Harlem Week is celebrated, but we all know that this celebration goes beyond the week; in fact it’s a celebration of the spirit of Harlem and what it means to so many people throughout the community of Harlem and the communities like Harlem throughout the United States.
This year’s Harlem Week theme is: The change, hope, joy and love, and it represents that journey of 45 years that we can now celebrate. It was in 1974 when New York City was having the most challenging economic times and the city was suffering immensely – You can well imagine that if New York City is suffering then Harlem at that time was totally neglected; there were no resources or organizations to work in Harlem and the blight of the city was felt heaviest in Harlem and by the Harlem community.
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This wonderful prized community was left to suffer and we all know and read of the plight of Harlem, the significant damage that was done to the economy and to the community- but the leaders of Harlem
never gave up on the spirit and soul of Harlem and leaders Percy Sutton, Charles Rangel, David Dinkins, Basil Patterson and many others where supportive of Harlem to the core. It was Percy Sutton who had the notion that something needs to be done to restore the soul of Harlem and he saw in a young man, at the time,
Lloyd Williams, the ability and the vision and gave Lloyd the task to create an event that would lift the spirit of Harlem, not only lift the spirit but bring back the resources and recognition to Harlem. It was out of this vision and the mission that was given to Lloyd Williams that Harlem day has transformed itself into Harlem week, Harlem month and Harlem, a state of mind and the mission of recovery and expansion. So as we celebrate Harlem Week, now Harlem Month, we also celebrate this visionary Lloyd A Williams who had the focused vision to motivate and engage the right people and making the right moves, bringing in politicians, business persons entertainers and civic leaders together as a trademark support for this community, a gem in New York.
Harlem week presented by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce is one of the most successful events in New York City – it has presented to the city and the world the benefit of a most culturally enriched neighborhood where so many cultural activities have begun, the birthplace of many black businesses, black institutions, and Lloyd who constantly reminded us of the Harlem brand that is internationally known and is revered, is really something to be treasured and is in fact a state of mind that we can all aspire to where we bring the consciousness of freedom, liberty and join that with cultural enrichment, business acumen and development, and make a whole community.
Harlem, this once struggling neighborhood is now one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the city, a vibe with a vibrant community and a revival of an economic engine. It all started with the vision but it needed the expertise, the drive, the determination and the pride that brought Harlem from blight to brightness. It is the hard work, determination and tenacity of Lloyd Williams that have been instrumental in bringing revival to this community.
Harlem Week, Harlem Month, the community of Harlem comes together looking at not just economic development, it is looking at the senior citizens and how they’re doing, it is looking at health and health services, it is looking at the future of Harlem, like Silicone Harlem is highlighting the jazz tradition of Harlem and how that can be constructed for more economical development; it is looking at so many pieces of Harlem and to bring everybody to be involved and engaged and bring the youth of our community in a constructive manner to have hope and to be motivated for their future.
We at Carib News who have been involved with Harlem week for over 40 years take pride in the contribution of the Caribbean Americans to Harlem, Harlem week and Harlem development, and as we celebrate Harlem we celebrate the partnership that exists between African- Americans and Caribbean American that’s exemplified so much by Harlem and its development and its history, with the combination of the Caribbean Americans and African Americans together, in what we call the partnership for progress. We have listed in our scroll celebrated Harlem and Harlem week outstanding Caribbean Americans who have made a difference and from Marcus Garvey to Cicely Tyson, from Harry Belafonte to Malcolm X, from Basil Paterson to Susan Taylor, from Claude McKay to Arturo Schomburg, and so many others.
Caribbean and African Americans working together, Caribbean Americans building institutions in Harlem like Carver Federal Savings and loan associations, The Renaissance business complex , the Amsterdam News, The United Mutual Insurance company and so many other Harlem institutions that live today. Of course the genius of the organizer himself, like Lloyd Williams who is Harlem to the core, but has Caribbean heritage.
We congratulate the Harlem Week Board and the Board of Directors of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce for their tenacity, determination and drive that has brought a celebration to Harlem to be the lynchpin to its celebration and the revival and the renewal of our community. It is a great example of what inspired leadership can do and should do.
To the dedicated team who work tirelessly on making Harlem Week what it is and brings Harlem to what we celebrate today, we are pleased to extend our congratulations and to continue to foster the relationship between all our communities and especially between the African American and the Caribbean American communities that have been such a team working through challenges, and for 45 years Harlem Week has been driving the forces to success. We wish them many more years of continued success and pledge our support for their mission.
Congratulations to all – we all have made a difference that matters – the change, joy, hope and love, the theme for this year, let us live up to it.
