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"All of Harlem is pervaded by a sense of congestion, rather like the insistent, maddening, claustrophobic pounding in the skull that comes from trying to breathe in a very small room with all the windows shut."
-- James Baldwin

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Commerce - Community Organizations - Education in Harlem
Restaurants In Harlem - Parks In Harlem - Soul Food

Commerce
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by Kevin Wallenstein and Syeda Alom

Harlem’s economic conditions developed from the facets of Harlem’s history and culture. The social conditions of Harlem’s past have shaped its current economics, which in turn will affect the future social conditions of the area. The prolific problems facing Harlemites both socially and economically can be traced back to hundred years ago.

Historical Background

The face of Harlem has changed over the years. The modern facade of Harlem can be traced back to over one hundred years ago. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Harlem started to become what it is today and the foundation of its socio-economic problems began to form. During this time period, the first trains were built connecting the more highly populated sections of Manhattan with Harlem. In 1880, the New York Elevated Railroad built a line leading to East Harlem, becoming the first Railroad to connect the north and south of Manhattan. Investors believed that this would lead to a population boom in Harlem of upper class Manhattanites and Brownstones were build in large quantities. Almost 1,700 apartments were built per year from 1870 to 1910. Unfortunately investors over-estimated interest in the area, leading to cheap abandoned houses. These cheap abandoned houses encouraged lower wage minority workers to move into Harlem for the cheap rent. Many of these workers were of African-American decent and in later years they were of Latino and West Indian decent. Essentially Harlem’s overinvestment in housing is what led to the minority influx.

The demographics of Harlem today still represent the influx of minority, low-wage workers that were primarily black. Most districts of Harlem have maintained their high black and Hispanic populations. In comparison with the general population of the US, which is 12% Black, the 10029 area code district population is 54.6% Black and 57.7% Hispanic. The 10035 area code district population is 48.7% Black and 50% Hispanic. The 10026 area code population is 74% black. All of this data is from the 2000 US Census. The high minority rate is just one of the characteristics maintained of the initial Harlem population. Like the initial influx of people into Harlem, the current population of Harlem is under-educated and under-employed in low wage jobs. While 80% of the US population has high school degrees the 10029, 10035 and 10026 area codes in Harlem, only 69%, 50% and 65% of the populations respectively have HS degrees. In accordance, the families below the poverty level are higher in Harlem than the rest of America. Between 30% and 40% of Harlemites are below the poverty level, as compared to 9.2% of Americans, according to the 2000 US census.

The issues and primary concerns facing this demographic have in many ways stayed the same. The reason this demographic was initially drawn to Harlem was affordable housing and its closeness to the city. Poverty operates as a self-perpetuating cycle for many in Harlem, causing children to stay in the same economic situation as their parents. Many of the parents are under-educated, working low-wage jobs, barely making ends meet. When their children are old enough, they are often taken out of school to start working, preventing them from getting an education and forcing them into low wage jobs. This perpetuates the cycle in the following generation. Additionally, because the population of these areas is generally poor, the schools often lack funding and alternative education resources are often limited.

Housing

Beyond the perpetuation of poverty, housing is a key concern in Harlem. The disproportionately low earnings of the Harlem community lead residents to pursue low cost housing. Before the 1950s, most apartments were in shambles and overcrowded because of lack of housing law enforcement. One of the causes of this problem is that most people don’t own their apartments or homes in Harlem, but instead rent them, another problem reflecting poverty. In fact, below 10% of Harlem residents own their home, as compared with 66% of all Americans according to the 2000 US Census. To make higer profits, landlords cut corners and neglect maintenance and care of the housing facilities. Since many of the buildings are owned by outsiders and not by the residents themselves, these abuses are not a problem by the landowners who have the power to make changes. By the 1960s and 1970s it was so uneconomic to maintain a buildings in Harlem, many rented buildings were abandoned by their owners despite the need for apartments and this left many renters homeless.

In response to the perpetual problems of housing in Harlem, the government began to tear down brownstones and build federally subsidized apartments for the poor, homeless and those in financial need. This occurred as early as the late 1930s and still occurs today. Currently, almost 1,600 people live in low income housing in East Harlem. This solution to the housing problem is very controversial for several reasons. Several points of controversy include costs, herding of low-income workers into one building, and the fact that this housing ignores people who do not meet the rigid qualifications, like undocumented immigrants.

Finding affordable housing is a problem and so is finding jobs. The primary source of work in Harlem is provided by the medical industry. Several hospitals, medical schools and health services exist in Harlem and on the periphery of Harlem. This includes Harlem Hospital, Columbia’s Hospital and Medical School, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and North General Hospital. Harlem employs almost 16,000 medical workers, though very few Harlemites are in high paying positions. The lack of education is one of the primary reasons for this. For this reason, the money these institutions bring in rarely stays in Harlem.

Present Issues Concerning Harlem

Currently gentrification is complicating both the employment issue and housing. Because of the recent renovation and the reduction in crime, the area is becoming somewhat posh for both the upper class to visit and live in. The Brownstones of Harlem are being renovated and sold for upwards of one million dollars as a wealthier, more educated class starts to seize Harlem’s low-cost land. In the 10029 area code of Harlem, 21% of owner occupied homes are valued at over a million dollars while median household income is 23,000 dollars less than the average American income. With the influx of the wealthier class, many people in Harlem are concerned about the possible effects. For years the lower class has been fighting for more and better housing with no avail. Now they must compete with people who have far more resources, including more social and economic capital. Lower-class residents rightfully fear that they will be pushed out as landlords realize the value of the land and try to sell it to the upper class. The upper class will also raise the price of other services and necessities and change the political agenda as local politicians begin to cater to those with money. The culture of the area will also inevitably shift. The culture clash is obvious as low-income housing shares the same block as million dollar homes.

While this is going on to encourage job growth, the government has offered subsidies to large corporations who bring business to Harlem. The government is also encouraging many corporations to open locations in Harlem. Chain stores are pushing locally owned businesses and shops out of Harlem. This can be seen on 125th Street and Broadway, as large corporations are buying local shops and adding them on into large chains. In some people’s opinion, this will lead to a drain on the economy of Harlem. These stores will send the profits to corporations unsympathetic to the average Harlemite instead of going to a local shop owner who lives and works in the Harlem community.

The suggestions to the problems faced by Harlem in this wave of gentrification are numerous and controversial. Some do not see gentrification as a problem, claiming that the people in Harlem have no more of a claim to the land than anyone else and they welcome the culture change. Many would like to find ways to integrate Harlem's economy to fits its people. For example, some want to expand funding to programs that would educate those living Harlem. Some want to pass laws that would mandate funding for low wage housing for every upper class housing built. Home ownership programs for local Harlemites would lessen the threat of the upper class moving in because they would not have to be concerned about their living situation or the rising prices. Essentially it is clear that breaking the cycle of poverty is a key issue and must be addressed in Harlem because it is the root to many other problems.

The Harlem community, known for being rich in culture, is also rich in resources. Over the past century a plethora of organizations have sprung up around the neighborhood assisting in the rehabilitation, education and sustenance of the Harlem community. These organizations serve the people of Harlem in a number of ways.

Children's Aid Society

With more than one location in Harlem, the Children's Aid society assists families in Harlem by helping them realize their potential. The Society helps families find out what sorts of help is accessible to them. They provide education opportunities and after school programs for children. Through their hard work they help to improve the housing situations of nearby housing units. They supply recreation and healthcare to neighborhood children and teens. They even created a scholarship program for students wishing to attend the local parochial school. For more information, visit childrensaidsociety.org.

Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club in Harlem, as well as the ones around the country, provide recreational and educational programs to children to adults. They provide programs such as healthcare, education, and technology instruction. They provide head start programs for the young and support programs for the elderly. They also house a dental center and a counseling center for the community. Through after school programs, summer camp, and teen programs they help serve the local community by making great investments directly into the future of Harlem –the young people.

The Harlem Hospital

Harlem Hospital, founded in 1887, has served the Harlem community ever since its inception. As the

community has grown and changed, so has the hospital. It moved uptown in 1907 and has provided opportunities to both minority and female physicians. The hospital has also provided quality healthcare to a community that would otherwise be greatly without it. The hospital is complete with a Nurse’s Residency, Women's Pavilion, Pediatrics Building, and an outpatient clinic. All of these resources were added within the first 50 years of its operation. The hospital continues to serve its community faithfully. For more information, visit harleminternalmedicine.org.

There are a number of other organizations that serve the Harlem community well on the large and small scale. As the neighborhood grows so does the number of associations and institutes serving residents in the areas of housing, childcare, healthcare and education. Walking around Harlem one is sure to see a few community centers.

In addition to the strong influence of religious institutions in the area of Harlem, educational institutions have impacted the community greatly. There is not a well-known history of educational services in this area because little attention has been paid to the issue of education. It is possible to track the emergence places that offer and have offered education to the people of Harlem, no matter the race or original

nationality. It is much easier to gather information on contemporary education in the area as the need and emphasis on schooling becomes much more prominent. There are many relatively new institutions designed to further education in Harlem; some are for children and some for adults. Noticing these institutions is very important, not only for the Harlem area, but also for realizing the possibilities open to minorities and for those with societal disadvantages.

A black sculptor named Augusta Savage established one of the very first schools in Harlem. Well into the Harlem Renaissance in 1931, she created the Savage School of Arts and Crafts for adults. This was instrumental in allowing more freedom of expression in the African American community. Educational opportunities allowed many more blacks to take a political, artistic, and social stance in American society.
Another very important school that came about around the turn of the century and is still open is the Wadleigh Secondary School on 215 West 114th Street. Established by Lydia F. Wadleigh in 1902, this was the first public high school in Harlem, and the first public all girls school in New York. Standing strong today, Wadleigh Secondary School strives for excellence and is part of a higher education project in the neighborhood.

Where education began in the neighborhood is not as important as where it is today, and what it is headed for in the future. More emphasis needs to be placed on community centers focused on helping families because such a high percentage of the community is below the poverty line. As the

neighborhood’s demographics shift, as more people with disposable incomes move in and as more wealthy African Americans press to revive Harlem, organizations offering a variety of social services are developed. Many of these organizations are associated with schools. The Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc., or formerly the Rheedlen Center for Children and Families has played a big part in educating the people of the area, using four beacon schools as outposts. Established in 1970, when unemployment and drug use was high, and New York City was at an economic low, this center focused on rebuilding the fabric of the community. The Countee Cullen Community Center opened in 1991 and associated with The Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. In 1998, the center opened the Booker T. Washington Center that operates under the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development’s Beacon Schools. The newest arrival is the 2001 Harlem Gems Program that prepares kindergarten age children for school. This is not unlike the Educational Alliance in the Lower East Side that prepares immigrants for English speaking schooling.

There are a couple of other schools that have gained prestige over the past few years, and not only are they a source of pride for the neighborhood, they are a source of pride for the city. One such school is the Harlem School of the Arts and another is the Young Women’s Leadership School set up in 1996 on 105 East 106th Street. This is considered one of the best high schools in New York. There are also quite a few smaller public and private schools that have gained a reputation by reaching out to the community, parents and children. For the future, education is important and that involves getting the entire community involved in raising and educating children.

Sylvia met Herbert Woods in a bean field before they were teenagers and they went to the same school and

church. Both finished their educations and Herbert joined the US Navy. They were married in February of 1943 and had four children- Van, Bedelia, Kenneth and Crizette. In 1962, the Woods family opened Sylvia’s Restaurant, which has since grown to include a catering hall and banquet facilities. Herbert and Sylvia Woods and their children manage the restaurant and the catering hall today. Van Woods also expanded, creating lines of food and health care products for retail. Opening a second restaurant in Atlanta in 1997 and the whole franchise has been a successful business for over thirty years. Sylvia and Herbert believe love is the key to their success, specifically love of God, of family and of friends.

With his own savings and sponsorship from major corporations, Leon Ellis started Emily’s Restaurant, naming it after his mother. Though he initially hired a consultant, he used his own ideas once the business started to dflourish. Ellis believed in his own ideas, but he also recognized the importance of outside help, especially when starting a business. Part of Ellis’s entrepreneurial inspiration was his grandfather, who owned his own business when Ellis was young. When he was younger, he worked on his family’s farm and during the summers to save up for college. Both of his parents supported him emotionally and were positive role models. His future goal is to own four restaurants in Manhattan, one of which will be called Moca.

Harlem includes the four historic parks: Jackie Robinson, Marcus Garvey, Morningside and St. Nicholas Parks.

Located on Reid Avenue between Chauncey and Marion Streets, this park honors Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first African-American Major League Baseball player. In 1988, Jackie Robinson Park underwent a comprehensive renovation. Four new tennis courts replaced its large baseball field, and the existing basketball and handball courts were resurfaced. New chain-link steel fencing, a new lighting system, and new drinking fountains and benches were also installed. Today, Jackie Robinson Park is not only a welcome place for sports and recreation, but also a fitting tribute to a courageous individual and stellar athlete.

The name for the park was taken from the adjacent Harlem streets: St. Nicholas Terrace (to the west) and St. Nicholas Avenue (to the east). These streets honor New Amsterdam’s patron saint, whose image adorned the figurehead of the New Netherlands that brought the first Dutch colonists to these shores.

Morningside Park takes its name from the street on its eastern side, where the sun rises in the morning over the

rugged cliff of the Manhattan schist that separates Morningside

Heights on the west from the Harlem Plain to the east. The park has undergone several improvements during the past two years. The renovated stairway provides a magnificent entrance to the morning side of the park.

Although the park’s natural, forested rock outcropping has been preserved,

a number of architectural elements have been added over time. A Fire Watchtower, equipped with a 10,000 pound bell, was erected from 1855-57. The high tower allowed for the early detection of fires, an important concern at a time when most buildings in the city were made of wood. The 47-foot cast-iron tower is the only one of its kind in the United States and it was designated as a landmark in 1967 Current facilities include the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center (named in 1988), Amphitheater, and Swimming Pool, and two playgrounds designed for infants and disabled children, which were built in 1993. Originally called Mount Morris Park, it was renamed for Marcus Garvey in 1973.

What is Soul Food?

Generically soul food is any food that satisfies in a homely manner, much like comfort food. More specifically it refers to African-American cuisine as it has evolved from the food of Africans, American slaves and modern African-Americans. The term soul food comes from the use of the word soul in reference to Blacks during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Preceded by words like “soul man” and “soulful,” someone named black cuisine “soul food” and thus the term was born.

Contemporary African-American food is rooted in traditional African foods and preparation methods. As early as 4000 BCE, grains, yams, sorghum, watermelon, legumes, pumpkin, leafy greens, okra, oranges, dates, figs, and wild lemons were found on the African continent and garlic, cucumber, onion and eggplant are also believed to be from Africa. Seasonings included okra and native peppers and food was preserved with salt. Some food was smoked or thickened with seeds and nuts. Though mostly vegetarian, African diets were sometimes supplemented with meat and stews were often served with seafood and starch. Cooks also prepared rice and fritters occasionally.

In cooking traditional African food, people used boiling water, leaf steamers, roasting fires and ashes for baking. Food was fried with vegetable butters or palm oil and earthenware, gourds and squashes were used as utensils.

At the beginning of the 14th century, European explorers began charting Africa and culinary historians believe they brought foods such as turnips and cabbage, which were incorporated into the African diet. With the advent of the slave trade, Africans ate meager portions of rice and beans with the rare fruit and or vegetable supplement. The rice and beans were sometimes coated with a “slabber” sauce consisting of salt, old beef and rotten fish. European slave traders also brought African food to the Americas and they soon became part of southern crops.

While enslaved, African-Americans had to adapt their traditional cooking knowledge to the leftovers given to them by the plantation owners. The slaves received essentially what was considered garbage in the owner’s house. Slaves received tops of turnips and

beets, dandelions, collard greens, kale, cress, mustard and pokeweed as vegetables and they were rationed corn meal, meat and black molasses every week. If available, onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf were used to season the food. The cornmeal was either turned into bread or mixed with molasses for a sweet dessert. Rationed meat included pig’s feet, ham hocks, chitterlings, pig ears, hog jowl, tripe and crackling, which were discarded from the plantation owner’s house. Though rarely possible, if slaves hunted, it was usually late at night so they usually only caught possum.

African-American food evolved as slaves were brought into the plantation houses to cook. At this point foods such as fried chicken and sweet potatoes emerged and apples, peaches, berries, nuts and grains were used to make pies and puddings. Some slaves ran away and sought refuge with Native Americans, where they adopted some cooking techniques and integrated ground green sassafras leaves as a spice called file.

Regional influences are also apparent in African-American food as each area had its own foods and cooking traditions. French-influenced dishes in Louisiana and Spanish-influenced dishes in the Carolinas are apparent in the evolution of the French bouillabaisse into gumbo using bayou shellfish and the Spanish jambalaya.

After the Civil War, some Blacks found work as cooks for members of the middle-class in the urban setting, and this is how Southern Black cuisine was exposed to more Americans. The food and methods of preparation continued to evolve so that today’s ideas as to what constitutes soul food are both historically rooted and modern. Many families with a history rooted in slavery have their own conceptions of soul food and prepare it accordingly. Some restaurants specialize in soul food, many of which are found in Harlem today.