January 25th 2024.
The Schomburg Center library, located in the heart of Harlem, recently marked a major milestone in the world of Black history. To honor the 150th birthday of the legendary historian, Arturo Schomburg, the center organized a unique event called the Transcribe-A-Thon. According to CBS News, the event brought together a team of dedicated volunteers who were committed to preserving Schomburg's legacy by transcribing his words from paper to the digital world. These words represented the culmination of his life's work, which revolved around uncovering and documenting the contributions of Black people all over the world during the early 20th century.
Born on January 24, 1874, in Puerto Rico, Schomburg was a passionate historian with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He dedicated his entire life to curating one of the largest collections of Black history ever assembled. However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge to the preservation of his documents, as the center's staff had to find a way to digitize them in order to make them accessible to the public. Dr. Laura Helton, a Black History professor at the University of Delaware, shed light on the enormity of this task, stating that out of the 11 million items in the center's collection, only a small fraction had been digitized due to the amount of work involved.
In order to tackle this daunting task, the Schomburg Center joined forces with Fisk University in Nashville to organize the Transcribe-A-Thon. During the event, students from Fisk University worked alongside the center's staff via video conferencing to transcribe Schomburg's handwritten notes and manuscripts. This partnership was made possible by a grant awarded to both institutions to digitize the historian's works. DeLisa Minor Harris, the director of Library Services at Fisk, emphasized the importance of Schomburg's work in filling the gaps in the historical narrative of Black people. She expressed her excitement about the collaboration between the two institutions, which she believes will ensure that future generations have access to Schomburg's invaluable contributions through the digital edition.
After immigrating to New York City from Puerto Rico in 1891, Schomburg was determined to make a difference in the world of Black history. He founded the Negro Society for Historical Research, which adopted a diasporic approach to studying Black culture. Schomburg's efforts led to the establishment of two iconic archives in the 1920s and 1930s, one at the New York Public Library and the other at Fisk University. These archives became a treasure trove for researchers and scholars, providing a wealth of information on the history and achievements of Black people.
As the Schomburg Center gears up to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025, the hard work of the volunteers at the Transcribe-A-Thon will play a crucial role in achieving its goal of creating a fully digital collection. This accomplishment will not only preserve Schomburg's legacy for future generations, but also provide a valuable resource for those seeking to learn more about the rich and often overlooked history of Black people. The Schomburg Center continues to honor its namesake's legacy by hosting events such as the annual Literary Festival, which celebrates Black culture and writers. This year's festival promises to be an all-day celebration, highlighting the center's dedication to promoting and preserving the achievements and contributions of Black people.
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