This week we read chapters 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 of Blood Relations: Caribbean Immigrants and the Harlem Community, 1900-1930 by Irma Watkins-Owens. Chapter 7 detailed how churches, fraternal and benevolent societies, and lodges played an important role in the development of Harlem as a community. They were networks that connected the community internally and internationally. There were churches established by both people of Southern black and Caribbean black origins. There was a degree of separation between these two groups, as they were often pitted against each other and were not always on good terms. But even with the segregation Southern blacks joined Caribbean churches and Caribbean blacks joined Southern black churches. There we some organizations that were very exclusive, allowing African Americans of certain class and “native-ness” to join. All these kinds of organizations helped the community tremendously; such as buying buildings to be sold or rented, providing insurance and solidifying networks. It is interesting to see how the types of organizations multiplied over time. At first there were just Southern Black Churches but then more and more types from the Caribbean came until there were over 130. The same thing happened to the lodges and societies as they became specialized to different social classes and to women in addition to men.
Chapter 5 focuses on the political world of Harlem. As the black population in Harlem increased and became more settled, the issue of political power came up. The peoples of Harlem were divided into subgroups, which were pitted together. The complicated network of loyalties and alliances made up the political network of the neighborhood. Tammany Hall was a key player in this, and its story interested me very much. It was a Democratic political machine that represented the interests of mainly white immigrants like the Irish. This organization worked to open up New York to immigration due to its interests. As the population of Harlem became larger, they became an important target for players in the political world. Tammany Hall extended a hand to Caribbean blacks because they were immigrants too and because there were seen to have better education and skills than Southern blacks. This caused a rift between the two communities in Harlem as the Caribbean people were treated better, regardless of being “foreigners.” Afro-Caribbean people were given positions in power, while the Southern African Americans were not. I think it is important to look at things through the lens of politics so I found this section to be helpful for understanding the history of Harlem.
On the topic of politics, Marcus Garvey is an interesting person to study and is the subject of Chapter 7. He was a Jamaican-born man who became very politically involved. His ideals were based in Black Nationalism and pan-Africanism. He believed that all people of African ancestry should return to the Africa and represent their race with a nation of racial purity. Many including the NAACP viewed him as extremely radical. In 1914 he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and established a permanent organization in Harlem. Harlem became the hub for this worldwide movement and it gained a sizable following. It also used the press, like the Negro World to gain popularity and awareness. He later created the Black Star Steamship Corporation and was arrested over a technicality concerning its advertisement. But this wasn’t the true reason he was arrested. The real reason was that he was seen as a threat because he had an image, resources, and a following. I think it very logical that a movement like this would be started, as it is a product of its age. It is also fascinating to me that this neighborhood became the center of something so important and influential for the world.
Chapter 9 focuses on the “Numbers playing game.” This was the illegal lottery, which employed the most blacks in the Harlem neighborhood. It was played openly until around the mid 1920’s. Watkins-Owens explains how these lotteries worked: “A numbers operation consisted of a banker, a group of collectors or runners who took bets from customers and perhaps several controllers who gathered the money and turned it in to the ‘bank.’” She continues to list other positions that the numbers employed. They were very complex and well organized operations and were completely underground. This brought money to the individuals in charge but also vitalized the economy of Harlem. Some bankers made large sums of money. I find it curious that these organizations were so massive but did not receive much attention. They were the largest employers in Harlem and many played the numbers but the numbers seldom received attention in the press. I am interested in how these massive operations were able to stay underground so effectively.
Chapter 10 focuses on the literary world of Harlem and the interracial relationships between native African Americans and black immigrants. These relationships were expressed in many written pieces of the time. As Harlem’s population became more prominent, the importance of race papers in New York grew in importance. Both native African American and black immigrant writers had a large impact as well. Writers like Claude McKay were supporters of cultural pluralism, which was essential in making Harlem what it was.
Chapter 11 is the conclusion of Blood Relations: Caribbean Immigrants and the Harlem Community, 1900-1930. Watkins-Owens stresses the important role of foreign-born black immigrants to Harlem, which is often times neglected. Race was not the only important factor in Harlem’s development. It was not only a “black neighborhood.” Ethnicity and the cultures of the native African Americans in addition to the Afro-Caribbean people forged the identity of Harlem. It was migrations and movement that made this all possible. After the emancipation of slaves in the Americas, projects like the Panama Canal and international shipping brought large waves of people to New York City seeking opportunity. An integral part of this whole process was the transnational networks that were developed. They allowed for people to move to and from the United States and their home countries and provided support in multiple ways. Divisions existed quite prominently at times between native African Americans and Afro-Caribbean people. Despite this churches, benevolent associations, political movements, newspapers and other organizations tied the community together and gave Harlem and extremely unique and pivotal role.
