Walking in Harlem

Michelle

Walking in any neighborhood in New York City can afford one a view in to the past, but a tour of Harlem tells the story from a different perspective: from viewpoint of the black struggle in America. New York City’s Harlem is where the Harlem Renaissance, the black cultural and economic inundation that brought us jazz, ragtime and a whole host of black thinkers, athletes, luminaries and entertainers, took place. No area of Harlem speaks more to this era than the little enclave between 138^th and 139^th streets known as Striver’s Row.

Originally called the “king Model Houses”, Striver’s Row was initially built in the 1890’s by developer David King for the purpose of creating a community for New York’s moneyed and powerful. The houses came equipped with alleys for horse stabling, along with indoor plumbing (which was then considered a modern amenity). Three different architects designed the homes, each with his own particular take on the neo-Italian style of architecture. The construction, however, had taken longer than expected and by the time the buildings were available for purchase, the neighborhood demographics had changed considerably; at the turn of the century a great influx of African Americans from the South and Midwest into areas such as Harlem had driven the white population away.

At first the Equitable Life Assurance company, the then owner of the houses in striver’s row, would not sell to willing black costumers on the grounds that they would scare other white costumers away. Eventually the company had no choice, they were loosing equity on their investment and they had to take action; The King Model Houses had become striver’s row, as affluent African Americans bought up the properties.

Striver’s row was, and still is home to many African American Professionals—those esteemed teachers, lawyers, and doctors who worked their way out of obscurity— as well as a number of famous musicians, athletes and performers. Nevertheless, who exactly lived here and what really constitutes the typical Harlem striver? Well, one figure stands out as a particularly epitomizing example of such a striver: Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker was a Traveling Black Vaudevillian who had moved to New York City when she was cast in a musical written by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake (two of the first African American playwrights.) After this show had closed, she went on to another Show “Chocolate Dandy.” She had also sung at the Cotton Club. It was her singing that had given her the big break she needed. She was spotted singing at the plantation nightclub and was recruited to join the revue negre, a touring group of black musicians set to travel across France. Disenchanted with American racism, Josephine had left in a heartbeat. In France, there was an obsession with all things jazz. After a number of years of building up her career in France she began to tear down gender and race associations by wearing men’s clothing during her performances, and staring in “Zou Zou” where she played the role of the second half of an interracial relationship. This was at time when black actors were usually relegated to the role of servant on the silver screen and where something as simple as women wearing pants was seen as a threat to masculinity.

Eventually, Josephine came back to the United States after she had signed on to a series of theatrical productions known as “ The Ziegfeld Follies”, After she’d spent nearly ten years abroad, Baker was once again shocked at the racism t hat was still very much a part of American society. Josephine would receive equal pay for her work, but while her co-stars were lauded, her reviews were mixed at best and they were often overtly racist. She would also be denied service at Hotels, Restaurants, clubs and public institutions all over New York City; Josephine left the show and expatriated back to France.

Shortly after her arrival, World War 2 had broken out and Josephine Baker, being the striver that she was—never one to give up in the face of hardship—joined the underground French Resistance. Josephine Baker became Lieutenant Baker; she drove a Red Cross ambulance to recover wounded freedom fighters off the partisan streets. In addition, as a performer, she had access to a vein of capital along with travel capabilities. While on the road Baker acted as a courier for the resistance movement.

Eventually Josephine Baker would return to the United States to fight alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with whom she was a close friend. Baker had marched alongside Dr. King and spoke with him at the National Mall. Again, just as she had done for the French resistance, Josephine used her talents to raise money to financially support the cause for desegregation of southern schools.

Still, with all this information considered, we’ve only scratched the surface of Josephine Baker’s storied life. Such is the case with many of the Harlem strivers; these are people who have had incredibly interesting lives. These are people who have not only seen history pass, but have greatly contributed to the events that make it up. From the Harlem Renaissance, to the World Wars, to the Civil Rights Movement, Josephine Baker and her contemporaries were there to see it all.

For some reason, extraordinary things always seem to happen to others, in far off lands and in places of repute, but here stands a woman in defiance of that idea–Josephine Baker lived in Harlem, right down the street from City College; one can easily see her home with a stroll through Striver’s Row. On a walk through a neighborhood, it’s all too tempting to notice the beauty of the scenery and move on, but its historical gems like these that help to solidify our own place in time.

Walking in Washington Heights and Inwood

Katie

Walking through Fort Tyron Park (@Inwood) reminded me of my trips to Bear Mountain, New York. Experiencing all that this place has to offer – the air, the trees, the big hills, the river – for the second time brought to me a sense of unmeasurable joy.

And what better time to go that at the beginning days of the spring season?

It was so peaceful and serene. Sometimes I forget New York City can be so beautiful, in terms of natural landscape. I was so overwhelmed by the grandeur of my sightseeing that I had literally become breathless during the first few seconds I spent looking over the water. The tree leaves in their spring foliage were just beginning to bud. Some even began to bloom. Soon the flowers’ petals would cover the ground in a winter demise, appearing like fresh snowfall on a green lawn. The bushes were a deep green and the flowers, rooted strongly in the ground, were blooming.

Not to mention, the weather that day was unusually warm. Contrary to the day’s weather forecast from the night before, the sky was a pleasant shade of blue, without any traces of rain. I had arrived dressed in my goulashes, trench coat and carrying an umbrella. But I didn’t care if what I wore made my feet ache as I walked for miles around the area.

This, I believe, is the “magic” of this place, of the park’s ambience. I can let go. I can forget about everything else and just embrace the world as I see it then and there.

Even so, I am brought back to reality. As I turned my head I could spot the Henry Hudson bridge, connecting the northern tip of Manhattan island to the Bronx. And as I began exiting the park, I could see residential apartment buildings and small convenience stores lining the streets. Slowly, I was being brought back into city life.

I believe this is why I like this place so much. For a girl who’s basically grown up in the city and is used to commuting for hours, a place such as Fort Tyron Park, in all its beauty, allows me to mentally escape from the hustle-bustle that city life entails.

Pavel

I’ve never truly visited the streets of Manhattan above 140^th, perhaps only for the several hours of our high school’s graduation in United Palace Theater on Broadway. Thus, our class trip through Washington Heights and Inwood was a welcome introduction to the northernmost neighborhoods of Manhattan Island. Most memorable was the climb to Fort Tryon Park and the remarkable views of the city from its highest points.

As we walked north along Cabrini Boulevard, it reminded many of us of St. Nicholas Terrace near campus. I didn’t realize our proximity to the Hudson until it came directly into view; a steep hundred-foot drop to the highway below and another hundred to the water granted plenty of room for observation.

Coming from the hectic nature of downtown New York, Fort Tryon Park felt as close to wilderness as one could get in New York City, ever more so than Central Park. The abundance of rocky ledges, budding greenery, and exhilarating altitude is unmatched by any other park in the city, save for perhaps the neighboring Inwood Hill Park. While the park itself may not seem urban in the slightest, the cityscape below is very much alive; one can see for miles, as New York City pans out below and stretches beyond the horizon.

It is a pity that we could not visit The Cloisters, but that will simply have to be an excuse to go again.