Newslish
ArchiveLesson #112Culture

Celebrating 100 Years of Black Culture

The Schomburg Center marks its centennial by showcasing Black culture and history, highlighting the contributions of Arturo Schomburg.

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Standard version (B1-B2)

Standard: natural English

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Founded by Arturo Schomburg, the center holds over 11 million items that document the history and culture of Black Americans. Schomburg, who was born in Puerto Rico, dedicated his life to collecting materials that showcase the global Black experience, countering the narrative that Black people lack significant history.

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Narration includes the headline and summary.

Adapted from The Guardian, 9 July 2026, and rewritten at three levels by Newslish. Newslish is not affiliated with the source. Read the original.

Key vocabulary

  • counter-narrative

    an alternative story that challenges the main idea

    The Schomburg Center provides a counter-narrative to the idea that Black people lack history.

  • diaspora

    the movement of a group of people away from their homeland

    The African diaspora includes Black communities around the world.

  • accomplishments

    achievements or successes

    Arturo Schomburg wanted to show the accomplishments of Black people.

  • curate

    to select and organize items for display

    The staff at the Schomburg Center curate important historical items.

  • artifacts

    objects made by humans that have historical significance

    The Schomburg Center has many artifacts that tell the story of Black culture.

Quick quiz

01Who founded the Schomburg Center?

02How many items does the Schomburg Center have?

03What did Schomburg collect to show Black history?

04What does the Schomburg Center celebrate this year?

Answered 0 of 4

Discussion

How does the Schomburg Center contribute to our understanding of Black history?