Glossary
| Harlem | | One of the most storied and vibrant African American communities in the country, located in the northern part of Manhattan Island, New York City. Originally a rural area of New York, Harlem experienced an influx of wealth and rapid development in the 1870s, when three elevated train lines were added to service the neighborhood. During the late 19th century much of Harlem’s housing stock was built to attract the city’s well-to-do. When the real estate market crashed in 1904 (due to speculation and over-development), black real estate developer Philip Payton began converting the neighborhood into a haven for the city’s black middle class. Soon after, during the 1920s Harlem was home to a thriving African American cultural scene, dubbed the Harlem Renaissance. Since then, Harlem has been a geographical locus for black culture, activism, arts and struggle. |
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