Black History Month: Afro-Latino Culture and The Schomburg Center of Research and Black Culture

BE Connect Groups and Latinxs Connect ask you to Embrace Black Culture during Black History Month.

During this Black History Month, BE Connect and Latinxs Connect Groups will focus on both People and Community. There are many Black historical locations that may be within a couple of miles of where you live.

Throughout the month, several Albemarle employees will be sharing the history of some of those areas and what it means to them.

We would like for you to also participate this month and Embrace Black Culture actively. We urge everyone to visit some of those locations.

BE Connect Groups and Lantixs Connect ask you to Embrace Black Culture during Black History Month. During this month, BE Connect and Latinx Connect will focus on both People and Community. There are many black historical locations that may be within a couple of miles of where you live. Our employee's will be sharing the history of some of those areas and what it means to them.

We would like for you to participate this month and Embrace Black Culture actively. We urge everyone to visit some of those locations and provide us with your comments, pictures, and selfies.

Libraries hold power to knowledge. For Albemarle's Hector Gonzalez, The Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture was the empowering force that led to his success and awakening.

"Growing up in New York City, I had the honor to frequent and studied at the Schomburg Center. To me, the center always felt like home," Gonzalez said.

It's one of the places he believes every Afro-American and Afro-Latino should visit. It's a cultural mecca for Black society.

"The Schomburg Center is a repository for our sense of worth and our contributions to the world. It is a place where we come to see who we are, not just somebody else's reflection of who we are. For me, that means that it is a place of immense power," Gonzalez continued.

The Schomburg Center is based in Harlem, New York, but its roots come from the island of Puerto Rico. A young boy born from a freeborn Black woman and German father would create a world where Black society could find their truth. His name; Arturo Alfonso Schomburg.

Schomburg's fifth-grade teacher told him "Black people have no history." He spent the rest of his life proving otherwise. Determined to collect a record of Black history, Schomburg amassed a personal collection of 10,000 books, artwork, and documents. The collection eventually became the Schomburg Center we know today.

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world's leading cultural institutions devoted to researching, preserving, and exhibiting materials focused on African Americans, African Diaspora, and African experiences. Over 11 million items illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

Schomburg's work inspired generations of Afro-Latinos and Afro-Americans. From the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil rights movement. The power of knowing about the significant contribution that Black society has made to the community helps us embrace Black culture.

Sometimes finding your roots can be difficult. Gonzalez is thankful places like the Schomburg Center exist to provide that sense of community and knowledge. Hopefully, you can make the trip to New York City and visit the center, but if not, you can always check out the Digitized Legacy Projects.