The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association

Neighbors united to improve the quality of life in Harlem

Tag: National Action Network

August Robles

Posted on by Harlem Shill

This photo of East Harlem caught my eye with the Botanic sign and the police carrying Tommy guns:

Note that the officers also have gas masks:

And bullet proof vests that look more like aprons when compared to the ones we see on the police these days:

Lastly, there appears to be a laughing priest in the mix, outside 67 East 112nd Street:

The location is now part of the Sendero Verde complex:

The address of the Botanica was 67 E. 112th Street. August Robles was in the building, resisting arrest in 1955. Police gathered outside the tenement:

And on the roof:

Note the tear gas billowing out, and a closeup of the police on the rooftop:

For details on the story, see:

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Twenty-Fifth Annual Women of Excellence

“Awards Reception”

AT THE HOUSE OF JUSTICE

106 WEST 145TH STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10039

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2023 

1:00 PM

TICKETS:  $75.00 per person

All roads lead to West 145th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.

Yours-in-the-Struggle,

Dawn L. Jones, National Board Member and

Member, NANWA

NAMA The Gift Shop:  Imani’s Creations & Entertainment, Inc., Holistic Harlem, DJ CARD CREATOR and Angel Star Foundation will be on display at Monday Night Jam Sessions at The New Amsterdam Musical Association 107 West 130th Street New York, NY 10027 each and every Wednesday evening @ Harlem Late Night Jazz.  Come out celebrate “Women Telling Our Stories.’  Stop, shop, sip and save big with us!  Special Discount to all Women and Social Workers this monthly only!  Social Work Month 2023:  Thank Your For All You Do To Break Barriers!

Head To Albany! Make Your Voice Heard!

Here is your chance to head to Albany and make a difference!  Get on the bus this Saturday!

What: Somos Albany Conference When: Saturday, March 11, 2023

Time: 7:00am-4:00pm

Bus Pick-Up: 116th & Madison Ave (right hand side corner–in front of Mt. Zion Church)

Leaves: 7:00am sharp

Departs Albany: 4:00pm sharp

This is an invitation only (non-transferable)

Please confirm if you able to attend for your free slot on the bus as soon as possible as seats are limited. Please RSVP to Christal Williams (917) 517-1187 (Mobile) via text/call.

Kristin Jordan Does Not Vote for Adrienne Adams, the First-Ever, Black NY City Council Speaker

Posted on by Harlem Shill
Adrienne Adams, the new City Council Speaker of New York City

In one of her first acts as a city council representative, Kristin Jordan was one of only 2 city council members who did not vote for Adrienne Adams the first Black City Council Speaker in the history of New York City. Jordan was one of only two colleagues to vote against Adrienne Adams.

In her speech, Adrienne Adams singled out the impact that two Harlem legends had on her and on all African Americans fighting for change and justice in America:

One of my mentors is in the room this afternoon: the pioneer who paved the way for me and so many other African American women to both lead and succeed, the one and only Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference.

Next to her I want to acknowledge another mentor, someone who has been a stalwart for change and justice in New York City, the Reverend Al Sharpton. I am a proud member of the National Action Network and grateful for his leadership over the years.

You can read Adrienne Adams speech, here:

Adrienne Adams’ first speech as New York City Council Speaker

Winter’s Here

And with the weather, here is a great 19th-century image of a Harlem scene.

Councilwoman Kristin Jordan Protests Proposed Civil Rights Museum and Headquarters For The National Action Network

Posted on by Harlem Shill

PRESS RELEASE:

City Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan, and concerned residents of central Harlem, will lead a protest on Monday January 3, 2022 to fight against the “One45” development, proposed for the corner of Lenox avenue and West 145th street. The proposal to construct two 363-foot-tall towers, a civil rights museum and new headquarters for Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, has been met with much scrutiny from local residents who feel developer Bruce Teitelbaum, and all other profiting parties, have not adequately engaged or even considered the voices of the majority black neighborhood.

Central Harlem has experienced deep gentrification in the last few decades, which is only rapidly increasing. Newly released census data revealed that Harlem gained more than 18,000 white residents since 2010, while losing more than 10,000 Black residents. According to Councilwoman Richardson Jordan, “Harlem is not for sale” and the One45 development has the intent and effect of further harming and displacing the community she represents. As a third generation Harlemite, the Councilwoman has promised to fight against the displacement of Black and Brown people in her district and the erasure of Harlem’s rich Black heritage, culture and radical tradition. “We cannot sacrifice the lives of humans for the sake of a museum and unaffordable luxury living for the privileged few. We need to prioritize the lives of our fellow Harlemites”, she states. 

The project, pictured below, would include 900+ apartments – including up to 282 units set aside as affordable – in addition to the museum and NAN headquarters.

How To Eat Your Way Through Black Owned- Harlem

Travel Noire has a tight summary of some wonderful Black-owned eating and drinking establishments in Harlem. Have a look, see which ones you can check-off, and put the rest on your bucket list for 2022:

https://travelnoire.com/how-to-eat-your-way-through-black-owned-harlem?item=2

Mt. Morris Bathhouse

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The Mount Morris Bathhouse (also sometimes called) the Mount Morris Turkish Baths, was located at 28 East 125th Street.

Built in 1889-90 by C. Abbott French & Co., the structure was designed as a blend of two popular styles at the time, neo-Grec and Queen Anne.

The bathhouse was the first commercial tenant of the Lohengrin apartment building. The building itself is a stately late 19th Century structure with well-preserved architectural details on the façade. The Baths, located on the basement level, featured Turkish and Russian-style facilities.

Continuously in use from 1893-2003, Mt. Morris was the only bathhouse in New York City that specifically catered to Black men. The Baths started serving a predominantly gay clientele, probably sometime during the Harlem Renaissance. Those frequenting the baths during that period included Countee Cullen, Harold Jackman, Carl Van Vechten, and Lincoln Kirstein. Up until the 1960s, it was the only gay bathhouse in the city to admit Black customers.

Learn more about the history of the baths and it’s important social service work during the HIV/AIDs crisis from the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project at https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/mt-morris-baths

Pride 2021: Exploring Harlem’s Queer Past – News Blast #2

NAN Community Day

Join the National Action Network at a Community Day at Col. Young Playground – 143rd and Lenox Ave. on Wednesday, September 1st – 11 am to 7 pm

Poetry in The Garden

The Harlem Rose Garden is excited to present the extraordinary poet Mr. Daniel Carlton on Sunday, August 29th at 4PM
Honoring Harlem as A Garden of History, Now, and Future Harvests

Daniel Carlton is an actor, storyteller, playwright, poet, director, and award-winning teaching artist who has appeared on New York, national, and international stages. His work has been presented in schools, jails, homeless shelters, libraries, and other traditional and non-traditional spaces.