“Harlem heritage book club”
The Harlem Heritage Book Club celebrates literature and books based/set in Harlem NYC. Harlem is seen by many as the cultural capital of Black America, many books have been written reflecting the heritage. Harlem Heritage Tours invites all to engage with us in “Literary Tourism” where we collectively read the books with incremental book club meetings that explore sections of the book. Book club meetings take place at the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center / simultaneously via Zoom. Ultimately all who have read given book can plan to meet in Harlem during appointed weekend to collectively take an actual multi-media sightseeing bus / walking tour through the pages of given book, visiting sights mentioned in the book we have read = “Literary Tourism”
Book Club meetings will feature applicable cultural programming such as: readings, music performances, culinary/drink, spoken word, documentaries/film, fashion, workshops and guest speakers. Join via JOIN US link below.
“Harlem on my mind”
Featured Book “HARLEM ON MY MIND CULTURAL CAPITAL OF BLACK AMERICA 1900 – 1968“
One has to imagine it’s 1967, tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Movement and curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) walking the historic Harlem streets in search of Black cultural content to showcase at the MET on NYCs historic “Museum Mile” not far from Harlem; period when Black creatives want inclusion, but seek to determine and be the community controllers of their artistic expression.
Jan 18th, 1968 “HARLEM ON MY MIND” exhibition unveiled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with this accompanying catalog book “HARLEM ON MY MIND CULTURAL CAPITAL OF AMERICA 1900 -1968” instead of traditional art on walls, multi-media exhibition featured sound/music, film projection, oversized prints, newspaper articles; seven galleries divided into ten years periods telling the cultural story of Harlem 1900 – 1968. Exhibition was negatively received resulting in public outcry, protests and traffic being stopped on “Museum Mile” 5th Ave NYC.
In reading this book + book meetings you will visit Harlem / NYC 1900 – 1968 via newspaper articles and historic images conveying the personalities, events, cultural/political divide that existed; equally you will learn about triumphs and creatives who pushed the boundaries of art creating a new aesthetics that now are considered common-place, a time of complex issues that should and can resinate in current day love peace and understanding, “Literary Tourism” lets read and travel together!
May
Following Harlem Heritage Book Club Meeting Schedule:
After we collectively read this book we will have an excellent understanding of the following:
Black NYC 1600 – 1900.
Harlem Renaissance 1920s, special emphasis impact of James Van Der Zee
Harlem Great Depression 1930s
Impact of Great Migration on northern cites and beneviolent orgs that provided aid.
Harlem WWII Era.
Harlem Black Arts Movement / Black Power Movement 1960s