Themes in American History

 

Located in the heart of Harlem New York the Apollo theatre stands tall with immense symbolic representation and historical power.  In 1914 the doors of the theatre opened up as a Burlesque theatre by Benjamin Hurtig and Harry Seamon called the Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theatre.  Similar to other theaters at this time it was opened to whites and a sprinkle of blacks as patrons or performers.   In 1933 mayor Fiorello La Guardia began his campaign against burlesque nforcing Hurting and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theatre to close down.

Sidney Cohen, who previously owned the theatre before Hurtig and Seamon regained ownership and opened the theatre once again in 1934 with a new idea in mind.  In efforts to appeal to the growing African-American population in Harlem, the theatre now focused on shows geared towards an African American audience.

Harlem was a bustling place where African-American fluctuated to in order to join their counterparts in this cultural movement.  The time of the Apollo theaters reopen was also recognized in history as the time of the Harlem Renaissance or the “New Negro Movement”.  The movement was centered in Harlem and housed a growing number of talented and influential blacks who would help inspire the black community nationwide.   The Apollo theatre was the first place where talented black musicians and singers such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn began their musical career.  The Harlem Renaissance also worked to lessen the divide between blacks and whites during this time.  With this new style of music unique to the black movement in Harlem, whites began to admire and become interested in it, some black and white musicians began to come together just to create music.

The Harlem Renaissance was extremely important in shaping American History.  It represented a time where blacks began to show their pride and talent to the world.   The legacy of the Harlem Renaissance reshaped the idea of Black Americans to a positive one and also reshaped the historic and cultural value of Harlem itself, which still holds true to today.

Immediately when we hear the name Harlem, people automatically remember its rich black culture and the countless acts of innovation that took place there, unique to the black community.  I wanted to explore the history of the Apollo theatre and give a brief synopsis of the Harlem Renaissance because I feel passionately about the damaging effects that recent gentrification is causing to Harlem.  Harlem holds with it the essence of the “Old Harlem” and although it may not be the safest area, it is not fair that its sentiment is being wiped out with the building of luxury condos and restaurants that most of the black families living there now cannot afford to experience.  The new buildings and facilities do not cater to the black community who are forced to watch everything they remembered and loved about Harlem be erased faster than it was built.  Many black residents are forced to move out of Harlem, unable to afford increasing rent prices and are being replaced with people who are able to afford these luxury apartments but have no recollection or consideration towards the pride established in Harlem.  There is even an attack on the physical name “Harlem” with this new gentrification.  When showing housing to clients, realtors refer to Spanish Harlem as “SpaHa”, East Harlem as “EHa” and West Harlem “WeHa”.  This new trend is bound to remove all remembrance and affiliation people once had with the name Harlem, the feeling and memories that accompany it.  Although I am not a Harlem resident I sympathize whole heartedly in this robbery of the historic value and in a sense the people of Harlem.

 

**I tried to upload some photos but the site told me i reached the maximum storage capacity and would not let me upload any**

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