Smalls details Black Heritage collections and Sankofa series
Smalls describes the Black Heritage Video Collection, Amistad Research Center Microfilm Collection, and Black Newspaper Microfilm Collection. She also discusses the weekly Sankofa series that explores Black culture topics.
In addition, we have collections that advance the education and preservation of Black culture.
The Black Heritage Video Collection focuses specifically on the Black experience.
The Amistad Research Center Microfilm Collection includes the papers of many American luminaries, such as County Cullen, Fannie Lou Hamer, Freddie Washington, and Mary McLeod Bethune.
The Black Newspaper Microfilm Collection contains newspaper titles dating back to the 1800s.
To complement the collection, we offer our weekly Sankofa series where customers can explore rotating topics related to black culture.
For the month of August, we hosted four programs on black fashion.
In this current month, we have been discussing 60 years of the Black Panthers history.
The series gives customers who may otherwise not engage with the Black Heritage Research Center as scholars or researchers the opportunity to explore this living collection's many historical works and cultural resources.
Additionally, with support from the City Council Coalition for Theaters of Color Initiative, we offer dance, music, and storytelling performances that celebrate and spotlight the subjects covered in our specialized collection.
Approximately half of the Black Heritage Collection is publicly circulated, making it one of the largest public circulating collections on a Black experience in New York City.
Having a large repository devoted to Black-authored or Black-centric works that can be requested and borrowed by anyone ensures all communities can learn and benefit from these resources.