Harlem

Olivia Nyhammer

Professor Young

September 30, 2014

English 1100

Harlem Questions

1. I believe that this sentence means that there is a lot to study in urban communities from the buildings, to the activities going on around them. They mean that they can study how communities function as sites of conflict. 

2. 125 street is significant because that is where most of their ”art” is and that is where they are seeing gentrification that place the most. For instance when they see white people outside of the Apollo they are in shock. My dad lives in Lakehurst, New Jersey where the Hindenburg is historical for going down. Lakehurst is only a one mile radius town yet so many people have heard of ir because of this moment in history.

3. Kinloch, Khaleeq, and Phillip all identified Harlem with art as a big symbol of their community. Kinloch notes, “ we routinely exchanged ideas on the art within Harlem including architectural designs, murals painted on the side of buildings, and the poetic sounds of words we heard spoken by people on the streets.” The use of symbols as identities throughout the reading are important because they give a visual feel of the topic which allows you to use sensory detail giving a more personal feeling. 

4. Phillip and Khaleek looked at art as a way of expression. They looked at is a way to be different and stand out from every one else. Seeing art as actions allows them to make sense of everything thats changing in their community by exploring different ways of expression through art. 

5. Kinloch discusses community as a sense of history, meaning the struggle that the people in “old” Harlem went through signifies the strength and beauty of it. Kahleek powerfully expresses his feelings on how teachers in the schools of Harlem should be teaching them about gentrification and whats actually going on in the world around them because thats what really matters. One of the significant historical buildings in my community is the mansion because its very old and contains a lot of history being that it was once an estate before a school. 

6. The use of digital documentation and photographs helped Kahleeq and Phillip show residents the effects of gentrification by giving a visual of the progression Harlem has been through. The community went from being predominately black with a low economic status and shifted toward wealthier, caucasian residents. Property values shot through the roof and all of the places and streets they once ruled, like 125 street, were taken from them. I do not think that i could have done my written response without it because by watching the video as I typed it allowed me to recognize details I may not of noticed otherwise.

7. The questions at the end of Kinloch’s essay say who should be solving this problem. They uncover that the teacher, politicians, social activists and artists should be the ones conserving the Harlem Renaissance.