The Time to Build is Upon Us: How Nelson Mandela’s Words Resonate With Us Today
by NYPL Staff
July 18, 2018
Learn more about Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy through items in the Schomburg's Collections.
Live from the Reading Room: Nelson Mandela to Niki Iris Xaba
by Alexsandra Mitchell, Reference Librarian and Archivist, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
January 10, 2017
Oscar award winning rapper, and actor, Common, recites this heartfelt letter written by Nelson Mandela, to his sister-in-law, Niki Iris Xaba, about family, prison, and his love for then wife, Winnie Mandela.
Live From the Reading Room: Philippa Schuyler to Josephine Schuyler
by Alexsandra Mitchell, Reference Librarian and Archivist, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
May 26, 2016
Live from the Reading Room: Correspondence is a podcast series that aims to share interesting and engaging letters written by or to key historical figures from the African Diaspora.
Live From the Reading Room: Josephine Schuyler to Philippa Schuyler
by Alexsandra Mitchell, Reference Librarian and Archivist, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
May 16, 2016
Today’s episode features a letter from journalist and essayist Josephine Schuyler, to her daughter, pianist, composer, journalist, and child prodigy Philippa Duke Schuyler.
A Decade for People of African Descent
by Sylviane Diouf
December 15, 2014
On December 9, ambassadors, UN dignitaries, students, and others, gathered in the Langston Hughes atrium for a pre-event to Human Rights Day and to the official takeoff of the International Decade for People of African Descent, both happening the following day.
Africans in India: Then and Now
by Sylviane Diouf
October 17, 2014
The Schomburg Center's exhibition Africans in India: A Rediscovery recently opened in New Delhi, India's capital, against a backdrop of racist attacks against Africans. The contrast between the African experience of yesterday and that of today could not have been greater and the exhibition could not have come at a more appropriate time.
Tributo a Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
by Alexandra Gomez, Supervising Librarian, BookOps
December 6, 2013
My Mandela Moments
by Sylviane Diouf
December 6, 2013
I learned of Nelson Mandela’s passing while waiting for my delayed flight at Atlanta Airport. I thought how much his painful and extraordinary life had exposed the terrible danger that faced those who fought for the rights, the dignity and the freedom of people of African origin or descent. That despairing reality was made all the more vivid because I was coming back to New York after several days spent with Kathleen Cleaver, immersed in documents and photographs from the Black Power
Hommage à Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
by Libbhy Romero, BookOps
December 6, 2013
Mandela, Un destin. Par Bernard Violet.Le héros sud-africain, Nelson Mandela est décédé le soir du 5 décembre 2013 à l'âge de 95 ans à son domicile de Johannesburg. Ses funérailles auront lieu le 15 décembre prochain à Qunu, son village natal.
Voici quelques articles d'actualité sur le sujet disponibles en ligne:
Mort de Nelson Mandela, l'Africain capital. Le Monde.
The Americas' First Muslims
by Sylviane Diouf
October 13, 2013
This week, 1.5 billion Muslims will celebrate Eid-al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, or Tabaski as it is known in West Africa. Very few among them will have a thought for the hundreds of thousands of enslaved West Africans who, during almost four centuries, practiced Islam in the Americas. Although they left significant marks of their faith, cultures, and traditions, the Africans who first brought Islam to these shores have been mostly forgotten.
Researching Sex, Sexuality and Sexology
by Raymond Pun
June 27, 2013
Sexology, the interdisciplinary scientific study of sex has been an integral component to the study of humanity. If you are currently researching any topics relating to the areas of sexology, sexuality or sex, consider visiting The New York Public Library's research collections! Whether you find sexology to be deeply fascinating or
June Author @ the Library Programs at Mid-Manhattan
by Elizabeth Waters, AskNYPL
May 30, 2013
Should we worry about a Medicare Meltdown? Is a newly identified autoimmune disease responsible for instances of demonic possession recorded in the past? What is the Secret History of Coffee, Coca & Cola? How can we best care for
Africans in India: From Slaves to Generals and Rulers
by Sylviane Diouf
March 11, 2013
Generals, commanders, admirals, prime ministers, and rulers, East Africans greatly distinguished themselves in India. They wrote a story unparalleled in the rest of the world — that of enslaved Africans attaining the pinnacle of military and political authority not only in a foreign country but also on another continent. Come discover their extraordinary story in a groundbreaking exhibition at the Schomburg Center — on view from February 1 to July 6 — and on March 21, join Dr. Faeeza Jasdanwalla, a descendant of the African dynasty of Janjira for a conversation on this
Survivors: Sand Island
by Sylviane Diouf
March 7, 2012
July 31, 1761: The French ship l'Utile, illegally transporting 160 Africans from Madagascar to Ile de France (Mauritius), approaches Sand Island. Because the captain worries about a potential revolt, he orders the hatches to be nailed shut. In the night, the ship runs into a reef and capsizes.
What follows is, arguably, the most extraordinary story of survival ever documented.
More than 70 Africans trapped in the hold died that night, while 123 French crew and passengers (18 had died) escaped. Only
Islam in Europe: A Resource Guide at NYPL
by Raymond Pun
December 15, 2011
According to the BBC News, "Islam is widely considered Europe's fastest growing religion, with immigration and above average birth rates leading to a rapid increase in the Muslim population." There are currently over 15 million Muslims (Sunni and Shiite) living in Europe and Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world after Christianity.
This blog post will focus on NYPL’s rich collection on the history of Islam in Europe: past and present; the historical, political, cultural, and
Sannu Niger!
by Sylviane Diouf
November 22, 2011
ferdinandreus on flickrThe capture last week of Saif al-Islam Qaddafi who, disguised as a Tuareg, was trying to flee to Niger — where one of his brothers and some high-ranking officials have found refuge — has turned a spotlight on a country few people have heard of.
“Niger? You mean