Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
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MSRC collects, preserves, organizes and makes available for research a wide range of resources about the Black experience throughout the African Diaspora.
The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) is named for the two benefactors whose collections provided the foundation upon which the Center was built. What began in the early years of Howard University as a small collection of antislavery books and pamphlets is now one of the world‘s premiere centers for the study of the global Black experience. Its current collections include nearly 200,000 bou
nd volumes; tens of thousands of journals, periodicals, and newspapers; more than 17,000 feet of manuscript and archival collections; thousands of audio tapes; hundreds of artifacts; and over 100,000 prints, photographs, maps, and other graphic items. For a century, the MSRC's collections have been used by scholars, museums, students, and other researchers from Howard University and throughout the world. Information and archival materials provided by the MSRC are used regularly in exhibitions, video productions, news programming, websites, and a wide range of publications
In 1914, Dr. Jesse E. Moorland, a Black theologian who was an alumnus and trustee of the University, donated his private library, at that time considered one of the most significant collections of Black related materials in existence. Dr. Moorland‘s donation reflected the efforts of African Americans to take a leadership role in the documentation, preservation, and study of their own history and culture. His collection provided the catalyst for the centralization of the University Library‘s other Black-related materials, which became known collectively as the Moorland Foundation. In 1946 Howard University acquired the large personal library of Arthur B. Spingarn, an attorney, social activist, and prominent collector of books and other materials produced by Black people. Although several librarians helped to develop the Moorland Foundation‘s collection during the early years, the appointment in 1930 of Dorothy B. Porter to spearhead the Foundation's research library signaled a new era. In a career that spanned more than forty years, Dr. Porter guided the collection through substantial expansion, including the development of a new classification scheme, authoritative bibliographies, and a wide variety of research tools. In 1973, the collections were reorganized as the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, and Dr. Michael R. Winston was appointed its first director. Under Dr. Winston‘s leadership, separate Library and Manuscript divisions were established within the MSRC, and the Howard University Museum and Howard University Archives were created. While the Library Division was expected to continue to expand the MSRC‘s extensive collections of books, newspapers, journals, and printed materials, the other units were an integral part of the Center‘s new program development. The new programs emphasized the identification, acquisition, preservation, research and exhibition of materials which would transform the existing special collections into a modern archival and manuscript repository and museum facility. From 1986 to 2010, the MSRC was directed by Dr. Thomas C. Battle, under whose leadership the Center hosted thousands of scholars and other visitors from around the world. It also cooperated with many institutions, individuals, and organizations on publications, exhibitions, and video programs; and in November 1983 hosted the landmark conference, "Black Bibliophiles and Collectors: A National Symposium," with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since 2011, the MSRC has been led by Dr. Howard Dodson, formerly the Director (now Director Emeritus) for nearly three decades of the world-renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City's Harlem community. A specialist in African American and African Diasporic history as well as an author, curator, cultural activist and innovative administrator, Dodson brings renewed energy and a depth of vision to the University's efforts to restore Moorland-Spingarn to its rightful place as one of the nation's—indeed, the world's—foremost centers of scholarship and research on the global African presence. Under Dodson's leadership, greater emphases has been placed on digital technology, increased public programs, and sponsored research projects, including an active commitment to publishing the products of research conducted at the Center by its staff and other scholars. The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center has made possible new research and enabled scholars to probe more deeply into the complexities of Black history and culture. In linking its past accomplishments to its plans for the future, the Center continues in its unswerving commitment to preserve the legacy of people of African descent for this and future generations.
05/04/2026
NEW EPISODE OF ON THE YARD 🎙️📚
On the Yard: Episode Eight — Haile Gerima and the Power of Storytelling🎥🤎
Just across the street from The Yard sits Sankofa Video, Books, and Cafe, a cultural landmark that has served Howard students, northwest D.C., and the broader Black community for nearly 30 years. ✨
In this episode, MSRC Director Dr. Benjamin Talton visits Sankofa Cafe for a powerful conversation with owner, storyteller, renowned filmmaker, and Howard University alum Haile Gerima. Together, they discuss the power of Black storytelling, the struggle to reclaim our narratives, the meaning behind Sankofa, and Gerima’s journey through filmmaking, teaching, revolution, and community building. 🎞️🖤
As Gerima reminds us, “The story is the battleground.” This conversation is a reflection on cinema, memory, identity, and the responsibility of telling Black stories with truth and care. 🌍🗣️
Listen to the full episode of On The Yard now and learn more about the legacy and community power of Sankofa. Link in bio. 🎧
On The Yard is a production of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University and is produced by University FM.
BlackCinema BlackStorytelling
04/29/2026
MSRC is proud to celebrate our interns and scholars who presented their research during the two-day MSRC Intern and Scholar Presentations on April 21 and 22, 2026. 📚🤎
Across both days, presenters shared thoughtful and deeply researched projects that reflected the richness of MSRC’s collections and the many ways archives open new conversations about Black history, culture, memory, technology, education, and public life. 🖤
Presentation topics included:
Ava Jackson, “Public Figures in the Black Press and How They’re Framed”
Olawale Kuponipe, “Fragmented Solidarity: Uncovering the Fault Lines of Early 20th-Century Black Liberation”
Michael Bryant, “The Andre Tweed Ethiopic Manuscripts Collection”
Matenen Kourouma, “Cartoonists in the Black Press”
Amartey Laryea, “What the Archive Taught Me About AI”
Amadi Weser, “Who Owns the Past?”
Gabrielle Morgan, “Cobb the Changemaker”
Victor Ray, “Prints & Photographs”
Maxwell Long-Craine, “Anna Julia Cooper: From Servitude to Service”
Raven Shaw & Keyshawna Washington, “A Taste of Howard University Press: Uncovering the Forgotten Book Publishing Institute”
Latrese Johnson, Halia Benn, & Anjali Robinson-Leary, “Howard Africana: An Exhibit on the History of the Department”
Zuri Giscombe, “Black Liberal Arts Tradition and Howard University”
Sijan Shrestha & Farhan Rashid, “Analyzing OCR at the Black Press Archives”
Tamia McDonald, “Black Power at Howard”
Rita Jacobs, “Articulating Racial Uplift in the Writings of Anna Julia Cooper”
Congratulations to each presenter for their dedication, curiosity, and care in engaging the archive. Their work reminds us that archives are not only spaces of preservation, but spaces where new knowledge and possibilities continue to emerge.
👏🏾🗂️
04/17/2026
Today, we honor the life, legacy, and continued impact of Dr. Joyce A. Ladner, activist, sociologist, educator, author, and trailblazing Howard University leader. ✨📚✊🏾 Dr. Ladner’s work has long stood at the intersection of scholarship, service, and struggle, helping shape conversations on Black life, civil rights, education, and social change. 🖤
A proud daughter of the Movement and a powerful intellectual voice, Dr. Ladner’s story reminds us that history is not only something we preserve, but something we live, carry, and build upon. From her civil rights activism to her leadership in higher education, her journey reflects a lifelong commitment to justice, truth, and Black intellectual tradition. 🕊️🎓📖
These archival materials offer only a glimpse into the depth of her contributions, but they help us trace the remarkable reach of a life devoted to community, thought, and transformation. Through Preserve Our Stories, we celebrate Dr. Ladner not only for what she has done, but for what her legacy continues to make possible. 🌍✍🏾🏛️
This post was created by Tamia McDonald, MSRC Scholar in the HUA Division and third-year Howard University History doctoral candidate, along with Rita Jacobs, MSRC HUA Division and Howard University Sociology doctoral student. 🦬💙
04/14/2026
SOLD OUT! 🙌🏾
Thank y’all for the love and support. Our live recording of Our Ancestors Were Messy with Nichole Hill, B.A. Parker, and Gene Demby has officially reached capacity.‼️
We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center for an evening of Black history, storytelling, laughter, and community.🖤
You can find the waitlist link in our bio/link-tree for updates on availability.
See y’all April 23. 🎙️
04/06/2026
Join us at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center for a live recording of Our Ancestors Were Messy—a podcast that explores the gossip, scandals, and cultural moments that shaped Black life before the Civil Rights era.
Hosted by Nichole Hill alongside Code Switch hosts B.A. Parker and Gene Demby, this interactive event brings history to life through storytelling, humor, and the complexities of a group of ancestors navigating a pivotal moment in American history.
Expect laughs, audience participation, and a fresh take on the stories that became history.
Episode Six, The Spectre on Stage, turns to Black theater as a space where storytelling expands beyond expectation and into deeper questions of memory, language, and interior life.
Building on conversations from Moorland-Spingarn’s Fall 2025 International Black Writers Festival panel The Specter Onstage: Historical Memory, Public Language, Interiority, and Contemporary Black Theatre, this episode explores how Black playwrights continue to navigate the weight of history while shaping new possibilities on stage.
In conversation, MarQuis Bullock, Head of Collections in MSRC’s Manuscripts Division, is joined by award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau to discuss the creative tensions and imaginative freedoms at the heart of Black theater today.
Technology is shaping Black youth—often without consent, care, or accountability.
Join us for the opening of Critical Eye on Tech & AI, a new series examining how AI and digital systems impact Black life. Our first convening, Protecting Black Youth, brings together leading voices in civil rights, human rights, law, and education to confront surveillance, deepfakes, and the fight to preserve critical consciousness—while imagining pathways toward protection and power. RSVP now.
🗓 Wed, April 8 | 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Founders Library Browsing Room, Howard University
🎤 Featuring Roy Austin, Clarence Okoh, and Jordan Gasior Kavishe
🤝 In-person talks, panel, and community discussion
Rooted in history. Focused on now. Imagining what’s next.
Come build with us.
03/27/2026
Tune in to The HillTalks Podcast by The Hilltop, your weekly source for the latest news, stories, and campus conversation at Howard University. From student voices to what’s shaping the Yard, HillTalks keeps you connected to the pulse of the Mecca. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center was happy to participate in Black Press Day and celebrate the legacy and power of Black student journalism. Available on all major platforms. 🎙️🦬
03/19/2026
We’re back from Spring Break with On the Yard: Episode Five — The Meteoric Rise of Howard’s Swim and Dive Program!
Years of struggle. Historic wins. Record-breaking seasons. Alum Nicholas Askew took over Howard University’s swim and dive program and turned it into a national powerhouse—the only NCAA Division I swimming and diving team at an HBCU.
💬 Dr. Benjamin Talton sits down with Coach Nic to talk about the team’s transformation, his blueprint for success, and what representation in swimming really means.
🎧 Tap the link in our bio to listen now!
03/16/2026
Join us for the 3rd Annual MSRC Distinguished Scholar Lecture featuring Dana A. Williams, Ph.D., Professor of African American Literature and Graduate Dean of 🌍📚
This year’s lecture, Toni Morrison and the Archive: Sites of Memory and Creative Production, will explore the power of archives, memory, and Black creative expression through the work and legacy of Toni Morrison 🖤📖
Save the date and join us on Thursday, April 2 at 6:00 PM in the Founders Library Browsing Room 📍
Light refreshments will be available beginning at 5:30 PM 🍽️
AfricanAmericanLiterature
03/16/2026
Join us for the 3rd Annual MSRC Distinguished Scholar Lecture featuring Dana A. Williams, Ph.D., Professor of African American Literature and Dean of ✨📚
This year’s lecture, Toni Morrison and the Archive: Sites of Memory and Creative Production, will explore the power of archives, memory, and Black creative expression through the work and legacy of Toni Morrison 🖤📖
Save the date and join us on Thursday, April 2 at 6:00 PM in the Founders Library Browsing Room 📍 Light refreshments will be available beginning at 5:30 PM 🍽️
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