Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today proclaimed "Harlem Week" in New York City during a ceremony at City Hall. The Uptown Goes Downtown event kicked off the Harlem Week Festival with an outdoor concert on the steps of City Hall immediately following the proclamation presentation. The Mayor was joined by Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce President Lloyd Williams and leaders of the Harlem community.
"Harlem is one of New York City's great cultural treasures," Mayor Giuliani said. "Its economic, artistic and political life has always helped define the spirit of New York City to a nationwide and global audience. We can see this in the growing number of international tourists who make it a point to visit Harlem - they are justifiably intrigued by Harlem's rich history and its vibrant present, Harlem's historic buildings and churches and its wonderful clubs and restaurants. Harlem has given the world some of the most distinctive music, literature and art of the twentieth century. Harlem has become one of the best examples of what a creative community can accomplish.
"In statistical terms Harlem has experienced one of the biggest drops in crime in the City - a 78 percent reduction in homicides over the last five years, reaching as high as a 91 percent drop in homicides in the 32nd Precinct which stretches north of 127th Street," continued the Mayor. "When streets are clean and safe, that is really the best advertisement to attract new business to an area. As a result, the economic future of Harlem is brighter than it has been in many, many years.
Harlem Week, which has grown into a month long event and runs from July 22nd through August 22nd, will feature a series of concerts and events throughout the parks, streets, schools and cultural institutions of Harlem. The theme of this year's festival, "Back on the Block," honors the contributions of family, friends and community groups to the development of the neighborhood. This year also combines Harlem Week with the first Harlem Music and Jazz Festival which will showcase music ranging from jazz, Latin jazz, gospel and rhythm and blues, to reggae and hip-hop.
"It is a pleasure to celebrate Harlem's continuing comeback with these two great events. Harlem Week and the Harlem Jazz and Music Festival symbolize the pride and strength of Harlem in 1998 and highlight the fact that Harlem is a vibrant part of America's past, present and future," concluded the Mayor.
The annual Harlem Week Festival was started 24 years ago by the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, now the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, as part of an effort to revitalize the Harlem community where economic and cultural foundations were beginning to deteriorate. In order to reverse this trend, a group of Harlemites, including Lloyd Williams, President of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, created Harlem Week to celebrate the tremendous wealth of history and culture in the community.
Events during Harlem Week will feature music during the Jazz and Music Night Club Series and the Apollo Theater Classic Series Concerts, food at A Taste of the Big Apple, and tributes to the next generations of Harlem residents during Our Children's Festival.