You’re driving down Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, and you see it. This massive, 60,000-square-foot building that looks like it belongs in a major capital city, not just sitting quietly in a Broward County neighborhood. That’s the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC). Most people just call it "The Center," but honestly, calling it a library feels like a massive understatement. It's more of a vault. A high-tech, deeply soulful vault of things people tried to forget.
It opened back in 2002. At the time, it was only the third of its kind in the entire United States, joining the ranks of the Schomburg Center in New York and the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta. But there's a different vibe here. It’s got this specific South Florida energy—a mix of Caribbean influence, Deep South roots, and that gritty, beautiful local history that gets overshadowed by the beaches and the neon of South Beach.
What Actually Happens Inside the African American Research Library and Cultural Center?
Most folks walk in expecting rows of books. You’ll get that, sure. But the real magic is in the Special Collections. We’re talking about more than 1,000,000 items. That’s a million pieces of history that aren’t just digitized snippets on a screen; they’re physical manifestations of a journey.
The African American Research Library and Cultural Center isn't just a place to borrow the latest bestseller. It’s where you find the Alex Haley Collection. Yes, that Alex Haley. The man who wrote Roots. When you’re standing near his personal notes or looking at the research materials he used to piece together a lineage that had been intentionally erased, you feel the weight of it. It’s heavy. It’s real.
And then there's the Dorothy Porter Wesley Collection. If you aren't a history buff, that name might not ring a bell, but in the world of Black bibliography, she’s basically a deity. She was the first African American librarian at Howard University and spent her life proving that "Black history" wasn't just a sub-category—it was a foundation. Her personal library is housed right here in Fort Lauderdale. It’s weirdly poetic that some of the most important intellectual footprints of the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement ended up in a building surrounded by palm trees.
It’s Not Just a Museum, It’s a Living Room
Ever been to a library where you felt like you had to hold your breath? AARLCC isn't that. It’s loud sometimes. It’s busy. You’ve got seniors in the computer lab learning how to trace their genealogy through Ancestry.com, and then you’ve got teenagers in the "Destination Fridays" events or working in the state-of-the-art tech lab.
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They have this 300-seat auditorium that has seen everything from heavy-hitting academic lectures to vibrant dance performances. It acts as a community hub in a way that most civic buildings fail to do. It’s the "Third Space." You have home, you have work, and for a lot of people in Broward, you have the African American Research Library and Cultural Center.
The building itself was the brainchild of Samuel F. Morrison. He was the former director of the Broward County Library System. He had this vision that didn't just include books, but included a museum, an archive, and a community center all wrapped into one. He raised millions of dollars—a staggering amount for a library project in the late 90s—because he knew that if the history wasn't preserved in a world-class facility, it would eventually be lost to the humidity and the hustle of Florida life.
The Special Collections Nobody Talks About
If you really want to get into the weeds, look at the Sixto Campano Collection. It’s one of the few places where you can see the intersection of Black and Hispanic culture through the lens of a Spanish-language collector. It challenges the idea that African American history is a monolith. It’s messy, it’s international, and it’s deeply connected to the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and South America.
There is also a significant focus on the local history of the Sistrunk community. For those who don't know, Sistrunk is named after Dr. James Sistrunk, one of the first Black physicians in Broward County. Before integration, this was the heart of Black life in Fort Lauderdale. The African American Research Library and Cultural Center sits on this land as a sentinel. It keeps the stories of the businesses, the schools, and the families that built this city from being paved over by luxury condos.
The Tech Gap and the Digital Divide
Let’s talk about why this place matters in 2026. We live in a world where everyone thinks everything is on Google. It’s not.
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A huge chunk of the archives at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center is unique. If you want to see the specific records of the local NAACP chapters from the 1950s, you can't just "Google it." You have to go there. You have to put on the white gloves. You have to look at the ink on the paper.
Furthermore, the center addresses the "digital divide" head-on. They have a Creation Station. It’s a maker space with 3D printers, VR gear, and recording equipment. It’s about giving people the tools to create the next 100 years of history. They aren't just looking backward; they’re looking forward. It’s about making sure that the kids in the neighborhood aren't just consumers of culture, but the producers of it.
Why You Should Care (Even if You Aren't a Researcher)
You might think, "I'm not writing a thesis, why would I go?"
Honestly, go for the art. The building is basically a gallery. The lobby often features rotating exhibits from local and international Black artists that you’d usually have to pay $25 to see at a posh museum in Miami. Here, it’s accessible. It’s for everyone.
Go for the events. "Destination Fridays" is a whole vibe. They pick a country or a theme—say, Ethiopia or New Orleans—and they transform the space with food, music, and education. It’s a party with a purpose. It breaks that stuffy library stereotype into a million pieces.
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Acknowledging the Struggles
It hasn't always been easy. Like any public institution, the African American Research Library and Cultural Center faces the constant treadmill of funding challenges. Maintaining a million-item archive in a hurricane zone is expensive. Keeping technology updated is expensive. There are always debates about how to balance being a "neighborhood library" with being a "national research destination."
Sometimes the neighborhood wants more popular fiction and kids' programs. Sometimes the scholars want more quiet hours and restricted access to the archives. Balancing those two worlds is a tightrope walk. But that tension is exactly what makes the place feel so alive. It’s not a stagnant monument; it’s a working part of the city.
Actionable Steps for Your First Visit
If you’re planning to head over to 2650 NW 6th St, don't just wander in aimlessly. You'll miss the good stuff.
- Check the Event Calendar First: Before you go, look at the Broward County Library website specifically for the AARLCC branch. They host film screenings, small business workshops, and genealogy classes that fill up fast.
- Request Special Collection Access: If you actually want to see the rare stuff—like the Haley papers—you usually need to make an appointment or call ahead to the Special Collections department. You can't just pull those off a shelf.
- Visit the Second Floor: Most people linger in the lobby. The second floor is where the deep research happens, and the quiet atmosphere is perfect for getting actual work done or just soaking in the scale of the collection.
- Look at the Architecture: Notice the design. The building was designed to evoke the spirit of an African village or a marketplace. The "Grand Atrium" is meant to be the village square.
- Support the Friends of AARLCC: If you value what they're doing, check out their support group. They’re the ones who fund a lot of the "extra" programming that makes the center more than just a place with books.
The African American Research Library and Cultural Center is one of those rare places that actually lives up to its name. It’s a library, yes. It’s for research, definitely. But more than anything, it is a cultural center in the truest sense of the word. It is the heartbeat of a community that refuses to be forgotten. Go see it. Don't just take my word for it—walk through the doors and feel the shift in the air for yourself.
Practical Research Tips:
- Use the online "Digital Archives" via the Broward County Library portal to see what's indexed before you arrive.
- Bring a flash drive. The scanners in the tech lab are top-tier and free to use for patrons.
- If you're doing genealogy, bring whatever names and dates you already have; the librarians there are wizards at finding the missing links in local Florida records.
The work being done at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center ensures that the narrative of the African Diaspora remains accessible, physical, and undeniable. It is a vital stop for anyone trying to understand the full picture of the American South.