Arturo Schomburg

Arturo Schomburg, born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, had a story that began, as many do, with a curious mind and an even more curious lack of formal recognition for the contributions of an entire people. Specifically, he was told in school that Black people had no history. Naturally, being a historian, he took this as a challenge rather than a statement of fact, and boy, did he challenge it. His life's work became a living rebuttal to such ridiculous notions.

Starting with his personal library, Schomburg amassed an extraordinary collection of books, manuscripts, prints, and art by and about people of African descent. This wasn't just a hobby; it was a crusade. He single-handedly preserved countless invaluable artifacts that otherwise might have been lost to history's fickle memory, proving that yes, indeed, Black people did have a rather impressive history, thank you very much.

His collection eventually became the foundation of the New York Public Library's Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints, now aptly named the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. While he never identified as Jewish, his dedication to chronicling and uplifting an often-marginalized group's heritage certainly embodies a kvell-worthy commitment to collective memory, even if that memory wasn't ours.