Harlem
The cultural and intellectual capital of Black America for much of the 20th century. The Harlem Renaissance produced Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jacob Lawrence, Aaron Douglas, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday at venues including the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club. Harlem was the national headquarters of the NAACP, the National Urban League, and Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Malcolm X led Mosque No. 7 on West 116th Street. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research division of the New York Public Library, anchors the neighborhood today.
A full editorial profile of Harlem — including primary sources, archival photographs, and a visitor guide — is in development. Subscribe to be notified when it publishes. To suggest sources or corrections, write us at editors@black-history.com.