Throughout his activities, experiences and responsibilities, Schomburg maintained his initial mission: linking history with the present to empower the community for the future. Like digging for buried treasures, Schomburg discovered and gathered Black memorabilia such as slave narratives, rare books, journals, artwork and other remnants. What started out surely as a modest, but respectable collection, became a global resource as his findings won national acclaim and was added to the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints of a New York Library branch. In 1972 it was designated as the Research Library of the New York Public Library and soon became known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The painstakingly acquired meager collection of yesterday has evolved into the impressive center of today. With recent technological upgrades and wrapping up its75th Anniversary, the Schomburg is determined to be an archival/research force to be reckoned with for the new millennium. And with over 5,000,000 items as part of its collection, continuous exhibitions attracting thousands of visitors and membership campaign drives supported by Bill Cosby and headed up by the likes of poet Maya Angelou, the Center’s leadership feels they have much to celebrate as well as look forward to.

Although based in Harlem and dedicated to the community, officials view the center as a highly sophisticated and much-needed distributor of information to the world. Center Director, Howard Dodson (right) is convinced that their recent development of Internet technology as well as staff expertise makes the resources they have attainable not only for in-person visits, but for anyone that can place a telephone call or log on to the World Wide Web. “We just received major appropriations from the federal government and the Congressional Black Caucus to develop a Web site on the African-American migration experience, Dodson reveals. “We’ll be using it to document the process by which the African-American population became a national community, the various streams of migration and the consequences of such movements into different regions of the world.” This will become a major educational guide to launch from because they will have teachers’ guides and other sorts of connected resources.

To look at the center’s interior and exterior smack dab on the busy corner of 135th and Malcolm X Boulevard, one would never suspect that it’s encasing such formidable information. Although housed in a newish building that is big in stature, it’s neither grandiose, ornate nor slick-looking. In fact it’s rather plain, quiet and unassuming. But what it lacks in aesthetics, it is said to more than make up for in sustenance and vision. So enthralling is the center’s direction and purpose that when you first discover it and realize what’s available, one can’t help but think maybe it is either a diamond in the rough or thanks to good PR, promising more than it can deliver. In the recent past some academics had complained quietly of shoddy service from the moment of entering the facilities. Attorney and academic radio program host William Kyle moved to the Harlem area six years ago. He initially had complaints about the Center’s services. “My first impression was that some of the personnel were not attentive enough or could not point me in the right direction, which left me a bit frustrated and unwilling to delve into all they had to offer,” admits Kyle. Such is not the case now. Greeters and guards are friendly and informative and on certain times when popular speakers like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton arrive or the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble perform; there is an undeniable excitement throughout the hallways. Last fall when the center was the first to be granted access to display the Emancipation Proclamation, people lined up outside for blocks in rain to view the historical exhibit. Additionally, the Center has become key to the recent major tourism initiative in Harlem. “Among the major attractions in New York, the Schomburg is the second most priority sight after the Apollo Theatre,” asserts Dodson. “So clearly there is a growing interest in the Center, but we would like to extend that.” Center officials are convinced that through the World Wide Web and word of mouth, many more people will avail themselves of what the Center has to offer.

It was because of monumental events such as this, along with development initiatives for the future, that Dodson has stayed on board long past when he originally planned. Not only has the historian academic extended his tenure at Schomburg, but also he laughingly admits to staying longer than he has ever done for any job. When he responded to a national search for the Schomburg director in 1984, he was actually in one of his self-described “retirement” modes but soon realized he could not resist an opportunity to combine his academic pursuits and career experience with his personal interests. “I knew in terms of my own professional career I wanted to throw my hat into the ring as an administrator. I was very clear that I wanted to do that in relationship to something having to do with fostering knowledge of the African-American experience.” Upon recently reviewing his original application to the Center’s search committee, Dodson realized he is doing exactly what he set out to do by developing programs revolving around film, live performances and special exhibits. Seventeen years since seriously contemplating retirement, Dodson remains heading up all the activities he dreamed for the Center, and with no plans for collecting a gold watch anytime soon.

One of the programs he has assisted in cultivating and is most proud of is for the Schomburg’s academic Fellows. The Scholars-in-Residence Program assists scholars and professionals whose research in the black experience will benefit from extended access to the Center’s resources. Recipients to the program can plan on spending six months to one year accessing information from the Center as well as The New York Public Library, and while there, get a tremendous amount of support in studying and writing about black history and culture. Much of the support comes from the scholars themselves, as they share information.

Genna McNeil is one of the six fortunate Fellows selected for the 2000-2001 program. As she wraps up her residency, she enthusiastically shares the events of what has been an obviously beneficial year for her. “Working at the Schomburg Center as a scholar I have many opportunities to take advantage of resources here as well as other opportunities,” McNeil declares. With the support of the Center, McNeil, a professor of History from the University of North Carolina (at Chapel Hill), has gotten much closer to completing her research and writing of a manuscript pertaining to the “State vs. Joan Little” case. “Primarily I have been using the general research area and the manuscript department,” explains McNeil. “The great benefit to me has been the sources among newspapers and periodicals. I wanted to understand how the black community was understanding Joan Little as a figure in 1974 and 1975 and the extent to which there might have been coverage to free Little, which was increasing in 1975.” Through the extensive resources at the Center as well as invaluable exchanges with her fellow scholars-in residence, McNeil has been able to make great strides on her academic endeavor.

It is important to note that while the S-I-R Program is invaluable to the likes of Professor McNeil and a handful of others, availing oneself to the materials of the Schomburg Center is not exclusive to professional academics. McNeil encourages students of all grades and anyone with an interest in black culture to take advantage of what the Center has to offer. “Many have thought if they couldn’t come to New York they couldn’t take advantage of it, but now that is turning around. Those of us who teach African American History in particular, are emphasizing that one should go to the Web site and check all the sources available at the Center.” Public school teachers have the opportunity to explore the entire Center’s available resources as well because there is an educational specialist on duty to provide training, tools and tours. Through this, the Schomburg can now be an extension of the classroom, as McNeil further explains. “From grade school to graduate studies the Schomburg is becoming increasingly known as a center for resources.” Through word of mouth and through their online services, the Schomburg is also gaining popularity within the local community as well as the African- American community at large.

With all this talk of “academia,” one might mistakenly get the impression that the Center is a place of all books and no fun. To prove that wrong, facility officials are constantly coordinating activities that while culturally and intellectually engaging, are entertaining too. Just this spring, the Center hosted a Women’s Jazz Festival that included the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble. For film buffs, the annual Black Panther Film Festival offered a wide selection in black/social activist-type movies and documentaries, with lectures by filmmakers and activists done in conjunction with every screening.

But all that is mentioned to entice potential New York tourists to include the Schomburg Center to their itinerary. According to scholar-in-resident Robin Kelley, no one, especially a serious student of black history, should go through his or her academic career or life without making a point to tour through the Center. Although his sentiments are echoed by his colleagues, as well as the most casual of visitors, it still remains; as hard as it is to believe, not everyone will make it to the Big Apple. If they do, what is perceived to be the hallowed halls of academia will not top the touring list. For those people, take advantage “virtually.” Visit the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture online: http://www.schomburgcenter.org. Any way you look at it, virtually or realistically, the Schomburg belongs to everyone as it continues to foster the creation of new knowledge and sustain history gained of the African Diaspora. No last minute time capsules, no scrounging for unreliable hear say, but for the present and future, the Schomburg preserves a culture and effectively disseminates the information.

Paula Farmer is a freelance print/broadcast journalist residing in New York. Much of her work focuses on the world of theatre, film and the arts.