Charles L. Blockson, the curator emeritus of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, passed away Wednesday, June 14, at his home. He was 89.

Blockson is remembered as the architect behind one of the most prestigious collections of African-American artifacts in the U.S. Located inside Sullivan Hall, the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection houses more than 700,000 items relating to the global Black experience, and its extensive catalog dates from 1581 to the present.