New Map Reveals Black History Behind Harlem Landmarks

HARLEM, NY — The Apollo Theater, the headquarters of the 1963 March on Washington and Langston Hughes's brownstone are among the landmarks of Black history in Harlem that are laid out in a new interactive "story map."

The map, released in honor of Black History Month by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission, highlights landmarks and historic districts recognized for their role in New York City's African American history.

Unsurprisingly, it includes dozens of sites around Harlem, the neighborhood referred to as the historic "capital of Black America" for its significance in African-American culture.

"As we celebrate Black History Month and continue to strive for racial equity and social justice, it is important to recognize the history of the Black experience in New York City," Deputy Mayor Vicki Been said in a release.

"Landmarking and designating historic districts are two ways that we honor and amplify the stories and contributions of the past, both good and bad, so we can learn from and build on our collective history. Ensuring that more New Yorkers can access and explore that history is a critical part of the process."

The project, called Preserving Significant Places of Black History, includes maps, narratives, images and multimedia about the stories behind landmarks and historic districts throughout the city.

It includes 75 individual landmarks and 33 historic districts that mark moments in New York City' history from before the Civil War, though the Civil Rights Movement and in historically African American neighborhoods defined by census records from the past 50 years.

The sites include homes of prominent New Yorkers like Hughes, Shirley Chisholm, James Baldwin and Ralph Bunche, as well as cultural venues, abolitionist homes and other institutions.

"It is not an exhaustive list of all places significant to African American history in New York City, but an educational tool and a living document, which can be updated with additional scholarship about designated buildings, and with future designations of landmarks and historic districts," the commission said.

Check out the interactive maps here.

Patch reporter Anna Quinn contributed.