What Once Was

It has been absolutely thrilling for me to see Harlem from a new perspective; one that I had been oblivious to for quite some time. I have been seemingly unaware of my Harlem surroundings due to my preoccupation with school.  I was then given the opportunity to remove myself from the stresses of school and just walk around in the surrounding area, and given the ability to observe the beauty and history of Harlem. I feel somewhat blessed to attend school in an area bound by such a rich culture. One of the most disturbing observations that I made was the fact that the city is not preserving the historic monuments of Harlem.  As the city paves the way for the future, they are not hesitant in tearing down the structures representing the past, which is ironic because it is the richness of Harlem’s past which has made the future of the area possible.  A very interesting fact that I learned during the walking tour was that there was initially an immense amounts of discrimination exercised in the foundation of Harlem. When Harlem was first established it would not allow minorities, specifically African-Americans, from moving into the neighborhood. Eventually, the landlords allowed minorities to move in, but they had to be affluent in order to do so, which for many was a very steep requirement. This is so ironical now, due to the fact that Harlem is now predominately inhabited by minorities. With the current gentrification of Harlem, the ethnic diversity is changing, and the story of Harlem is once again coming full circle.  It may occur again that Harlem is an area in which only the very affluent can live. Harlem should be gentrified in a way in which there exists a balance between preserving the past while making room for the future, as well as affording an equality in who could afford to live in the area.

Here we see the Harlem 5 Basketball Stadium in ruins, and soon to be demolished, despite the fact that it was an integral part of the community and the foundation of Harlem.

Here we see remnants of the original buildings of Harlem, still beautifully preserved.

Here we see what once was immense, beautiful and the embodiment of Harlem is now being demolished for the future. However, is this the future that we want, one that is ignorant and  not respectful to the past?