Long known as the cultural mecca Blacks in the United States and throughout the disapora, since the 1920’s, Harlem U.S.A has always had a special place in the hearts of many African-Americans. The village in upper Manhattan that gave birth to the Harlem Renaissance, where Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X helped spread their movements with their messages, and home base to the most influential Black American congressman ever in Adam Clayton Powell, has been in the midst of social and economic gentrification since the turn of the 21st century. Views on the changes are mixed – pitting longtime residents against newcomers with higher incomes – and the neighborhood’s revitalization does not appear to be losing any steam.

There have been many voices in the community that have been calling for Harlem to retain its Black, cultural legacy, yet real estate agent, Kathryn Suggs disagrees. In an article entitled “Whose Harlem Is It,” found in the July 14th, 2008 edition of New York Magazine, Suggs is quoted as saying: “There’s nothing that says Harlem has to be Black…”

Should preserving a history be replaced by real estate agents seeking buyers of high-priced, “market-rate” properties? Read the article and you decide.