives Matter Open Mic edition of Teen Night. Bring your poems, lyrics, and creative spirit to this evening of spoken word, emceeing, singing, and dancing. Teen Night at the Schomburg Center is hosted by the Junior Scholars Program.

Junior Scholars Each year, 100 youth ages 11 to 18 participate in our Junior Scholars program. This tuition-free Saturday program during the academic year promotes historical literacy through college-style lectures and presentations, group discussions and activities, and project-based learning. Students generate individual research, original writing, art portfolios, and collaborative multimedia arts projects from their intensive study of the Schomburg Center’s archives, exhibitions, and educational resources. The Schomburg Junior Scholars program is made possible through the generous support of The Carver Scholarship Fund, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., the New York City Council, and the New York State Legislature.

The Schomburg Education Department provides highquality learning experiences related to the Schomburg Center’s archival collections for students, educators, and learners of all ages. Programs and activities provide new perspectives on Black history, culture, and politics and offer new skills of inquiry, critical thinking, creative expression, and social action. For more information, email SchomburgEd@nypl.org.

Black Lives Matter Teen Conference Saturday, February 9 10:00 AM–4:00 PM The Schomburg Center’s third annual Black Lives Matter Teen Conference centers youth, engaging them as key leaders and influencers within their communities. The conference convenes young people (ages 11 to 18) from across New York City and the Tri-State area to celebrate and affirm their voices, build community, and provide today and tomorrow's leaders with the tools and knowledge to responsibly make the world a better place. The day will include activist teach-ins, youthled panel discussions, teen performances, interactive arts and media workshops, and a Teen Night Open Mic Edition.

Teen Curators This unique after-school art history and curatorial program enrolls up to 30 high school students each year. Teen Curators is a year-long tuition-free program that uses art education to increase the historical and cultural literacy of teenagers and promotes their intellectual and professional development though curatorial projects and aesthetic engagements with the Schomburg and other cultural institutions. Each year, the program culminates with a student-curated exhibition featuring their artwork alongside archival materials researched during the year within the Schomburg Center’s five divisions. The Schomburg Center's Teen Curators program is generously funded for five years by the Pierre & Tana Matisse Foundation.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK FREEDOM STUDIES

This series of roundtable conversations at the Schomburg Center brings the university campus to the community on the first Thursday of each month. Curated by professors Jeanne Theoharis (Brooklyn College/CUNY) and Komozi Woodard (Sarah Lawrence College), the series introduces a new paradigm that challenges the older geography, leadership, ideology, culture, and chronology of Civil Rights historiography.

Making Black Lives Matter in New York City Schools Friday, February 8 6:00 PM As part of the nationwide Black Lives Matter at School Week campaign (Feb. 4–8), this discussion will consider recent developments in New York City education policy related to structural racism. Public school parent and award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones will join teacher José Vilson and high school student Xoya David to discuss what needs to change for Black lives to truly matter in our schools.

Rethinking Black Women Freedom Fighters: Gloria Richardson, Louise Thompson Patterson & the Women of the Nation of Islam Thursday, February 7 6:30 PM Too often stories of women leaders within the fight for Black liberation are buried behind those of the leading men. Ula Taylor, Joseph Fitzgerald, and Keith Gilyard will discuss how Black women negotiated racism, patriarchy, the U.S. class system, and a Cold War world and forged their own dreams for freedom.

Abolitionist Teaching Today Tuesday, March 19 6:00 PM In her new book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, professor Bettina L. Love draws on 19th-century abolitionist movement history to imagine radical new ways of teaching and organizing for social change, moving beyond what she calls the “Educational Survival Complex” and towards abolitionist teaching. Dr. Love will be joined in discussion by Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, associate professor of English education at Teachers College, and Genevieve Dubose, a New York City Public School teacher.

Radical Black Feminism & the Combahee River Collective Thursday, March 7 6:30 PM Activists like Ella Baker and groups like the Combahee River Collective pioneered intersectionality by combining antiracist and women’s liberation movements. Join this conversation with Barbara Smith, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and Barbara Ransby as they elevate the voices of path-breaking radical Black feminists.

CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK FREEDOM STUDIES

Black Women's Internationalism Thursday, April 4 6:30 PM Black women’s efforts to broaden the Black Freedom Movement beyond geographic borders are often overlooked. Women like Charlotta Bass, Amy Jacques Garvey, and Queen Mother Moore assumed leadership roles in peace and anti-colonial movements worldwide. Join Ashley Farmer, Keisha Blain, and John Portlock as they discuss the impact of these women on the global movement for Black liberation.

Schomburg Society The Struggle Against Police Brutality, Mass Incarceration, and Educational Discrimination in the Jim Crow North Thursday, May 2 6:30 PM Jim Crow is best known for its impact in the South, but institutional segregation and systemic inequality defined life for African Americans living in the north through racist policies in housing, schools, and policing. Brian Purnell, Kris Burrell, Clarence Taylor, and James Forman will examine the history of the Jim Crow North and its continued impact on the inequality of today’s educational and criminal justice systems.

Activist, educator, and poet Sonia Sanchez, our National Membership Chair (second from left with Gene Alexander Peters, Thelma Golden, and Kevin Young), encourages you to join the Schomburg Society! Members receive amazing benefits—and help the Schomburg Center celebrate the richness of Black history and culture while ensuring its impact for generations to come. Exclusive Membership Benefits Membership levels start at just $35 and include: Schomburg Shop Discount ($35+) Exhibition Previews & Event Discounts ($50+) Holiday Party Admission & VIP Events ($100+) Signature Gift & Special Event Invitations ($250+) Reserved Seating at Public Programs ($500+) Conservators Lunch with the Director ($1,000+) VIP Open Archive & Cocktail Reception ($2,500+) Private Behind-the-Scenes Tours ($5,000+) Individual Lunch with the Director ($10,000+)

For full information on all membership levels or to make a donation: schomburg.org/JoinNow If you have questions, please contact the membership office at 212.491.2252 or SchomburgSociety@nypl.org.

LAPIDUS CENTER PRESENTS

Lapidus Center Presents The Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery, founded in 2014 with a generous $2.5 million gift from Ruth and Sid Lapidus, generates and disseminates scholarly knowledge and works on the slave trade, slavery, and anti-slavery pertaining to the Atlantic World. The Center supports the work of researchers with long-term and short-term fellowships, ensuring that slavery studies are a cornerstone of the Schomburg Center’s broader research community.

Tuesday, March 12 6:30 PM Join us for a conversation with Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens and Dr. Dana-Ain Davis, director of the Center for the Study of Women and Society at the CUNY Graduate Center, on Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology, an insightful examination of a wide range of scientific literature and less formal communications in which gynecologists created and disseminated medical fictions about their patients and performed experimental medical procedures on primarily poor and powerless women.

Artist & the Archive: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon Thursday, March 14 6:30 PM

Open Archive: The Poetics of Anti-Slavery Protest Wednesday, April 3 1:00 PM

Wednesday, February 13 1:00 PM Explore items from our collection of archival material related to an image that became an epochal symbol associated with transatlantic slavery—the slave ship.

Medical Bondage with Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens

Dr. Cheryl Finley discusses her latest book Committed to Memory: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon. The first in-depth study of the epochal image associated with slavery, Finley traces how the slave ship icon became a powerful tool in the hands of British and American abolitionists and how its radical potential was rediscovered in the 20th century by Black artists, activists, writers, filmmakers, and curators.

Open Archive: The Slave Ship

READING SLAVERY

Michelle Commander, associate director and curator of the Lapidus Center, will explore archival material capturing the use of poetry and related arts in anti-slavery efforts in the Atlantic World.

Saidiya Hartman’s Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route Saturday, February 16 12:00 NOON Part of the Schomburg Reading Circle.

Erica Dunbar’s Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge Saturday, April 20 12:00 NOON Part of the Schomburg Reading Circle.

Leave a Legacy “ I am a supporter of New York City cultural institutions that are dedicated to the preservation of African American history, because I feel an obligation to ensure that future generations are aware of what came before them and are proud of the struggle and resistance that was endured on their behalf.” —Esther D. Curtwright >W ays to leave a legacy to the Schomburg Center Name the Schomburg Center as a beneficiary in your will or living trust. > Designate the Schomburg Center as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, financial account, or life insurance policy. > Arrange for a charitable gift annuity and receive lifetime payments. Individuals who leave a legacy to the Schomburg Center are honored during their lifetime with membership to the Library's legacy society and receive exclusive invitations to Library events, discounts, and recognition in donor publications.

Estate and Gift Planning Seminars at the Schomburg Center: Wednesday, March 20 5:30 –7:00 PM Wednesday, June 5 5:30 –7:00 PM To register or for more information, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at 212.930.0652 or PlannedGifts@nypl.org

Special Events With our convenient Harlem location and friendly staff, the Schomburg Center is the perfect venue to make your next special event extraordinary. From intimate gatherings to lavish extravaganzas, we offer several magnificent spaces that can be customized to fit any occasion.

Exhibitions

The Schomburg Center is the leading venue in the greater New York metropolitan area for exhibitions on the history and culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora. Each year the Schomburg Center curates and hosts exhibitions at the Schomburg and online that are free and open to the public.

EXHIBITIONS

Crusader: Martin Luther King Jr. January 15–April 6, 2019 Latimer/Edison Gallery Crusader: Martin Luther King Jr. presents an intimate travelogue of King’s pilgrimage to India, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance in Oslo, Norway, and work as a non-violent crusader for civil rights, as captured by select photographers of the day. These works, taken from the Schomburg Center’s Photographs and Prints Division, reveal a side of King in travel, at rest, in celebration, and, lesser-seen in popular photography, at work. The title Crusader is taken from the first biography of King, Crusader Without Violence, published by Dr. Lawrence Dunbar Reddick—who served as the curator of the Schomburg Center collection after Arturo Schomburg himself—in 1959. Mounted on the 60th anniversary of the publication of Reddick's biography, Crusader considers Reverend King, the man, traveler, and friend that Reddick knew and that photographers captured before his assassination in 1968. Join us for the Crusader opening reception and Between the Lines: Crusader Without Violence on January 15, p. 5.

Syncretic Vibrations Ongoing American Negro Theatre Syncretic Vibrations engages in a call-and-response between students in our Teen Curators Program and the work of anthropologist Melville J. Herskovits. Through research, students have reimagined a mosaic of Blackness while critically examining: who controls how a group of people are studied, represented, and therefore remembered? The exhibition features an array of student-produced mixed-media works, exhibition didactics, and archival materials. Photo: Traditional Healers, Dahomey (Benin), West Africa, 1931, Melville J. and Frances S. Herskovits Photograph Collection

Coming Soon: Harlem in Bloom This major exhibition highlights the people, places, and stories of Harlem that have made it the Black cultural capital of the world. Harlem in Bloom features rarely-seen items from the Schomburg’s collections, including recent acquisitions from the Schomburg’s Home to Harlem initiative.

COMMUNITY

FIRST FRIDAYS

On the first Friday of every month, join us for our lively evening social gathering featuring a DJ, food, beverages, and extended hours to view our current exhibitions. Bring your dancing shoes!

Community Events

House Music Edition January 4

Schomburg Center's 7th Annual Black Comic Book Festival

Langston Hughes Langston Hughes Birthday Bash Birthday Edition Friday, February 1

January 18–19 10:00 AM

Join us as we celebrate Langston Hughes’s birthday at the Schomburg Center. Known for his poetry and role in shaping the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes shared the richness and complexities of African American life with the world. We'll celebrate the 118th anniversary of Hughes's birth with an exclusive VIP reception, a special pop-up exhibition, a performance celebration, a special “Langston Hughes” Birthday Edition of First Fridays, and much more.

The Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival celebrates the rich tradition of Black comix featuring panel discussions, film screenings, a cosplay show and competition, and exhibition tables with premier Black comic creators from across the country. The annual extravaganza, which draws thousands of attendees each year, connects comic readers, creators, bloggers, nerds, independent publishers, and collectors of all ages.

6:00 PM

Shake Loose: A Celebration of Sonia Sanchez Monday, April 1 6:30 PM Join us for an evening of poetry and performance as we honor Sonia Sanchez, the legendary poet, activist, and Schomburg Society National Ambassador.

February 1

Afro-Latino Edition March 1

Open Mic Poetry Edition April 5

Black Fraternity & Sorority Edition May 3

Gay Pride Edition June 7

CALENDAR LISTINGS

January Tuesday, January 15 • 7:00 PM Between the Lines Crusader Without Violence with Dr. Derryn Moten Friday & Saturday, January 18 & 19 • 10:00 AM Community Events 7th Annual Black Comic Book Festival Thursday, January 24 • 6:30 PM Talks at the Schomburg Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Celebration Lecture and Conversation: The Lost Black Scholar Saturday, January 26 • 12:00 NOON Schomburg Reading Circle She Would Be King: A Novel by Wayétu Moore Monday, January 28 • 6:30 PM Theater Talks Black Theater Winter Preview

CALENDAR LISTINGS

Wednesday, February 13 • 1:00 PM Open Archive The Slave Ship

Friday, April 5 • 6:00–10:00 PM First Fridays Open Mic Poetry Edition Thursday, March 7 • 6:30 PM Conversations in Black Freedom Studies Radical Black Feminism & the Combahee River Collective: Barbara Smith, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Barbara Ransby Monday, March 11 • 7:00 PM Performance Women’s Jazz Festival: Salute to Women in Bebop Tuesday, March 12 • 6:30 PM Lapidus Center Presents Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology by Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens

Friday, February 1 • 6:00–11:00 PM First Fridays Langston Hughes Birthday Edition

Thursday, March 14 • 6:30 PM Artist and the Archive Committed to Memory: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon by Dr. Cheryl Finley

Thursday, February 7 • 6:30 PM Conversations in Black Freedom Studies Rethinking Black Women Freedom Fighters: Gloria Richardson, Louise Thompson Patterson & the Women of the Nation of Islam

Monday, February 11 • 6:30 PM Between the Lines The Bold World by Jodie Patterson with Tiq Milan

Thursday, April 4 • 6:30 PM Conversations in Black Freedom Studies Black Women’s Internationalism: Ashley Farmer, Keisha Blain & John Portlock

Monday, February 25 • 4:30 PM Schomburg Reading Circle Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

February

Saturday, February 9 • 6:00 PM Education Teen Open Mic Night

Wednesday, April 3 • 1:00 PM Open Archive The Poetics of Anti-Slavery Protest: Dr. Michelle Commander & Schomburg Center Fellows

Thursday, February 21 • 6:30 PM Talks at the Schomburg Revisiting Alex Haley's Autobiography of Malcolm X

Thursday, January 31 • 6:30 PM Performance Chevalier de Saint Georges of Guadeloupe: Recital & Lecture

Saturday, February 9 • 10:00 AM–4:00 PM Education Third Annual Black Lives Matter Teen Conference

Monday, April 1 • 6:30 PM Community Events Shake Loose: A Celebration of Sonia Sanchez

Thursday, February 21 • 1:00 PM Open Archive Malcolm X

Tuesday, January 29 • 7:00 PM Performance Carnegie Hall Citywide: Lorraine Klaasen

Friday, February 8 • 6:00 PM Education Making Black Lives Matter in NYC Schools: Nikole Hannah-Jones, with José Vilson & Xoya David

April

Saturday, February 16 • 12:00 NOON Schomburg Reading Circle Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route by Saidiya Hartman

Tuesday, February 26 • 6:30 PM Films African Film Festival Black History Month Screening

Monday, March 18 • 7:00 PM Performance Women’s Jazz Festival: Lakecia Benjamin Thursday, February 28 • 6:30 PM Performance The Harlem Chamber Players Black History Month Concert

March Friday, March 1 • 6:00–10:00 PM First Fridays Afro-Latino Edition Monday, March 4 • 7:00 PM Performance Women’s Jazz Festival: Dear Nina

Tuesday, March 19 • 6:00 PM Education We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Dr. Bettina L. Love, with Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz & Genevieve Dubose Saturday, March 23 • 12:00 NOON Schomburg Reading Circle The Bold World by Jodie Patterson Monday, March 25 • 7:00 PM Performance Women’s Jazz Festival: Closing Celebration

Tuesday, April 9 • 1:00 PM Open Archive Regina Andrews & Jean Blackwell Hutson, National Library Workers Day Tuesday, April 16 • 6:30 PM Performance In Perpetual Flight: The Migration of the Black Body Monday, April 22 • 6:30 PM Theater Talks Theater in the Time of Black Lives Matter Saturday, April 27 • 12:00 NOON Schomburg Reading Circle Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Dunbar Monday, April 29 • 6:30 PM, Reception 5:30 PM Talks at the Schomburg Dr. Carla Hayden in conversation with Tracy K. Smith & Kevin Young Tuesday, April 30 • 6:30 PM Performance Oratorio: I Will Tell You The Truth About This, I Will Tell You All About It with Tracy K. Smith

May Thursday May 2 • 6:30 PM Conversations in Black Freedom Studies The Struggle Against Police Brutality, Mass Incarceration & Educational Discrimination in the Jim Crow North Friday, May 3 • 6:00–11:00 PM First Fridays Black Fraternity and Sorority Edition

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POINTS OF INTEREST

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 research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. A research library within The New York Public Library system, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture. Learn more: schomburgcenter.org.

Exhibition Hall

3 Photographs and Prints Division

Administrative Offices

2 Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division 1 Main Entrance

Latimer/Edison Gallery

Schomburg Shop

C Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division

Langston Hughes

The Cosmogram

1 Langston Hughes Lobby and Auditorium

The spiritual center of the Schomburg Center and memorial to Arturo Schomburg and Langston Hughes. Hughes’s ashes are buried beneath this public art installation, Rivers, designed by multidisciplinary artist Houston Conwill, that includes lines from Hughes’s poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”

Cosmogram BR Scholars’ Center

Courtyard (Seasonal)

3 Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division

Aaron Douglas Murals

2 Art and Artifacts Division

Latimer/Edison Gallery

1F Exhibition Hall

Aaron Douglas is considered the foremost visual artist of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1934, Douglas was commissioned under the sponsorship of the Public Works of Art Project (WPA) to paint a series of murals for The New York Public Library’s 135th Street branch. The resulting four panels—Song of the Towers; From Slavery Through Reconstruction; An Idyll of the Deep South; and The Negro in an African Setting are collectively titled Aspects of Negro Life and are now located in the Aaron Douglas Reading Room, visible from the Latimer/Edison Gallery.

Media Gallery

BF American Negro Theatre

Media Gallery

Langston Hughes Lobby

Latimer/Edison Gallery Shop

Main Entrance

Langston Hughes Lobby

Landmark

Cosmogram

Courtyard

Main

Langston Hughes Auditorium

The American Negro Theatre Landmark Established in 1940, the American Negro Theatre grew to become one of the most influential Black theaters of its time. Notable actors such as Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Harry Belafonte performed at the American Negro Theatre, which also provided a platform for Black playwrights, actors, and directors to hone their craft.

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