The Harlem Renaissance

• The famed Apollo Theater
  
  Primarily based in the New York City neighborhood of the same name, the Harlem Renaissance hit its stride during the 1920s and '30s. During this period, black intellectuals and artists, such as authors, musicians and dancers, produced extraordinary pieces of work, the majority of which explored the black experience in America. Renowned figures in the Harlem Renaissance include Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois, Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk. Visit the legendary Apollo Theater, which served as a showcase for many notable black performers during the Harlem Renaissance.
  
  

Establishment of Abyssinian Baptist Church

• Abyssinian Baptist Church exterior
  
  The establishment of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in 1808 marked a major moment in the lives of black New Yorkers. In a bold act of defiance, the parishioners left their original house of worship, the First Baptist Church, after growing frustrated over repeated acts of segregation. Since that time Abyssinian has become a leader in New York City's sociopolitical world by contributing to such local causes as extensive AIDS education and the opening of a new high school in Harlem.
  
  

Porgy and Bess

• Although riddled with controversy since its inception, the 1935 staging of the famed George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess with an all-black cast remains a pivotal event in New York City's African-American heritage. Though utilizing an all-black cast was bold enough, Gershwin also hired Eva Jessye, an African-American choral director. While the show has been criticized for its depiction of blacks, there's no denying it served as a pioneering moment in the world of black performers.
  
  

Weeksville Founded

• Established in 1838, Weeksville was a village founded by a freed slave, James Weeks, in present-day Brooklyn. A group of successful freed slaves ran the village, establishing schools, churches and one of the country's first black-run newspapers, the Freedman's Torchlight--all major accomplishments in New York's African-American history. Unfortunately the village was swallowed up by the expansion of Brooklyn in the late 1880s and virtually vanished. Efforts to preserve some homes were upheld in the 1970s. Visit the heritage center established in Weeksville's honor.
  
  

Cotton Club

• While the Cotton Club, a popular Harlem nightclub in the 1920s, has its fair share of detractors. Yet, though it catered to a white audience and barred the entrance of black clientele, the Cotton Club helped jump start the careers of such icons as Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge and Duke Ellington. Although it encouraged him to write offensive musical pieces for white audiences, the club established Ellington's career as one of the country's premiere composers and orchestra leader. The Cotton Club closed its doors permanently in 1940.