Harlem, You Were Meant to Rise Like Black Wall Street—Not Be Rewritten by Gentrification

Harlem, you were meant to be the heartbeat of Black economic power. You had the culture, the legacy, the brilliance. You were the stage where Black excellence lived out loud. Like Black Wall Street in Tulsa, you were supposed to build up, not be bought out. But now, it feels like you’re being hollowed from the inside. Gentrification is not working in your favor.

Let’s get something straight: Harlem was never just a neighborhood, it was a movement. A place where Black art, music, and intellect rose and echoed across the world. Now, those echoes are being drowned out by complaints over drums in the park and calls to the cops over stoop conversations.

We know Harlemites are welcoming by nature. You’re kind, you show love, you’ve always embraced people. But kindness shouldn’t mean silence. You need to pay attention. Folks are moving into Harlem not to join the culture, but to overwrite it. They’re coming in with no regard for the people who built this place, expecting you to adjust to their way of life. That’s not how this should go.

Drumming in Marcus Garvey Park? That’s tradition. It’s rhythm. It’s community. Calling it noise? That’s ignorance. That’s erasure. Sitting on the stoop? That’s history. That’s where stories are passed down, where bonds are made. Calling the cops on it? That’s violence.

Let’s talk about rent. The numbers don’t lie—prices are skyrocketing. Not for us, but because of us. Our culture drew people in, and now many of us can’t afford to live in the very place we made iconic. New high-rises keep popping up, but they’re not built for the people who call Harlem home. They’re built for outsiders with deeper pockets and different agendas.

Then there’s the slow death of our mom-and-pop stores. The corner spots, the Black-owned salons, the bookstores, the soul food joints, they are vanishing. In their place? Coffee chains, overpriced juice bars, and retail stores that don’t hire us, don’t know us, and don’t care to.

And yet, some will say, “But look at all the progress.” Let’s be clear: convenience is not the same as progress. A Whole Foods on 125th doesn’t mean we’ve made it. Not if the majority of Harlemites can’t afford to shop there. Not if we’re pushed to the margins of our own streets.

And to the apathetic, play-along Harlem organizations who claim they’re for the people—step your game up. Be for the people. Stop hosting panels while dodging real problems. Stop shaking hands with developers while families are being displaced. Harlem doesn’t need more PR. Harlem needs power, protection, and unapologetic advocacy.

Harlem, it’s time to wake up. Start supporting your local businesses harder than ever. Start showing up to community board meetings. Know who owns what on your block. Talk to your neighbors. Pass on your history. Demand rent stabilization. Push for protections. Organize

Being kind doesn’t mean being quiet. You can welcome without surrendering. You can share space without losing ground.

Harlem, you were supposed to rise—not sell out. There’s still time to course-correct, but only if we start acting like Harlem belongs to us. Because it does!