On September 13th (Tuesday) at 6:00, we’ll gather at East 129th Street and 5th Avenue (south-east corner) to celebrate the unveiling of Ann Petry Place.
The acclaimed African-American author, Ann Petry, lived at 2 East 129th Street when she engaged in much of her activist writing for African American newspapers such as The Amsterdam News and The People’s Voice, and The Crisis. 2 East 129th Street was also her home when she wrote the seminal novel: The Street.
This novel, The Street, was the first novel by an African-American woman to sell a staggering 1.5 million copies. With time, The Street has become a canonical text that continues to be widely read throughout the United States as a literary exploration of the grinding and oppressive impact that systemic racism and sexism in mid-century America had on Harlem residents, and African-American women in particular.
Ann Petry stands as a crucial bridge between activists and writers from the Harlem Renaissance with those of Harlem’s Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1950’s and beyond.
We hope you will plan on attending the unveiling and meet Liz Petry, Ann Petry’s daughter, as well as a number of your local officials.
Bethel Gospel Assembly’s 119th Street Side
A dedication to the school that is now the Bethel Gospel Assembly Church, on East 119th Street.


Below is a view of the church from Marcus Garvey Park (looking south, across 120th Street:
