Harlem Today Compared to the Renaissance

Harlem is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was the center of the Harlem Renaissance, an African American social movement of the early 20th century, primarily expressed through literature, music and art.

Population

• The destination of mass migration from the south, Harlem was once considered "the Black Mecca," according to Biography.com. By 1950, African Americans made up 98 percent of Harlem's population. Harlem continues to have the reputation as a predominantly African American neighborhood, although whites now outnumber African Americans, who account for only four out of 10 of Harlem's residents, reported "The New York Times" in January 2010.

The Apollo Theater

• Before 1934, the Apollo Theater was a burlesque theater for white audiences. After Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia's campaign against burlesque, the Apollo became a showcase for African American talent. Some of the winners of the theater's famed Amateur Night include jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. The Apollo is now managed by the nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation and continues to be a popular venue for African American performers.

Religion

• African American pastors played a leadership role during the Harlem Renaissance, and churches were central gathering spots. One of Harlem's most famous churches, Abyssinian Baptist, moved there in 1927 specifically so Reverend Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. could make the church an active participant in the growing social movement. Today, scholars claim that without uniting social issues and the need for a gathering place, African American churches in Harlem no longer carry the same influence, as reported in the "Columbia Spectator."