The New York Public Library has announced that its Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture received a $2 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to further the research of global Black studies.

The grant will fund a project called The Next Century of Black Studies, which is designed to increase accessibility to the institution’s collection materials, engage new audiences in global Black studies, and fortify the future of research at the center. To that end, the project will boost the center’s capacity, support the creation of an advisory panel of scholars to reimagine opportunities from collecting, and engage the public in programming about the future of global Black studies.  

“Support from the Mellon Foundation will bear fruit for decades to come as we endeavor to envision the next 100 years of this institution,” said Schomburg Center director Joy Bivins. “The Next Century of Black Studies is a key building block of critical resources needed for the Schomburg Center’s future, ensuring that we remain at the vanguard of the discipline.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Nikada)