RJTF Harlem Walking Tour Highlights

A large group of MAPC members attended a walking tour of Harlem that focused on historical sites of cultural and political importance. Attendees had this to say:

“We met our ebullient tour guide Wanda on 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and walked over to Malcolm X Blvd. We stopped at 108 West 131st street where there is a sign for Zora Neal Hurston, author, anthropologist, and filmmaker, whose most popular novel was Their Eyes Were Watching God.

We passed the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library, at 515 Malcolm X Blvd., which I look forward to visiting. We stopped at West 136th Street where there is a sign for Madam D.J. & A'Lelia Walker Place. The townhouse was demolished; however you can read about Madam Walker, an entrepreneur who developed a million-dollar empire from beauty salons and hair straightening products, and her daughter A'Lelia who held lavish parties for the cultural elite of Harlem and Greenwich Village.

We continued on to 138th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and Frederick Douglass Blvd. to Strivers' Row, where in 1919 many intellectuals, politicians, business people, and artists lived. These stately homes continue to attract a similar community. The district is listed on the National Register of historic Places.

Between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd. on 138th street is the Abyssinian Baptist Church, where until his recent death, Rev. Dr. Calivn Butts served as pastor for over 30 years.

Along the way, Wanda pointed out famous restaurants and jazz clubs as well as her personal favorites. We ended the tour at the Harlem Café where the attentive staff looked after us, and we enjoyed time together.”

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Perhaps Revered Dr. Derrick McQueen’s mentioning of Harlem as a ‘village’ in his sermon from MAPC’s pulpit on Sunday is what I took away from our delightful, insightful walking tour this past Saturday. There is a quality of .. intimacy (may not be the right word) .. but a connection between the local folks, the charming homes, the brownstones amid the rich history of Harlem that weaves and binds the area in a unique way. The bustling avenues and the many large buildings don’t distract from the warmth we discovered as we meandered for several hours above 125th Street in the village of Harlem.

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We had a perfect day to enjoy a part of NYC most of us are unfamiliar with. We saw wide boulevards, tree lined streets, great restaurants, the Schomberg Libraryvand the Abyssinian Baptist Church with a delightful tour guide. After the tour we enjoyed a light snack with our fellow walkers.