What The Black Archives does

The Black Archives is an Amsterdam-based non-profit cultural heritage organization founded in 2015 as an initiative of the New Urban Collective (NUC) foundation. It maintains a physical archive of over 20,000 books, documents, photographs, films, and artifacts documenting Black history, emancipation movements, and the Dutch slavery legacy, supplemented by a digitized Digital Archive accessible online. The organization is housed within the building of Vereniging Ons Suriname, the oldest Surinamese association in the Netherlands, and holds several historic collections including the Huiswoud and Willemsen Collections.

The Black Archives generates revenue through a diversified mix of donations (under ANBI charitable status), exhibition tickets (€17.50 per visitor), book and merchandise sales via an on-site shop and webshop, paid guided tours, workshops, lectures, consultancy on diversity and inclusion, and Saturday space rental for community events. It serves three primary segments: Dutch educational institutions (schools, MBO, HBO, and universities seeking decolonized curricula), diaspora communities and the general public seeking cultural programming, and grassroots community organizations needing mission-aligned event space. It is currently temporarily relocated to Bijlmerplein in Amsterdam due to renovation of the Zeeburgerdijk building, with planned reopening April 23, 2026.

The organization has built a notable partnership and programming footprint beyond its 21-person team, including collaborations with Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Documenta 15, the Camissa Museum at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, HipHopHuis Rotterdam, and Dutch brands such as Patta, LUSH, and TopNotch. It has produced publications including 'Wij Slaven van Suriname' (Anton de Kom, reissued with new introductions), 'De toekomst van het verleden', and the policy advisory 'Route naar Herstel' for the Municipality of Amsterdam. It also co-developed the '10x More History' educational poster with VGN Kleio and Social Innovation Works, embedding its content into Dutch history curricula.

Name

The Black Archives

Legal name

Stichting New Urban Collective

Website

https://theblackarchives.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Black Archives is an Amsterdam-based non-profit cultural heritage organization that maintains a 20,000+ piece archive of Black history in the Netherlands, serving educational institutions, diaspora communities, and grassroots groups through exhibitions, tours, publications, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Archive and Museum Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Black history archive
• Cultural heritage museum
• Educational tours workshops
• Diversity consultancy services
• Historical book publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The Black Archives is a grassroots, non-profit organization that relies on donations from the public. Donations are transferred to Stichting New Urban Collective bank account NL06 ABNA 0246 4020 83. The organization has ANBI (charitable institution) status, making donations tax-deductible for donors.
2. Merchandise and Book Sales: The organization sells books (including 'Wij Slaven van Suriname', 'De toekomst van het verleden', exhibition catalogues) and merchandise (t-shirts, tote bags, posters) through its webshop and physical on-site shop.
3. Services (Tours, Workshops, Lectures, Consultancy): Paid guided tours, workshops, guest lectures, and consultancy services on topics related to Black history, racism, colonialism, diversity, and inclusion are offered to educational institutions, organizations, and the general public.
4. Space Rental: The Black Archives rents out its space for meetings, workshops, and small events on Saturdays, targeting grassroots initiatives that align with its mission.
5. Exhibition Tickets: Visitors pay for admission to exhibitions such as 'Echoes of In*dependence' (€17.50 per ticket).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Black Archives maintains a cultural heritage archive of more than 20,000 books, documents, photographs, films, and artifacts documenting Black emancipation history in the Netherlands and the diaspora. It sells access and learning through guided tours, rotating exhibitions, a digital archive, published books and an educational poster, the TBA Podcast, paid workshops and lectures, diversity/decolonization consultancy, and event-space rental. Books, merchandise, and tickets are distributed via its own webshop, on-site shop, and Eventbrite.

Product overview

The Black Archives is a cultural heritage organization offering a combination of physical and digital services. Core offerings include a physical archive housing over 20,000 historical items, guided educational tours, rotating exhibitions (currently featuring 'Echoes of In*dependence'), and an online Digital Archive. The organization complements its cultural programming with a Webshop selling books (including publications like 'Wij Slaven van Suriname', 'De toekomst van het verleden', and the 'Route naar Herstel' report), merchandise, and a TBA Podcast. Additional services include space rental for community events, workshops, lectures, and consultancy on multicultural topics. The organization also produces educational materials such as the 'Ten Times More History' poster for schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Suriname Museum: A museum dedicated to the rich cultural and historical heritage of Suriname, housed within The Black Archives.

Products and services

• Guided Tours of The Black Archives Educational guided tours through the archives, book collections, and documents at The Black Archives, covering Dutch slavery history, colonialism, resistance narratives, and diversity and inclusion. Offered to individual visitors, school groups, universities, and organizations, arranged via email inquiry.
• Exhibitions (e.g., 'Echoes of In*dependence') Curated exhibitions developed in collaboration with researchers and artists, including the current 'Echoes of In*dependence' show on independence movements in Africa, the Caribbean, and Suriname. Ticketed at €17.50 with free access for children 0–11.
• Digital Archive

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 archival pieces; 1,000+ visitors to activities; exhibitions toured nationally and internationally

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• New Urban Collective (NUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New Urban Collective is the parent foundation that manages The Black Archives. NUC was founded in 2011 as an association for Black students and students of color, and became a foundation in 2018. It advances the socio-economic position of Afro-Dutch youth and manages the archives and book collections and coordinates TBA's activities.
• Vereniging Ons Suriname (Our Suriname Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVereniging Ons Suriname is the oldest association of Surinamese people in the Netherlands. In 2016, The Black Archives moved into VOS's building (Hugo Olijfveld Huis), which added several collections including the Huiswoud Collection, Willemsen Collection, and archives of VOS. TBA's permanent location at Zeeburgerdijk is within VOS's building.
• Stedelijk Museum AmsterdammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Surinaamse School' exhibition (December 2020 – May 2021), which featured over 100 artworks by 35 artists. The Black Archives lent archival pieces from the Huiswoud Collection for the exhibition.
• PattaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing collaboration and co-branded events between The Black Archives and Amsterdam-based sneaker/store brand Patta.
• LUSHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on the initiative 'Zwarte geschiedenis is Nederlandse geschiedenis' (Black history is Dutch history) between TBA and LUSH.
• TopNotchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Dutch hip-hop label TopNotch, including the 'So So Lobi 2 Winne x Patta x TopNotch' event.
• HZT (Hogeschool van Amsterdam)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration between The Black Archives and HZT (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences).
• So So Lobi 2 WinneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTri-partite event collaboration: So So Lobi 2 Winne x Patta x TopNotch.
• Camissa Museum / Castle of Good HopemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPE x NL is a transnational collaborative project between The Black Archives, Nancy Jouwe, and Elise Fernandez, on behalf of the Camissa Museum located in the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa. The exhibition ran from December 7, 2024 to March 30, 2025.
• HipHopHuis RotterdamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe 'Casa di Cabral' pop-up exhibition was hosted at HipHopHuis Rotterdam from September to December 2024, showcasing the story of Amílcar Cabral.
• OSCAM (Online Museum Centrum voor Archigram & actuele kunst)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with OSCAM for exhibitions including the 'Zwart Manifest: Op Weg Naar Zwarte Emancipatie' and 'Black Joy As A Form Of Resistance' during Museumnacht Amsterdam.
• Stichting Anton de KomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stichting Anton de Kom and Atlas Contact for the Anton de Kom writing competition and the publication of 'Antonlogie'.
• Social Innovation Works / Fawaka WereldBurgerschapmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the development of the '10x More History' educational poster aimed at broadening the mainstream history curriculum in Dutch schools.
• VGN Kleio (World History Commission of the National Association of History Teachers in the Netherlands)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the World History Commission of VGN Kleio for content development of the '10x More History' educational poster.
• De CorrespondentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with online platform De Correspondent for the 'Verzwegen Geschiedenis' (Hidden History) series — a series of articles on hidden histories published on De Correspondent's platform.
• FunXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Dutch urban radio station FunX for the 'Verzwegen Geschiedenis' (Hidden History) series.
• IZI SolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored the 'Route naar Herstel' (Route to Repair) advisory report with IZI Solutions on behalf of the Zwart Manifest coalition, providing over 70 concrete recommendations for repair related to the Dutch trans-Atlantic slavery legacy.
• AfricadelicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Africadelic for events such as the 'Echoes of In*dependence: Cabo Verde' programming.
• Documenta 15majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Black Archives collaborated with Documenta 15, the international art exhibition held in Kassel, Germany.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: Major Amsterdam modern and contemporary art museum that collaborated with TBA on the 'Surinaamse School' exhibition (2020–2021). Comparable through overlapping programming on Surinamese and Black artistic heritage but operating at much larger institutional scale.
• Rijksmuseum: Netherlands' national museum with substantial holdings on Dutch history including slavery-era material, and increasingly active programming on Dutch colonial legacy. Overlaps with TBA's subject matter but operates as a national-scale generalist institution rather than a specialized Black heritage archive.
• Nationaal Archief: Netherlands' national archive responsible for preserving government records and historical documents. Comparable as a Dutch heritage and archival institution providing public access and educational programming, though with government backing and far broader scope than TBA's specialized collection.
• Tropenmuseum: Major Amsterdam museum focused on cultures of the world with substantial programming on colonial history, slavery legacy, and diaspora. Overlaps with TBA on Dutch colonial and Black history themes but operates at significantly larger scale and as part of the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen group.

Direct peers

• International Institute of Social History (IISH): Major Dutch archive and research institute holding one of the world's largest collections of social history materials. Comparable as a Netherlands-based heritage archive with public access, exhibitions, and research programming, though with significantly broader scope and scale.
• Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD): San Francisco museum interpreting the history, art, and culture of African diaspora communities through exhibitions and programming. Closely comparable mission and operating model to TBA as a diaspora-focused cultural heritage institution with exhibitions, educational outreach, and community-driven programs.
• Studio Museum in Harlem: New York-based museum dedicated to supporting artists of African descent and preserving Black artistic and cultural history. Comparable as a mission-driven institution preserving Black heritage, offering exhibitions, educational programming, and community engagement with relatively focused curatorial scope.
• Black Cultural Archives: UK-based heritage archive dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain. Most directly comparable to TBA as a Black-focused archive with educational programming, exhibitions, and a mission to address historical erasure in mainstream European narratives.
• Vereniging Ons Suriname: Oldest Surinamese association in the Netherlands, whose building houses TBA and whose collections form part of the archive. Operates as a diaspora cultural heritage organization with overlapping mission around Surinamese history and community programming in Amsterdam.
• Camissa Museum: South African museum at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town dedicated to the heritage of the Khoi and San peoples and Black resistance history. TBA's CAPE x NL exhibition (Dec 2024–Mar 2025) was co-developed with Camissa, indicating directly comparable mission and programming model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/the_blackarchives
• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Black-Archives-186179268595421
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_blackarchives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theblackarchives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Black Archives