HNBA Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: “We’re Not Here to Fight for You!”

Harlem, pull up a chair. I’ve got some tea that’s about to ruffle more than just a few feathers. At a recent board meeting, the Harlem Neighborhood Block Association (HNBA) made a stunning declaration: “We are NOT an activist group. We do not fight for the people of Harlem. If you want to fight for the Black community, you need to go somewhere else.” Let that marinate. For decades, Harlem has stood as a symbol of Black resilience, culture, and activism. Our streets carry the echoes of Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, and countless others who understood that Harlem’s heart beats strongest when its people stand together to demand better. To hear a local neighborhood organization — one that claims to stand for Harlem, openly distance itself from the fight for the community is not just disappointing. It is shameful.

What exactly is the HNBA’s purpose, then? To collect dues? To host block parties? To remind us of parking regulations? Because if you are not here to protect Harlem’s legacy, its people, or its future, then you are not leading, you are loitering. This isn’t a knock on every block association. Plenty across Harlem are fighting hard against displacement, policing injustices, and the slow bleed of gentrification. But let’s be crystal clear: any group claiming to represent Harlem while washing its hands of activism is complicit in the forces eroding this community. Silence is not neutral. If you’re Black in Harlem, or an ally to Black Harlem, you know the fight isn’t over. Rents are rising, Black-owned businesses are shuttering, and longtime residents are being priced out. The last thing we need is neighborhood groups adopting the posture of landlords and developers — detached, indifferent, and self-satisfied. So, to the HNBA, thanks for the honesty, I guess. At least now we know where you stand: anywhere but beside us.

As for the rest of us? The work continues. The fight for Harlem remains in the hands of those willing to show up, speak out, and push back. If your so-called neighborhood group won’t stand with you, find one that will — or better yet, start your own. Harlem’s future depends on it.