8 Responses

  1. Not sure I really like the image of Harlem that this portrays. I’ll have to check it out and see what’s going on. I mean – trash, guns, slutty looking women.

    Not sure this is what we want to send out to the rest of the world.

    What does everyone else think? Am I overreacting?

  2. I say you are overreacting. For one thing the focus is on fashion. For another Second Life if a virtual fantasy world. Finally, last I checked some of Harlem does still look similar to that image. Yes, Harlem is trying to do a do-over but to white wash the grit that is there would be erasing part of the neighborhood’s character. I mean really, read the news…Harlem hasn’t arrived yet.

  3. Have you been on 125th Street on a hot summer day? Come on!

  4. Hmmm – Not sure what that means. “White Wash” The grit. I don’t think grit has a color. I was just raising a question – thought in my head when I saw this.

    And yes, I have been in 125th on a Hot Summer day – but to me, the enduring images are the Independent book sellers, clothing merchants, Oils, and people walking around to form the community.

    Harlem arrived long ago – Langston Hughes and the rest discovered it and brought it to the rest of the world. I live in Harlem, and i see kids playing baseball and running though fire hydrants on hot summer days.

    Just saying, that’s not the Harlem I see.

  5. Harlem has many faces…that is what makes it a great place to live. It has always had more than one face. The fear of losing it’s character is what is driving the anti-gentrication process. When we strip away the color it becomes white washed. Harlem is not monochrome and I hope it never will be, to be honest.

  6. I’m not calling for a monochrome existence. In fact, I am calling for exactly what you are. However, what seems to be portrayed here is only one side of what Harlem is. Don’t you think?

    As far as the anti-gentrification process, I feel you on that. However, every neighborhood in New York is constantly evolving. The Upper East side used to be full of poor german immigrants who had to walk through rivers of trash on the way home.

    The Lower East Side used to be full of needles.

    Tribeca was nothing.

    I don’t understand why you are constantly calling it “Whitewashed.” I’m talking about representing all aspects of culture.

  7. the Harlem for Amateurs blog is hilarious. Unfortunately it looks like the writer no longer blogs. There hasnt been a new entry in months. Tell him we need him back

  8. Smith: He is actually still blogging on UptownLife.net but notice that he hasn’t been posing much there either. Here is the link:
    http://blogs.uptownlife.net/sekouwrites/

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