52nd Harlem Week honors neighborhood's legacy and resilience: "It's important that we remember our history"

Harlem is one of New York City's most historic communities, known for its status as a cultural mecca. 

For the 52nd annual Harlem Week, past and present Harlemites came together to honor the neighborhood's legacy. 

This year's theme is "Honoring Our Legacy," with events every day from Aug. 1-16. Events range from educational forums focusing on healthcare to the finale block party of Harlem Day. Organizers say remembering Harlem's history is more important now than ever.

"There are many forces in our country currently who would want to erase and diminish our legacy," said Marko Nobles, chairman of Harlem Week.

Nobles is a Harlem native and has been involved in Harlem Week for years.

"So, it's important for us to honor our legacy, to honor our stories, no matter where we come from, no matter where we are, we all have a story to tell," he said. "We all have our stories is what makes Harlem and New York City and all of America great."

One of the goals of Harlem Week is to give the community an economic boost, as well, especially for small business owners, like Arnyce Foster-Hernandez. Born and raised in Harlem, Foster-Hernandez recently opened Featuring the Cafe on 135th Street with her husband, Danny. The couple says Harlem Week weekend is their biggest revenue-generating weekend. 

Since 1974, Harlem Week has continued to bring the neighborhood together. Organizers say one of the biggest issues affecting Harlemites today is the cost of living that allows them to stay rooted in the place they call home.

"[Harlem Week] was created because, at the time, Harlem didn't have the best reputation or the best image. Now, 50 years later, we're talking about issues of gentrification and people being able to stay in the community," said Nobles. "And that's a great problem to have. But it's important that we remember our history, our legacy and the resilience that we've had as a community and be able to allow a space for all of us to live in this community."

A full, updated schedule of events is available online.

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