Joy L. Bivins

Joy L. Bivins has served as Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture since June 2021, leading the institution into its 100th anniversary year. A division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center is the world’s premier archive devoted to the global Black experience. Bivins first joined the Center in 2020 as Associate Director of Collections and Research Services, bringing nearly two decades of leadership in museums and cultural institutions. She previously served as Chief Curator at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, and as Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Chicago History Museum. A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, Bivins is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Cornell University.