Harlem's New Interactive Newsstand Amplifies Black Voices in the Media
This year's Schomburg Center Literary Festival welcomes Black Future Newsstand.
Founded in 1925 by Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, an author and bibliophile of Puerto Rican descent, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is Harlem’s renowned cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on the African Diaspora and Black experiences. As a part of the center’s mission to amplify Black voices and advocate for literacy, for the fifth year, New York City will be home to the Schomburg Center Literary Festival on Saturday, June 17 from 11 am–6 pm.
In addition to the event’s writing workshops, poetry readings, dj sets, and author talks comes a thoughtful new addition in the shape of an interactive exhibit from the Black Future Newsstand project. A collaborative effort between the Black Thought Project and Media 2070, the interactive installation is rooted in the discovery behind the question, “what does a media that loves Black people love, feel, sound, and taste like in a future where reparations are real?”
Guests of the Schomburg Center Literary Festival will be able to uncover these truths by exploring a diverse selection of Black-owned and -published magazines, mini-zines, newspapers, and more from sources like Slumber Mag, CRWNMAG, Maple:Koyo, and Gumbo.
“Black artists, writers, and creators are often censored and constrained when expressing ourselves in dominant media outlets,” says Alicia M. Walters, creator of the Black Thought Project. “The Black Future Newsstand provides much-needed distribution and exposure for these artists and publications while inviting Black communities to engage in media-making.”
The Black Future Newsstand interactive installation will be on display at the Schomburg Center Literary Festival in Harlem on Saturday, June 17 from 11 am–6 pm. Admission to the festival is free.