[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 766 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 766

  Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Schomburg 
                 Center for Research in Black Culture.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2025

Mr. Espaillat submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Schomburg 
                 Center for Research in Black Culture.

Whereas the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research library 
        of The New York Public Library, is recognized as one of the world's 
        leading institutions devoted to the preservation, study, and celebration 
        of Black and African life, history, and culture, serving as both a 
        community anchor in Harlem and internationally renowned research 
        library;
Whereas the Schomburg Center has nurtured generations of writers, scholars, 
        artists, and activists, from Langston Hughes and James Baldwin to 
        Augusta Savage and contemporary voices shaping the global conversation 
        on race and identity, ensuring its continued role as the living reminder 
        of the Harlem Renaissance and a cornerstone of African and African 
        Diasporic studies;
Whereas, on July 14, 1905, a newly constructed library building in Harlem at 103 
        West 135th Street opened, with the title of 135th Street Branch Public 
        Library, with a collection of over 10,000 books and goal of serving the 
        neighborhood;
Whereas, in 1920, Ernestine Rose became the branch librarian of the 135th Street 
        Branch and immediately instituted changes in the branch to serve the 
        needs of the vibrant African and Latino community that would make the 
        library a hub of the Harlem Renaissance;
Whereas the branch has been a leader in integration and diversity in New York 
        City, with the hiring of the first African-American librarian, Catherine 
        Allen Latimer, and hiring the first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Teresa 
        Belpre;
Whereas the branch has been a focal point of the Harlem Renaissance, as a 
        meeting place of intellectuals and artists and the only library branch 
        in New York City which employed Black librarians, and met the community 
        requests to feature Black artists and literature;
Whereas resourceful librarians and community leaders advocated for the creation 
        of the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints, the forerunner 
        of the Schomburg Center, on May 8, 1925;
Whereas Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, an acclaimed Afro-Latino historian and 
        archivist, sold much of his collection to The New York Public Library 
        for the 135th Street Branch and became the curator of the Division of 
        Negro Literature, History and Prints;
Whereas, upon Schomburg's untimely passing, the Division was renamed in his 
        honor to the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, and eventually 
        the entire branch was named the Schomburg Center for Research in Black 
        Culture;
Whereas, being inspired by the teachings of W.E.B. Du Bois, the American Negro 
        Theatre was founded in the basement auditorium, with the belief that 
        African-American theatre should be made by, about, for, and near 
        African-Americans;
Whereas, in 2000, the Schomburg Center held an exhibition, Lest We Forget: The 
        Triumph Over Slavery, that was so successful it went on a world tour for 
        over a decade under the sponsorship of the United Nations Educational, 
        Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
Whereas, in 2016, the Schomburg Center's original and subsequent buildings were 
        designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its central place 
        in American history;
Whereas the Schomburg Collection is considered one of the most prestigious 
        African-American and Afro-centric collections in the United States, 
        consisting of over 11,000,000 artifacts, including writings and 
        recordings of Marcus Garvey, Toussaint Louverture, Booker T. Washington, 
        Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Malcolm X; and
Whereas, to this day, the Schomburg Center is committed to meeting the needs of 
        its community, providing educational and public programs year-round and 
        establishing the long-term fellowship program known as Scholars-in-
        Residence and the youth educational initiative Junior Scholars Program: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the 
        Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture;
            (2) commends the critical work it has done in advancing 
        intellectual growth, cultural understanding, and historical 
        preservation of African and Black culture; and
            (3) celebrates the lasting and continued impact of the 
        Schomberg Center as a beacon of research, creativity, and 
        community engagement in African-American and African Diaspora 
        studies, and American history.
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