​​​​​​Harlem

Harlem's Growth; Mapping America's Past.

       Dubbed the 'black capital of America', Harlem became known as a cultural mecca. As the black population grew in the city, a flow of creativity blossomed into a movement called the Harlem Renaissance.

"Harlem throbbed with the excitement and energy of African Americans eager to express their talents, deep love and pride for their culture, and shrewd understanding of the turbulent racial times in which they lived."
                    ~ Lean'tin L. Bracks, Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance Era

       In the 1910s, Harlem was a mostly white middle to upper-class neighborhood, but as the flow of migrants North steadily increased, it became home to more blacks, much to the dismay of its white inhabitants. As they moved out, racial conflict, which had proved problematic in other large cities, decreased. This relative peacefulness drew migrating blacks to Harlem. 

"Harlem [was] such a cauldron for intellectual life."​​​​​​​                                                                           ~ Kinshasha Conwill, The Great Migration Series

                                                               Harlem Resident; The Great Migration Series