Produced by L Herndon
Since the 1920s, Harlem has been dubbed the Mecca of black culture—a haven of sorts where blacks gathered together to mix and mingle on the historic 125th street, in front of the Apollo Theater or at Sylvia’s Soul Food, and where some of the world’s most notable forms of music and art were produced.
But those days are long gone according to recent census data. At the height of the millennium, blacks made up the majority of Harlem’s population, but almost a decade later, data reveals that the black population has been cut by double digits. Harlem’s ongoing evolution is being driven by an economic and population shift in which more affluent, non-blacks are moving into the area, replacing African-Americans that have called Harlem home for generations. So what does this mean for the future of Harlem? In the video below, we explore this issue by consulting with experts to find out exactly what’s going on in Harlem and to find out what they see next for the transitioning community.
