Clipping files are a rich repository of black history

Students and faculty can explore every angle of black history and culture with the help of the Schomburg Center Clipping Files in York’s Scott Library.

The Schomburg Center Clipping Files is a rich microfiche collection developed by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. With more than 13,000 microfiche sheets, this collection consists mainly of periodical and newspaper clippings but also includes public notices, pamphlets, programs, broadsides, leaflets, playbills, newsletters and other short publications relating to diverse aspects of black history and culture from 1924 to 1988. Providing primary source material relevant to a variety of disciplines, the collection covers largely African-American history and culture, but is also international in scope, including Canada, the Caribbean and Africa.

A sample of the collection includes the items below, and much more:

• Social and political commentary from 1925 to 1988 through cartoons and caricatures;
• Newspaper headlines documenting race relations and the lives of blacks in Canada and the United States (CANADA LOWERS NEGRO BARRIERS, March 18, 1956; CANADIAN NEGRO LOSES: Court Rules Apartment Owner Need Not Rent Him Space, July 22, 1956);
• Playbills from theatrical releases (such as A Raisin in the Sun);
• Reports of political activities of blacks in Canada and the United States (RESTRICTION ACTS AROUSE CANADIANS: Voters denounce liberal party, September 11, 1928).

The collection is located in the Microtext Room on the first floor of Scott Library. For more information about the Schomburg Center Clipping Files, contact your liaison librarian.

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