As we celebrate Women’s History Month, learn about some of the books from Arturo Schomburg’s archives penned or collected by Black women activists, authors, and history makers. Plus, visit the HathiTrust Digital Library to read replicas of the texts similar to the ones Mr. Schomburg owned.
 
Through the Home to Harlem Initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Schomburg Center librarians are expanding access to the over 3,500 books, pamphlets, and manuscripts from Mr. Schomburg’s seed library. The project highlights collections that have a cultural or personal connection to Harlem.
 
Mr. Schomburg (1874-1938) sold his initial collection of materials to The New York Public Library in 1926. They became the cornerstone of the Schomburg Center’s collections, which hold over 11 million items today.

ANNIE L. BURTON

In Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, author Annie L. Burton shared her memories of growing up on a plantation in Alabama. The book was published in 1909. Read on HathiTrust Digital Library.

PAULINE E. HOPKINS

“Yours for humanity, Pauline E. Hopkins” reads the inscription of Contending Forces: A Romance Illustrative of Negro Life North and South. Published in 1900, Hopkins wrote the book to continue the conversation on the brutal treatment of enslaved Black people and demystify romanticized notions. It is unclear if Hopkins inscribed the book to Mr. Schomburg or if he acquired the text. Read on HathiTrust Digital Library.

JANE ELIZABETH JONES

Mr. Schomburg’s copy of Narrative of Events Since The First of August, 1834 was once owned by abolitionist and suffragist Jane Elizabeth Jones. The book discusses the lives of the enslaved and formerly enslaved, becoming a vital part of the campaign to end the brutal practice in the British colonies. The author James Williams was an apprenticed laborer in Jamaica.

“J. Eliza. Jones, Nov. 5th 1864” is inscribed at the top of the title page. After acquiring the book, Mr. Schomburg also added his signature,  “A. Schomburg,” to the title page.  Read on HathiTrust Digital Library.

SUSIE KING TAYLOR

Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops: Late 1st S.C. Volunteers tells Susie King Taylor’s story. Born enslaved, she worked as a laundress and nurse for the infantry during the U.S. Civil War. The book was published in 1902. Read on HathiTrust Digital Library.

RESEARCH GUIDE

If you are inspired to learn more about Mr. Schomburg’s collections, explore the guide created by librarians Allison Hughes, Matthew Murphy, and Bridgett Pride at the Center’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division.

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