Conditions in Harlem Revisited Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York

The Department of Records and Information Services, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU, and the Vital City project are planning a conference to consider the recommendations and observations from the 1936 Mayor’s Commission on Conditions in Harlem, data from NYC Speaks and implications for City government. Appointed by Mayor LaGuardia after a 1935 riot in Harlem, the Commission members elicited testimony at 21 very interactive hearings and reported on six key areas: Crime and the Police, Discrimination in Employment, Home Relief, Hospitals and Health, Education and Housing. Although the report was published by The Amsterdam News, it was never issued by the City. Recently, the Administration of Mayor Eric Adams in partnership with the NYC Speaks government organization surveyed New Yorkers on issues of concern and convened community conversations to explore topics in greater depth. The responses and discussions will help shape the initiatives that the City will implement in communities across the City. Many of the survey responses and the community viewpoints are similar to those from 1936.

We are organizing a community conference to explore those similarities. We invite you to attend the conference and participate in the discussion.