Discussion Questions:
(I substituted the dated term “Negro” used by Schomburg for African American)
How many of those references did you know before? Why do you think you didn’t know some of those writers or intellectuals before? How telling it is that some of the historical figures mentioned are still unknown by the general public?
Why does he say that the African American as “pioneer in the struggle for his own freedom and advancement” has not been properly “recognized”?
When he writes about very well-known historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, why does he say we still need the “antiquarian”?
Why does he say that it is very important to collect evidence of the African American past?
Explain the conclusion: “Already the Negro sees himself against a reclaimed background, in a perspective that will give pride and self-respect ample score, and make history yield for him the same values that the treasured past of any people affords”
