The Harlem Renaissance Project is a collection of pieces named after an artistic and cultural movement that took place in the early to mid-1900s. Check out the full project here.
The Harlem Renaissance era is timeless. As someone from this small part of Manhattan, I’ve witnessed and been part of many things that keep the pride of this era alive. I want to highlight the African American Day Parade in particular.
This isn’t new; the celebration’s origins can be traced back to the late ’60s. It began in 1968 to highlight the Civil Rights Movement and raise community awareness. It was essentially a big promotion and celebration of Black business, education, political knowledge, and, of course, style. Here’s a blast from the past example, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Shirley Chisholm, two pillars of the Black Civil Rights Movement, at the parade in 1969:
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was a groundbreaking pastor and politician who represented Harlem in the US House of Representatives from 1945 to 1971. As one of the most influential Black lawmakers of his time, he played a key role in advancing civil rights legislation and social welfare programs, helping shape policies that addressed segregation, minimum wage, and education reform.
Shirley Chisholm made history in 1968 as the first Black woman elected to the US Congress. In 1972, she became the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for president of the United States. A fierce advocate for racial and gender equality, she championed education, labor rights, and opportunities for marginalized communities, leaving a lasting legacy of bold and unapologetic leadership.
For me, growing up in Harlem was such a beautiful and proud place to be from. I went to public school all my young life, and these schools were often named after great people who were a part of the Civil Rights Movement. I attended P.S. 123, known as Mahalia Jackson. Then I graduated from Thurgood Marshall Academy. I was engulfed in nothing but Black history and pride.
Thurgood Marshall Academy is very important to me, not only for its memories and my experiences, but also for who the high school is named after. Marshall was a groundbreaking civil rights attorney who argued the landmark case that ended legal segregation in schools. He successfully challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine and later became the first Black Supreme Court Justice. His work fundamentally shifted American law and helped propel the Civil Rights Movement forward.
I even attended the Boys Choir of Harlem for junior high school. The Boys Choir of Harlem was founded in 1968 by the late Dr. Walter Turnbull at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harlem. The choir grew to be more than just a performing group and was comprised of inner-city children. The choir has recorded for movie soundtracks, including Glory, Malcolm X, and many Spike Lee films. They performed on Chicago rapper Kanye West’s song “Two Words.” The boys’ voices have also been part of albums with Michael Jackson, Kathleen Battle, Luciano Pavarotti, Quincy Jones, KISS, and more.
The school I attended under the umbrella of the Choir Academy of Harlem was founded, opened, and funded by the choir back in September of 1986. I wasn’t born yet, but I attended and performed in small circuits around the country from 2004 to 2007. Here’s a picture of me with my cardigan and a prideful school patch back in 2004. Oh, how I miss that sweater.
All of my history in Harlem was memorable, but the African American Day Parade holds a special place in my heart. As a child, I used to sit on my fire escape and watch all the floats with celebs and community leaders drive by, but once I became a teen, I got to walk in and be part of all the festivities live. Even though the African American Day Parade, otherwise known as the Harlem Day Parade around here, takes place in 12 other states, there’s nothing like the epicenter of where it all started. The Harlem Renaissance planted the seeds of Black power in the community, as the Great Migration created areas like Harlem. Although the parade was invented decades after the Harlem Renaissance concluded, it would never have existed in the first place without those roots.
The next time you’re in NYC in September, make this parade a priority experience for you. We’ll be walking and bringing joy throughout the community the whole day, and you never know who will show up to support, but it’s a blast of a celebration.
