Blog Posts by Subject: African American Studies

Our Communications pre-professional, Alicia Perez, takes a deeper dive into our collections and finds a gem that perfectly aligns with her current journey at this time in her professional and personal life.

Our annual celebration of the birthday of Malcolm X will be held on May 19 in collaboration with the Malcolm X Museum. The all-women panel, Women Speak About Malcolm X, is sold out, but you may still join the discussion via LiveStream.

Often called Harry Belafonte’s protégé or Mama Africa, today is the 56th anniversary of South African singer/songwriter Miriam Makeba’s debut album.

Material relating to the WPA Writers' Program in New York City and the book The Negro in New York.

One of the greatest benefits that a celebrity has is a platform to speak out against the injustices of society. Comedian, social activist, writer, and entrepreneur, Dick Gregory, born Gregory Richard Claxton, can be noted as doing this over the course of his life.

Nora Soto, Pre-Professional in our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, celebrates the brilliance of filmmaker Bill Gunn, whose papers are now available in our collections.

A list of primary sources at the heart of Ghetto, The Invention of a Place, the History of an Idea, by Dr. Mitchell Duneier

He registered nearly 60 patents—ranging from the development of the telephone to the multiplex telegraph.

Today’s episode features a letter from writer, anthropologist, and folklorist, Zora Neale Hurston to her friend, “Bill.”

Alicia Perez, Communications Pre-Professional at the Schomburg Center, reflects on the lasting influence of activist Paul Robeson on his birthday.

Today’s episode features a letter from Jamaican-American Harlem renaissance era poet and writer Claude McKay to NAACP leader and civil rights activist, Walter White.

Novelist, essayist, playwright, activist, son, brother, friend, lover, man, human, Black. There are many words of which to describe a person, but never enough to describe James Baldwin.

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.

Steven G. Fullwood, Associate Curator of Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, interviews our current cohort of Pre-Professionals about their experiences.

In 1985 the Black Rock Coalition (BRC) was formed as an outlet for alternative Black musicians to showcase their talents.

On March 1, 1914 Ralph Ellison was born. Today, we celebrate the author by reading his masterpiece Invisible Man. Here is why you should too.

Today’s episode features a love letter from Trinidadian social theorist, historian and political activist C.L.R. James (1901-1989) to his wife and confidant the actress, model, writer and activist Constance Webb (1918-2005).

Join us for an Author @ the Library talk this March at Mid-Manhattan Library to hear distinguished non-fiction authors discuss their work and answer your questions.

The 2015-2016 Broadway theater season is being hailed as one of the most diverse on record. Is this slate of shows featuring African Americans on Broadway unprecedented? Let’s look take a look back into American theater history to approximately 70 years ago.