MAKE NEW YORK GRIMEY AGAIN
10 YEARS 2017-2027
The city changes. The history stays.
Black New York is not a footnote. It is the story. Explore the people, neighborhoods, sounds and struggles that made this city and the forces still remaking it.
-
The Voices of The Real New York City: The Oral Histories
In the last two decades, New York City has undergone an immense transformation that has led it to become unrecognizable by many. Historically, New York City has been known for its cultural diversity, economic opportunities, and the edgy, authentic, working-class experiences that birthed punk, salsa, and Hip Hop.[1] However, the administration of former New York City…
-
The Story of Michael Griffith
Michael Griffith was born on March 2, 1963. Michael’s family immigrated to the United States from Trinidad in 1973. Once in the United States, the family resided in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York at 1650 Pacific Street. On the night of Friday, December 20, 1986, a 23-year-old Michael Griffith drove to pick…
-
“The Realness” By Cormega
“Life is a interlude to death, son. You ever thought about that?” – Cormega The New York City borough of Queens is home to a historical lineage of talented lyricists who have helped raise their hometown to prominence. LL Cool J, Run DMC, and Roxanne Shante are just a few figures that helped pioneer rap…
-
Long Island’s Hip Hop Titans
Positioned at the southeastern part of New York State is an island that is home to many Hip Hop greats. Long Island is divided into four counties: Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. Kings County and Queens County represent the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, respectively. Brooklyn and Queens were officially annexed from…
-
THE 2003 BLACKOUT OF NEW YORK CITY
On August 14, 2003, one of the largest blackouts in New York City history occurred. The blackout originated with a bush fire on a transmission line that caused it to go out of service in Cleveland, Ohio. This was followed by another transmission line that went out of service about an hour later. These two…
-
THE “FUN PASS”
In early December 1997, former New York City Governor George E. Pataki introduced a number of unlimited metrocards, which included the “Fun Pass.” The “Fun Pass” was a 1-day unlimited card that let straphangers ride all throughout New York City for one price, 4 dollars. Initially, the Fun Pass was only sold at stations that…
-
A WHITE SUPREMACIST BOMBING OF A BLACK ROSEDALE HOME, 1974
In October 1974, a Black couple of Trinidadian immigrants moved to the Rosedale neighborhood in Queens, New York from London, England. Ormistan Spencer, a 34-year old production manager for a photo-engraving firm, and his wife, Glenda Spencer, a 31-year old administrative secretary, brought their three sons along with them. At the time, Rosedale was a…
-
3 NEW YORK RAP ALBUMS THAT TURN 20
September 11, 2001 was a date that changed the political and social climate of New York City forever. The World Trade Center was attacked, which led to its collapse and the 3,000 lives lost. On the same day, Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint,” heralded as one of his classics dropped, which publicly started the feud between Nas…
-
The Stoning Of A Black Couple’s Home
In May 1956, a Black couple faced the harsh reality of Black homeownership in the Bronx. Percy Hill lived with his wife, Cora Hill at 747 East 183rd Street between Crotona and Prospect Avenues, a predominantly white neighborhood in the East Bronx. Percy, 44 years old, was an elevator operator at the Shelton Hotel. His…
-
The Great AFRICAN AMERICAN Migration to New York City
As 6 million Southern Black Americans migrated to the Midwest and Northeast to flee economic deprivation, New York City became the home to several Black neighborhoods, such as Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant. This mass movement of Black Americans is historically known as “the Great Migration.” Black Americans in Harlem and Bedford Stuyvesant eventually spread throughout the…