Arthur A. Schomburg, a Puerto Rican historian, writer, and researcher, was born on January 24, 1817. Renowned for his activism and dedication to preserving African-American history, Schomburg’s collection of literature formed the basis for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library.
After arriving in America in 1891, he relocated to New York City a decade later, where he worked as a researcher at a law firm. In 1911, Schomburg co-founded the Negro Society for Historical Research, aiming to establish a scholarly institute.
Actively engaged in the Harlem Renaissance, he served as the co-editor of the 1912 edition of the Encyclopedia of the Colored Race. In 1926, the New York City Public Library acquired his extensive collection of historical materials.
Arthur Schomburg passed away in 1938 in Brooklyn.
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