Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez


Born in Puerto Rico in 1874 to a Black Caribbean mother and a German father, Arturo Schomburg grew up asking questions about African heritage and the role of Black people in history. When a teacher told him that people of African descent had no history worth learning, he made it his life’s mission to prove otherwise. Carole Boston Weatherford’s Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library, with beautiful illustrations by Eric Velasquez, tells the story of that mission. How one man collected, preserved, and celebrated the histories too often left out of textbooks.

This beautifully written biography in verse is more than a story about one man, it is the power of research, the importance of identity, and the importance of rewriting the record to include those who’ve been erased.

This book is great for use in middle and high school social studies and ELA classrooms, especially during units on the Harlem Renaissance, African American history, immigration, or the development of public institutions. It centers on how one person’s passion for knowledge created a legacy that reshaped how history is written and who gets included.

Curriculum Connections:
Fifth Grade

Social Studies / History
Schomburg aligns with themes in U.S. history, global history, and civics. It opens the door to inquiry about:

  • The Harlem Renaissance and Black cultural movements

  • Immigration and Afro-Latino identity (Schomburg was born in Puerto Rico of African and German descent)

  • The omission of Black history from traditional narratives

  • The role of archives, museums, and libraries in preserving culture

  • Citizen activism through intellectual labor

Pair this book with primary source investigations of documents from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (part of NYPL) or with speeches, poems, and essays by figures Schomburg studied: Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, and others.

English Language Arts
The poetic structure of the text, use of allusion, and interweaving of biography with historical profiles make this book an excellent text for:

  • Analyzing narrative structure and author’s craft

  • Conducting research-based writing

  • Studying biography as a literary form

  • Exploring themes of voice, legacy, and representation

Students can create found poems or micro-biographies inspired by Schomburg’s research or write persuasive essays on why preserving historical memory matters.

Cross-Curricular Activity
Have students select a figure from Black or Afro-Latino history who has been historically underrepresented. They can write a short biographical poem in the style of Weatherford, accompanied by an artistic or visual representation. The class could create a “Schomburg Wall” or digital collection to honor their contributions.

Discussion Questions

Social Studies Lens

  1. How did Schomburg’s identity as an Afro-Latino immigrant shape his work and his vision for history?

  2. Why was the work of collecting and preserving Black history so radical and important during Schomburg’s time and why is it still relevant today?

  3. What does Schomburg’s story teach us about who decides what history gets remembered?

ELA Lens

  1. How does Weatherford use poetic language to tell Schomburg’s story? How do rhythm, repetition, and imagery support the message?

  2. What role do the illustrations play in helping the reader understand the emotional and historical weight of Schomburg’s work?

  3. How does the author weave Schomburg’s biography with the lives of historical figures he researched? What effect does that have on you as a reader? 

SEL / Identity Lens

  1. Schomburg’s teacher once told him that Black people had no history. What impact can messages like that have on a student’s sense of self?

  2. How can the act of discovering and sharing one’s history be empowering?

  3. What stories about your own culture, family, or background do you think deserve to be told?

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library is a powerful tool for expanding how students see the role of historians, librarians, and ordinary individuals who challenge the status quo. It’s a celebration of scholarship, cultural pride, and the idea that libraries, like people hold multitudes.

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