Harlem Protest and Jet Magazine – 1963

In 1963 Jet Magazine ran with a story on a 2 month protest of wigs. This Harlem protest was organized by the Committee for Racial Pride.

As Seen In Harlem

On 3rd Avenue at 121st Street, a residential building rises.

Criminal Background Checks

New York City Council bill 632 – a “local law prohibiting housing discrimination on the basis of arrest record or criminal history” – if passed, will prohibit owners, managers and brokers from inquiring about criminal record information in rentals, leases, subleases, or occupancy agreements at any stage in the rental application process in New York City. Councilmembers Jordan and Ayala support this measure.

A protest against this bill is scheduled for December 7th:

Harlem Schools’ Trash

You’ve likely encountered this. Piles of trash near NYC Schools and filth that the Department of Education seems to get away with. Now members in Harlem are calling for cleaner streets around New York City public schools and are asking the DOE to follow the same rules enforced on their neighbors in the community.

Home To Harlem

Join the Maysles Cinema in celebrating our community:

June 9-June 30, 2022
“Home to Harlem” presents Harlem through an archival lens as both an actual home for Black citizens and families and as a location in the popular imagination of African Americans, by exploring the various intersections of documentary, amateur films, home movies, musical shorts, nontheatrical materials, family archives and the preservation of cultural artifacts in Harlem. The series will also spotlight film exhibition in Harlem, innovated by Jessie Maple and LeRoy Patton’s 20 West: Home of Black Cinema.
Curated by Ina Archer and Emily Apter.
Tickets Here
Screening #IntheCinema
June 9, 7:30PM | America’s Negro Metropolis
June 17, 6:30PM at City College | Diary of a Harlem Family
June 23, 7:30PM | Cab Calloway and Many More
June 24, 7:30PM | Jessie Maple’s Home for Black Cinema
Streaming #Virtually
June 20-June 26 | Diary of a Harlem Family
Events #IntheCommunity
June 10, 7:45PM at St Nicholas Park | Home to Harlem in the Park screening Cotton Comes to Harlem
June 11, 9AM-2PM at 619 West 14th st | West 145 Street Arts Crafts & Health Fair presented by Centro Civico Cultural Dominicano
June 12, 12PM-4PM at Children’s Art Carnival | Community Archiving Pop-up event

Hike the Heights

Hike the Heights
Hike the Giraffe Path, a six mile trail that connects the Cloisters to Central Park through the cliffside parks in Northern Manhattan and then head to the Sunken Playground for games and a potluck. 

Saturday, June 4, 10:00 am

Stand Against Gun Violence

Good Afternoon Friends, Family and Colleagues,

My hope is that you are all doing well.  The last few weeks have absolutely been very emotional for our Nation.  Seems like every time we turn on our television we are dealing with yet another senseless shooting.  As National Gun Violence Awareness Day is approaching I am asking you to come out and stand together to condemn this public health crisis and promote love and peace.  You may be asking yourself, how will this combat gun violence? and the answer is that coming together in unity is actually the first step because it shows that we will not continue to tolerate this, it shows that we are coming together to say Enough is Enough.  

We won’t keep you long.  We ask you to wear orange and come together in solidarity as we speak out, have a moment of silence, call on the Most High for assistance and discuss action plans to continue the movement to combat gun violence.  This event is a COMMUNITY EVENT hosted by SAVE/GOSO and the Community Council. 

What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safe nation, state, and neighborhood tomorrow? We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo.  These are the words of Matthew McConaughey.  We owe it to our children to come together in unity and stand together to create an unbreakable bond and a powerful punch so that we can make change for the good. 

I have attached the flyer for your perusal with the hopes that programs will bring out their participants and families will come out from around the city. We need you there.

I thank you in advance for coming out and rallying for the cause.

Sincerely,

Kioka Jackson

Concert in Harlem Rose Garden

Open Garden Day and the performance by the Harlem School of the Arts singers at 4PM. 

1991 – Reverend Al Sharpton and Crack Houses

From July 1991, a video of Reverend Al Sharpton.

Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network painted red X’s on the doors of crack houses and establishments that were selling drugs and drug paraphernalia In Harlem and Bed Stuy. NAN waged a summer campaign against drugs and violence in the Community.

If you look closely. You will see Eric Adams in the march..

Boundless Theater Company at the Julia de Burgos Center

Boundless Theatre Company has announced a new residency at the Julia de Burgos Performance and Arts Center, sponsored by the Hispanic Federation! This residency is the latest step forward in a longstanding collaboration between the two nonprofits, and will take place throughout the course of the 2021-22 season.

Since 2015, Boundless Theatre has been instrumental in creating rich and diverse programming for the Julia de Burgos Center, which will increase during this inaugural residency. Programs will include two professional productions located at the center, including a Mainstage Production (December 2021) and a Spanish-language production (June 2022). Other programs will include El Barrio Raíces, a children’s arts workshop (March/April 2022 and July 2022), and Boundless Exposed, a workshop program for early-career theatre designers of color (May 2022).

Boundless Theatre also remains a key collaborator for the annual FUERZAfest Festival, produced by the Hispanic Federation. This festival is the first LGBTQ+ Latinx Arts Festival in the Northeast, and takes place annually at the Julia de Burgos Performance and Arts Center.

Boundless Theatre Company is a designer-led theatre company spearheaded by women and theatre-makers of color. Recent projects include NYC productions of Migdalia Cruz’s Fur and María Irene Fornés’ The Conduct of Life.

The Julia de Burgos Performance and Arts Center is located at 1680 Lexington Avenue. As part of this inaugural residency program, Boundless Theatre Company will be offering a discount on all productions for residents of East Harlem.

For more information about Boundless Theatre, please visit www.boundlesstheatre.org or follow @boundlesstheatre on Facebook and Instagram. For more about the Julia de Burgos Performance and Arts Center, please visit www.jdbpac.org.

Just Looking Down

Walking past the Fred Moore School with it’s great (sanctioned) graffiti:

I looked down and noticed, stuck in the concrete of a window well, a geodetic bench mark from the US Coast and Geodetic Survey:

Locating a survey marker in a window well seemed a poor choice, given that the wall of the school restricted visibility from the marker to just over 180 degrees, and also that plantings between the window well and the school fence were likely to result in roots that could crack the concrete.

Sure enough, a closer look at the marker shows a number of cracks that would likely render the marker ‘good enough’ but certainly not down to the millimeter.

As you can see from the photo above, the marker was placed there a few years after the school was built (1949), and while the marker has space for noting the elevation above sea level, that part of the bronze marker is unmarked.

To learn more you need to go to this site:

https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datasheets/

where you can find the markers closest to wherever you are in the US. Looking at northern Manhattan, you can see that there are a few around, mostly near the water:

The one I’d stumbled across is listed here:

has its own data sheet that tells more about its location, height, and even that accuracy is sketchy

https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datasheets/

The gist might be that it’s about 6.7m or 22 feet above sea level

To learn more about Fred Moore, see:

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/moore-playground/history

PROGRAM = datasheet95, VERSION = 8.12.5.14
Starting Datasheet Retrieval...
1        National Geodetic Survey,   Retrieval Date = DECEMBER 29, 2021
 KU1032 ***********************************************************************
 KU1032  DESIGNATION -  V 338
 KU1032  PID         -  KU1032
 KU1032  STATE/COUNTY-  NY/NEW YORK
 KU1032  COUNTRY     -  US
 KU1032  USGS QUAD   -  CENTRAL PARK (2019)
 KU1032
 KU1032                         *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
 KU1032  ______________________________________________________________________
 KU1032* NAD 83(1986) POSITION- 40 48 35.     (N) 073 56 22.     (W)   SCALED    
 KU1032* NAVD 88 ORTHO HEIGHT -     6.775 (meters)       22.23  (feet) ADJUSTED  
 KU1032  ______________________________________________________________________
 KU1032  GEOID HEIGHT    -        -31.556 (meters)                     GEOID18
 KU1032  DYNAMIC HEIGHT  -          6.772 (meters)       22.22  (feet) COMP
 KU1032  MODELED GRAVITY -    980,258.2   (mgal)                       NAVD 88
 KU1032
 KU1032  VERT ORDER      -  FIRST     CLASS II
 KU1032
 KU1032.The horizontal coordinates were scaled from a map and have
 KU1032.an estimated accuracy of +/- 6 seconds.
 KU1032.
 KU1032.The orthometric height was determined by differential leveling and
 KU1032.adjusted by the NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY
 KU1032.in June 1991.
 KU1032
 KU1032.Significant digits in the geoid height do not necessarily reflect accuracy.
 KU1032.GEOID18 height accuracy estimate available here.
 KU1032
 KU1032.Click photographs - Photos may exist for this station.
 KU1032
 KU1032.The dynamic height is computed by dividing the NAVD 88
 KU1032.geopotential number by the normal gravity value computed on the
 KU1032.Geodetic Reference System of 1980 (GRS 80) ellipsoid at 45
 KU1032.degrees latitude (g = 980.6199 gals.).
 KU1032
 KU1032.The modeled gravity was interpolated from observed gravity values.
 KU1032
 KU1032;                    North         East    Units  Estimated Accuracy
 KU1032;SPC NY L     -    71,410.      305,110.      MT  (+/- 180 meters Scaled)
 KU1032
 KU1032_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 18TWL894181(NAD 83)
 KU1032
 KU1032                          SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
 KU1032
 KU1032  NGVD 29 (??/??/92)    7.104  (m)           23.31   (f) ADJ UNCH    1 2
 KU1032
 KU1032.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.
 KU1032
 KU1032.NGS no longer adjusts projects to the NAD 27 or NGVD 29 datums.
 KU1032.See file dsdata.pdf to determine how the superseded data were derived.
 KU1032
 KU1032_MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK
 KU1032_SETTING: 32 = SET IN A RETAINING WALL OR CONCRETE LEDGE
 KU1032_SP_SET: RETAINING WALL
 KU1032_STAMPING: V 338 1952
 KU1032_MARK LOGO: CGS
 KU1032_STABILITY: C = MAY HOLD, BUT OF TYPE COMMONLY SUBJECT TO
 KU1032+STABILITY: SURFACE MOTION
 KU1032
 KU1032  HISTORY     - Date     Condition        Report By
 KU1032  HISTORY     - 1952     MONUMENTED       CGS
 KU1032  HISTORY     - 20031216 GOOD             INDIV
 KU1032
 KU1032                          STATION DESCRIPTION
 KU1032
 KU1032'DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1952
 KU1032'AT NEW YORK.
 KU1032'AT NEW YORK, IN BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, AT INTERSECTION OF 5TH
 KU1032'AVENUE AND EAST 131ST STREET, 33 FEET SOUTHEAST OF SOUTHEAST CURB
 KU1032'OF 5TH AVENUE, 100 1/2 FEET SOUTHWEST OF SOUTHWEST CURB OF EAST
 KU1032'131ST STREET, IN THE TOP OF NORTH CORNER OF RETAINING WALL OF AIR
 KU1032'SHAFT FOR BASEMENT WINDOW OF PUBLIC SCHOOL NO. 133 (FRED R. MOORE
 KU1032'SCHOOL), 8.4 FEET SOUTHWEST OF CENTER OF ENTRANCE TO SCHOOL AND
 KU1032'ABOUT 0.4 FOOT ABOVE SIDE WALK.
 KU1032
 KU1032                          STATION RECOVERY (2003)
 KU1032
 KU1032'RECOVERY NOTE BY INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS 2003 (DS)
 KU1032'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

Harlem Library

Here is a second, US Coast and Geodetic Survey, found in Harlem (built into the Harlem Library, next to Marcus Garvey Park.

Harlem Residents Protest Property Taxes While Being Oversaturated

To sign the petition to end the oversaturation of Harlem and East Harlem, see:

Bit.ly/FAIRSHARE4HARLEM

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

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

Harlem’s Night Market Returns

The Harlem Night Market returns to the historic La Marqueta this Friday, December 17, to Sunday, December 19: https://www.instagram.com/harlemnightmarket.

Join us the last weekend before Christmas to celebrate the best food, makers and music from across East and West Harlem. This year we’ve expanded to include more vendors than ever in the stalls at La Marqueta — plus Santa and family-friendly activities by El Museo del Barrio at Urban Garden Center.

MARKET HOURS & ACTIVITIES:
Friday, December 17, 5-9 p.m.
Saturday, December 18, 4-9 p.m. (Family activities 4-6 p.m.)
Sunday, December 19, 3-8 p.m. (Family activities 3-6 p.m.)

MUSIC:
D.J.s Ted Smooth & Stormin’ Norman will be holding us down each night on the ones and twos. Plus there’ll be family-friendly live music each afternoon:
Friday, 5-6 p.m.: Yotoco Music
Saturday, 4-5 p.m.: Traditional Puerto Rican parranda with Los Pleneros de la 21 that will wind its way through all lots of the market, and end on the La Placita mainstage
Sunday, 3-4 p.m.: Son Pecadores
Sunday, 4-4:30 p.m.: Sing Harlem Gospel Choir

VENDORS:
Our vendor list is topping out at some 75 amazing chefs and makers across the course of the three days! To give you a taste:

Food: Sugar Hill Creamery, Harlem Biscuit Co, Cafe Ollin, Au Jus BBQ, El Paso, La Fonda, Make My Cake, Black Rican Vegan, Dell’Aria Caffe, Harlem Seafood Soul, Harlem Baking Co., Maryam’s Yum Yum & more.

Alcohol: Pitorro by Port Morris Distillery, plus coquito by Lolo’s Seafood Shack, Flaco Coquito and several winners of the New York State Coquito Masters.

Makers: Void Asylum (winners of Harlem Fashion Week), Jam + Rico, Adinkra Republic, the NYC Fair Trade Coalition, Body Vanity, HERBAS, Harlem Hoopz, Hannah Bandannah, Aya Hand Fans, Taller Jibaro, East Harlem Preservation, Yo Soy Mia, Della Designz, Pop Pins, K’s Jams, Craft Miztli & more.

Proof of vaccination and ID are required to enter the indoor spaces of the market, and face coverings must be worn except when eating and drinking. Urban Garden Center and our temporary Open Street on 115th Street will remain outdoors and in the open air.

Free tickets on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harlem-night-market-tickets-220442849497

Scenes From A Protest

HNBA members joined a protest and march organized by 1775 Houses, AK Houses, JR Houses, and The Greater Harlem Coalition on Saturday.

200+ people joined to protest the continued oversaturation of our community with addiction treatment programs that primarily serve people from other communities that have managed to keep treatment programs out of their neighborhoods, and instead, pack them in ours.

Congress Member Adrian Espaillat and other political leaders (and aspirants) joined the march.

HNBA Holliday Comic Cooking

We had a lot of fun last night cooking together over Zoom and sharing some laughs and food.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/33GwfmSZnoYHpU4SAOsqvUqmtOy42WIbxuGWQD-MX449SuZSSqOcRC43QoariuuN.oQgEdsnDC67AXEOA 

Passcode: 0JRhCZ@.

Feel free to watch to learn more about a great, fast, and tasty pasta meal.

Fair Share and Safety Protest to Support Harlem’s Children

And Their Right to Attend Schools Free of Drug Activity

Today at 11:00

The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association demands that the new drug site on East 126th Street be moved to a commercial or industrial zone, away from Harlem’s children. The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association believes that helping people suffering from addiction should not also endanger parents and children going to school.

If you can, please join us Today at 11:00. We’ll meet at the south plaza of Park and 125th Street, across from the main Metro-North entrance.

Please come out to support Harlem’s children, and to ask New York City, and New York State, to equitably distribute programs and services in all New York neighborhoods, and not simply pack them over and over again, in Harlem and East Harlem.

Rally to Support Harlem’s Children

And Their Right to Attend Schools Free of Drug Activity – Saturday at 11:00

Mayor De Blasio placed the nations first opioid injection site directly across from a Harlem Pre-School with no community involvement. The block where this injection site has been located is already completely oversaturatated with men and women in methadone treatment, and the drop-off point for the Wards Island shelter population – a process that leaves these vulnerable men with no support services at the corner of Lexington and 126th Street.

The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association demands that this facility be moved to a commercial or industrial zone, away from Harlem’s children. The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association believes that helping people suffering from addiction should not also endanger parents and children going to school.

If you can, please join us on Saturday at 11:00. We’ll meet at the south plaza of Park and 125th Street, across from the main Metro North entrance.

Please come out to support Harlem’s children, and to ask New York City, and New York State, to equitably distribute programs and services in all New York neighborhoods, and not simply pack the over and over again, in Harlem and East Harlem.

Harlem Night Market is Back

Guess who’s back! And bigger than ever! That’s right, the Harlem Night Market returns Guess who’s back! And bigger than ever! That’s right, the Harlem Night Market returns to the historic La Marqueta this December 17th, 18th & 19th.

Join us the last weekend before Christmas as we celebrate the best food, makers and music from across East and West Harlem. This year we’ve expanded to include family friendly activities at @urbangardencenter and more vendors than ever in the stalls at @publicmarketsnyc.
@tedsmooth & @storminnorman will be holding us down again on the 1’s & 2’s and there will be plenty of hot foods and warm sweets to keep the chill off as you shop our makers plaza for unique holiday gifts.

Be sure to bring your wallet, your appetite, and your friends, and come celebrate with us while supporting small and local businesses.

Don’t wait in long lines! Free “Priority Access” tickets are available right now on EventBrite so click on the link in our bio and get your tickets now.

The Harlem Night Market is brought to you through partnerships with @uptowngrandcentral@tbo.harlem@nycedc , @unionsettlement and @cmdianaayalanyc, in addition to, support from @poncebank@urbangardencenter@qupey@shopharlemmade and @elmuseo

Vendors apply at link in bio!

Proof of vaccination and ID are required to enter. Face coverings must be worn at all times when not actively eating or drinking.

#Harlem#harlemworld#eastharlem#elbarrio#elbarrionyc#uptown#nyc#newyork#newyorkcity#tboharlem#igersofnyc#visitharlem#harlemnightmarket#nycnightmarket#shopsmall#shoploca