We are excited to announce that the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service at a celebration in Washington, D.C., in May! The Schomburg Center is among ten recipients of the National Medal, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries, in recognition of service to the community and for making a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. 

We’ve asked Tarik Bell,  Schomburg Junior Scholars Instructor and the Dean of Democracy Prep Harlem High School,  to travel with Schomburg Director Khalil Gibran Muhammad to the nation’s capital to accept the award on behalf of our institution. As a former Junior Scholar, Bell honed his passion for community activism through the program, and continues to help raise the social, emotional and academic awareness of our urban youth today. 

The National Medal recipients exemplify the nation’s great diversity of libraries and museums and hail from ten states. Winning institutions receive $5,000, national recognition, and a visit from StoryCorps, a nonprofit that will capture stories from our community and preserve them at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

“The Schomburg Center is honored to be the recipient of this year's National Medal for Museum and Library Service,” says Muhammad. “Since 1925, the Schomburg Center has been home to many of the world's greatest writers, historians, and artists—from James Baldwin to Maya Angelou to Harry Belafonte, and thousands in between. As we celebrate our 90th year and in recognition of the National Medal, we are strengthening our foundation so as to be an indispensable resource for the next generation of storytellers, history-makers, and world-changers.”

We are grateful for your support and are very much looking forward to sharing this honor with you.