Congressman Dan Goldman Honors Afro-Latino Trailblazer Arturo A. Schomburg

Congressman Dan Goldman joined Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) in introducing legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, an Afro-Latino, Puerto Rican historian, writer, and activist in honor of his groundbreaking work in preserving and celebrating the history of the African Diaspora. Schomberg immigrated to New York City in 1891 and became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His personal collection of over 10,000 books, manuscripts, and artifacts was acquired by the New York Public Library in 1926, laying the foundation for what is now the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. 

The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian honors bestowed by Congress. If awarded, Schomburg’s medal would be housed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, with the recommendation that it be displayed at other locations associated with his legacy. 

Congressman Goldman is committed to preserving the historic contributions of the Black community in New York and across the country. In February, he introduced legislation to formally establish an African Burial Ground Museum under the National Park Service (NPS). The African Burial Ground currently holds the remains of an estimated 15,000 free and enslaved Africans and early-generation African Americans from the colonial era and is one of the most historically important monuments to Black History in New York.