Mic’d at MIRS: "To Uncover and Reveal" featuring JWords and Tito Deler

Mic’d at MIRS: "To Uncover and Reveal" Edition featuring JWords and Tito Deler

One hundred years ago, in 1926, The New York Public Library acquired Arturo Schomburg’s collection of books, pamphlets, art, and manuscripts, placing them at the 135th Street Branch Library. This foundational gift planted the seed for the 11 million items held by the Center today.

As we celebrate our Centennial, Mic’d at MIRS continues its intimate series of live performances and DJ sets within the Schomburg’s research divisions. In partnership with The Lot Radio, special guest curators JWords and Tito Deler will host listening sessions in the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division (MIRS) space. Their sets will offer a vibrant, meditative journey through the Center's archives—merging Afro-Latino music and poetry in direct alignment with our latest exhibition, To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library.

Special Exhibition Programming:

• 2:00 PM | Self-Guided Tour: Explore To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library. For the past decade, the Center’s Home to Harlem team has been solving a century-old enigma—reconstructing, clue by clue, the nearly complete record of Schomburg’s original 1926 collection which had been shrouded in mystery for decades. Listen to the audio guide on Bloomberg Connects to hear from the library team who uncovered this mystery through the archives.

Join us as we breathe new life into these research materials through live performance and bibliographic discovery.

Research Division Guidelines: To maintain the safety of our archives, all guests are required to check their bags and coats in the ground floor coat check before entering the division.

• Admission: Free with RSVP; however, space is limited and granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Location: Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division (MIRS)
• Date: Saturday May 9, 2026
• Time: 2 PM Self-Guided Tour: Explore To Uncover and Reveal to the World: Arturo Schomburg’s Library
• Time: 3 PM Mic’d At MIRS live in the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division

Tito Deler Born in Uptown Manhattan, Brother Tito Deler AKA The Original Harlem Slim is the son of immigrants from Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana. Raised in the cradle of the emerging NYC musical scenes of the late 1970s, T came up actively participating in multiple movements with earned accolades in street-ology.

With a passion for documenting the history of American music, T selects original vinyl records from post dictatorship Dominican Republic and abroad, reimagining the golden era of Radio Guarachita through the lens of the Dominican diaspora for a whole new generation. Bodega Blues.

JWords (Jennifer Hernandez) is a Brooklyn-based producer, educator, and synth builder. She is also one half of the critically acclaimed hip-hop duo, H31R, where she’s known for mixing dance music and hip-hop production. Growing up Dominican-American in Union City, New Jersey, JWords was a sonic omnivore, devouring the hip-hop and R&B she heard on BET’s Rap City, the Jersey Club that took over the neighborhood, and the Latin music she heard at home. JWords’ new album, Sound Therapy, is the follow-up to her 2022 debut solo LP, Self-Connection.

This year, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding! Join us all year long for a wide array of special events, exhibitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone and continue the legacy of Arturo Schomburg.

Schomburg100 | Exhibition | Special-Edition Library Card | Become a Member

#Schomburg100

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FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested.

ACCESSIBLILITY Accessibility requests can be made by e-mail [email protected].

E-TRANSPORTATION NYPL policy prohibits electric transportation devices (e.g., motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) from being brought into or stored at library sites for any length of time, as this is the best way to keep our spaces & people safe.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

PRESS Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Leah Drayton at [email protected].

Please note that personal and professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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