Harlem

How the "Jewel of Harlem" Became Unlivable

Opened in 1967, Esplanade Gardens’ co-op apartments were seen as a way for Black families to acquire intergenerational wealth and gnaw away at centuries-long inequality in housing.Then it started falling apart.

Historically, Black Distrust of Police is About More than Acts of Violence

by Christopher Hayes

The Harlem rebellion against the NYPD in July 1964 was sparked by a police killing of a teenager (and a grand jury's refusal to indict him), but reflected the role of the police in maintaining a profoundly unequal social order that affected everyday life in Black neighborhoods, a situation that has changed little. 

Allon Schoener, 95, Dies; Curator Caught in Furor Over ‘Harlem’ Show

Schoener always insisted that critics misunderstood the purpose of the exhibition, which didn't include original paintings by Black artists but did highlight African American photographers. But with distance from the furor, he dismissed claims that he was an early victim of "cancel culture" by recognizing controversy as the price of progress. 

How the Police Shooting of a Black Soldier Triggered the 1943 Harlem Riots

Scholars Nikki Jones, Michael Flamm, and Dominic Capeci describe what exactly unfolded during these riots, what motivated them, and what they represented.

An Interview with Historian Ansley Erickson

Erickson is the co-editor of Educating Harlem: A Century of Schooling and Resistance in a Black Community, a new book from the Harlem Education History Project.

Review: Showtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem’s Legendary Theater

by Bruce Chadwick

Fox takes the reader all the way back to 1914 and discusses entertainment in Harlem, and New York City, in that bustling era when vaudeville was sill king to set the stage for the debut of the Apollo in 1934.

Whole Foods Is Opening in Harlem. Should We Be Celebrating?

by Brian D. Goldstein

It’s more complicated than you think.

When Castro Came to Harlem

by Steven Cohen

The Cuban leader’s last visit to the U.S. before the 1961 diplomatic fallout can tell us a lot about our present historic moment.

The Cotton Club of 1932 Returns with a Roar

by Bruce Chadwick

"After Midnight" is a winner for bringing Harlem’s Depression jubilant night life back to life.