Little Known Black History Fact: Arturo Schomburg

[marble falls]

Last edited Sat Apr 18, 2020, 04:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Little Known Black History Fact: Arturo Schomburg
D. L. Chandler

https://blackamericaweb.com/2019/01/23/little-known-black-history-fact-arturo-schomburg/



Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, also known as Arthur Schomburg, was a meticulous historian and important Harlem Renaissance figure. During his career, he was referred to as the “Sherlock Holmes of Black History” due to his exhaustive research on Africa and the diaspora.

Schomburg was born Jan. 24. 1874 to a Black mother from the Virgin Islands and a German father who lived in Puerto Rico. As a boy, Schomburg was told by a teacher that Black history was a farce, which set him on a path early on to prove that doubter wrong.

In 1871, Schomburg moved to Harlem, New York and was an active member of the fight for Cuba and Puerto Rico’s independence. When his home country became part of the United States, Schomburg embraced the African-American community that he was now a part of. This set him on a path of serious study of the connection Black Americans had with Africa.

In 1911, Schomburg founded the Negro Society for Historical Research, and in 1922, he was named president of The American Negro Academy. As a collector and researcher of African art, Schomburg amassed a massive collection which was put on display by the New York Public Library’s Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints in 1926. He became the department’s curator and remained so until his death in 1932.

[pansypoo53219]

1. thanks. very interesting.

[appalachiablue]

2. K & R. I did some research on Civil War USCT regiments at the Ctr.

[marble falls]

3. His collection is pretty large, especially for one put together by a single person.

[Kid Berwyn]

4. "cultural education is empowerment"

Excerpt...

Schomburg's objective was to neutralize the apparent ignorance and deliberate distortion of world history perpetuated by those he referred to as "charlatans." He challenged any claim that Blacks were inferior and developed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge related to the accomplishments of people of color in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Schomburg believed that the principal reason for the global disrespect experienced by the African race was due to the institutionalized ignorance concerning its history and heritage. According to Schomburg (1925), "Generation after generation, mankind is taught a false history, a history which excludes the contributions and influence of the African people and their descendants."

Schomburg began to read avidly in both Spanish and English any materials concerning world history. He also started to acquire and collect historic artifacts so that he could scientifically refute and challenge the false and racist premise that people of color had "no history."

Source: http://www.autodidactproject.org/other/schomburg1.html

Thank you, marble falls! Due to a dumbed down information environment, lackadaemia and Corporate McPravda, I likely never would have known about this important human being and his work.

[marble falls]

5. Its taken me way too long to learn that black history is American history.

[Kid Berwyn]

7. And Texas school books leave it out to fight communism.

From KERA resource on the subject of fraudulent history:

A new report out by the Southern Poverty Law Center finds American students don’t fully understand many facts about slavery and the role it played in U.S. history. The study also finds that educators aren't adequately teaching students about it.

The report surveyed high school seniors and social studies teachers. It also looked at state curriculum standards and some of the more commonly used U.S. history textbooks.

Among the findings:

Only 8 percent of high school seniors could say slavery was the main cause of the Civil War.

Nearly 70 percent didn’t know a constitutional amendment formally ended slavery.

Fewer than 1 in 4 students could explain how provisions in the Constitution supported slavery.

https://www.keranews.org/post/american-slavery-isnt-taught-well-schools-texas-or-across-us-report-says

Ignorance Is Strength.

[Wounded Bear]

6. K & R...for visibility...nt