he people. The food. The music.
The history.
Harlem Week celebrated its 50th anniversary with a kickoff breakfast on August 1 at the famous Sylvia’s Restaurant. It concludes on August 18 with the signature event that started it all: Harlem Day. In between, an overflowing schedule of concerts, performances, get-togethers, talks, fairs, markets, and educational opportunities.
All free.
All held throughout the global mecca of Black culture, history, and leadership: Harlem.
Harlem Day festivities stretch three-quarters of a mile from West 135th Avenue to St. Nicholas Park. Three stages of entertainment headlined by hip-hop artist Fabolous. An Apollo Hour. A tribute to Harry Belafonte. Harlem Broadway Row with performances from Broadway productions and discounted tickets to Broadway shows. A Children’s Festival where attendees will receive school bags full of supplies when they leave. The Harlem Health Village offering health screenings and information.
Local, national, and international jazz, Latin jazz, R&B, gospel, reggae and soca. Hundreds of food and merchandise vendors. The Up Market Pavilion offering artisanal arts, crafts, clothing, and jewelry from professional designers and makers.
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All open to the public with no admission charge.
Harlem Week highlights leading up to the grand finale include Thursday evening “Harlem Summerstage” performances, Saturday “NYC Summer Streets” block parties, the Uptown Night Market on August 8, an outdoor film festival on the 10th, “A Great Day in Harlem” on the 11, the “Alex Trebek Harlem Children’s Spelling Bee” on August 17 along with the “Summer in the City” adult fashion show.
The “Jeopardy!” host was a member of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, which puts on Harlem Week; his son, Matthew, is a board member of the Chamber, lives in Harlem, and owns two restaurants there.
More than simply a good time, the mission of Harlem Week is to provide direction, hope, inspiration, leadership, focus, and unity. But make no mistake, a good time will be had.
Harlem Day Becomes Harlem Week
Harlem Week began in the summer of 1974 as Harlem Day.
“It was supposed to be a onetime event. It was never supposed to happen again,” Lloyd Williams, President, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, told Forbes.com. Williams was instrumental in planning the first Harlem Day. “1974 was the height of what was called ‘urban flight,’ and the urban areas of America, the Detroits and Washingtons and Chicagos, the persons with significant incomes, be they whites, Blacks, etc., were fleeing urban areas, and that which was left were in the main people of color who had nowhere else they could go.”
Photos of New York, including Harlem, during the 1970s can scarcely be believed today. Burned out buildings. Vacant lots. Rubble.
This event was organized by Percy Sutton, then the Manhattan Borough President and board chairman of what was the Uptown Chamber of Commerce (predecessor to The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce). He knew the community needed a pick-me-up. Something to look forward to and feel good about. An event to put the focus on Harlem’s greatness, instead of the problems.
“Whenever (Harlemites) turned on television, it was who got shot, or what happened with drugs, or where was there a fire,” Williams remembered. “(Sutton) said, “They have to know about the history, about the museums.”
“A ribbon was cut at 138th street and 7th Avenue by (actor and producer) Ossie Davis,” Williams said. “He declared this to be the beginning of the second Harlem Renaissance. When he cut that ribbon, 7th Avenue was officially renamed Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in honor of the late great congressman.”
It was the first time in the history of New York City a street was named after a person of color.
“We thought when we cut the ribbon, that was it, we did whatever we were supposed to do, and everybody went back to where they came from,” Williams added.
About three weeks later, Sutton called Harlem Day organizers, including Williams, back together and said they needed to do it again.
So they did the next year. And the next.
Then Harlem Day became Harlem Weekend. Then Harlem Week.
Prior to COVID, Harlem Week was a month long.
“Only in Harlem could a week last for a month,” Williams said.
COVID forced Harlem Week to go virtual, but not even a pandemic could slow it down. More people participated. Thousands more around the world, inspiring organizers to include virtual participation events ever since.
A Harlem State of Mind
Harlem Day and Harlem Week have grown to represent more than the community they call home. Same as Harlem.
The Harlem State of Mind.
“The Harlem State of Mind is known throughout the world. When we’re talking about Harlem, we are not talking about a community in New York City. We are not talking about a community that is in Manhattan. We’re talking about Cicero, Illiniois, Roxbury, Massachusetts, Southside Chicago, New Orleans, Kingston, Jamaica, San Juan, Puerto Rico and on and on,” Williams explains. “If there are people anywhere in the world who know that there are people of color who live in America, the high probability is that they have heard of the name ‘Harlem.’”
And that name means something.
It means Black excellence. Black achievement. Brilliance.
“Harlem is strategically located like no other community. Why? Because it’s located in Manhattan and that is the international capital of the world with the United Nations. That is the financial capital of the world with Wall Street. That is the cultural capital of the world with Broadway. That is the historical capital of the world with all of the museums. The media capital of the world,” Williams said. “As a result, Harlem has the unique ability that what happens in Harlem resonates and is broadcast around the region, around the nation, and around the world.”
The Harlem State of Mind as one of Harlem’s great exports along with all that music and art and literature.
“What we are saying to the south side of Philly or whatever it is, is that you should look at what’s happening in your community, and you should focus on the positive, because often times what they are hearing is the negative,” Williams said. “They’re hearing about crime, and they’re hearing about drugs, and they’re hearing about poor education, and not that some of that is not real, but they’re not hearing about the history, they’re not hearing about their culture.”
About the genius Black thinkers and writers and musicians and activists and artists from their communities.
Pride.
Whether attending Harlem Week or not, take from Harlem the Harlem State of Mind.
