Scope and arrangement
The Harlem in Transition Public Programs collection consists of seventy-eight videos and thirteen audio recordings created from October, 1981, to circa March, 1982. These recordings represent eighteen of the original twenty-seven programs, as well as three videos created to publicize the full event series. The recordings are arranged according to the programs' original three series, and chronologically within each.
In addition to Harlem in Transition Series Coordinator Rosemari Mealy, and steering committee members John Henrik Clarke, Gerterlyn Dozier, and Jean Blackwell Hutson, several New York Public Library staff members appear regularly throughout the event recordings. Among them are Jomarjo Bowen, adult services specialist and assistant branch librarian at Countee Cullen Library; Don Walker, associate director for programs and services at NYPL; and Wendell Wray, chief of the Schomburg Center. James Briggs Murray, head of the center's Audio Visual Section (also referred to as the "Audiovisual Section"; now the Moving Image and Recorded Sound division), worked on many of the recordings and video production, and also occasionally appears throughout the collection in that capacity. Speakers' titles reflect their roles at the time of recording, and square brackets indicate unclear names or spelling. Event locations are noted in each series' or item's content note. Unless otherwise noted, series and item titles appear as described in original collection documentation.
Of Harlem in Transition's original twenty-one talks, five were not recorded. Additionally, none of the series' six community forums, held at the Countee Cullen branch from December, 1981, to March, 1982, were recorded. Details about the unrepresented programs are indicated in each series' content note.
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1981 October- November
Forty videos and thirteen audio recordings reflecting seven programs in Harlem in Transition's first series, "Harlem: People, Institutions, Places." These programs were all held at New York Public Library's Countee Cullen branch from October 3rd to November 28th, 1981. Among the notable panelists and speakers in this series are journalist Gil Noble, actor and American Negro Theater founder Frederick O'Neal, poet Sonia Sanchez, and pianist Billy Taylor. The audio and video recordings were made contemporaneously. Because the audio recordings were originally made on cassette tapes, most contain two parts, one for each side of the cassette.
The original "Harlem: People, Institutions, Places" series comprised eight programs. The second of these, described as a "walking tour highlighting the diversity of Harlem's architecture" with guides Kevin Dickey and Ghislaine Hermanuz, was not recorded.
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1981 November-December
Thirteen videos reflecting three programs held at New York Public Library's Countee Cullen branch from November 18th to December 16th, 1981. Among the notable panelists and speakers in this series are Amsterdam News Executive Editor John Davis; WLIB Program Director David Lampel, and Malcolm-King College President Dr. Mattie Cook.
The original "Harlem: Issues for the Present, Assignments for the Future" series comprised four programs. The third, "Sports in the Harlem Community," was not recorded.
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1981 November-1982 January
Twenty-two videos reflecting seven programs held at El Museo del Barrio, as well as New York Public Library's 115th Street, 125th Street, Countee Cullen, George Bruce, Hamilton Grange, and Harlem branches, from November 21st, 1981, to January 16th, 1982. Among the notable panelists and speakers in this series are civil rights activist Yuri Kochiyama, author Piri Thomas, and journalists C. Gerald Fraser and Louise Meriwether.
The original "What Is Harlem? Who Lives There?" series comprised nine programs. The third and seventh, "Landmarks of Harlem" and "New Thrust, Decisive Choices," respectively, were not recorded.
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1981-1982
Three videos composed of clips of the Harlem in Transition programs, created by Schomburg Center staff to publicize the series. Titles are amended from those noted in original program documentation.