Last Friday’s visit through the streets of Harlem was quite enjoyable. As a student that goes to college in the city, especially a college that is situated right in Harlem, I didn’t expect to learn or see much during the tour. After all, we would only be walking through the ordinary streets of everyday Harlem. Of course, the tour guide surprised me with lots of information about the history of the neighborhood and how Harlem really flourished as a cultural center for African Americans. She talked about the Harlem Renaissance, the struggle between white landowners and incoming African Americans that wanted to live there, historical figures, people, and landmarks, among other things. Of course, I didn’t find the history too interesting and much rather preferred the actual sight-seeing as the tour guide pointed out things of interest.

One important landmark that I was fascinated by was the Tree of Hope. Today, it stands as an abstract piece of work in the middle of the road, on a narrow pathway. Back then, it was a busy spot for artists looking for “hope” to get a job in the industry, and it apparently worked, since people looking to hire artists and actors would come to this very spot to recruit hidden and fresh talent. Unfortunately, the original tree of hope was demolished, and the one standing today is the third rendition, since the previous two had been demolished by the city. This of course brings me to the next point about how the city plans of demolishing historical points of significance is a bad idea, especially for the culture of New York. The Harlem 5 basketball stadium nearby is also set to be demolished soon, and the area directly across from the Tree of Hope that is now being turned into some sort of condominium used to be some sort of performance hall. We should be working to preserve and showcase our hyper-diversified culture, but contemporary plans seem to be doing just the opposite.