New York City

The city of New York was founded after New Amsterdam, which was built by a group of Dutch settlers, in order to protect the colony, was forced to surrender. It was forced to surrender by Colonel Richard Nicolls, as there was an ongoing battle between the British and the Dutch settlers.After this the fort that was originally name Fort Amsterdam, was renamed the City of New York, as well as Fort James. This city was considered to be owned by the British, until the American Revolution occurred, in which it finally became American territory. A turning point came when areas of this city started becoming heavily populated by Black individuals. This was the Great Migration which was the migration or in terms the fleeing of African American's from the south to the North for better opportunities. It was them seeking in such terms asylum from the racial injustice of the Jim Crow south by gaining political, economic and financial benefits. Also another factor in choosing areas like New York City to migrate to was circumstances like family ties.

The city of New York City is divided into different areas that either consist of neighborhoods or boroughs. The state of New York has the 2nd largest population of African American's with majority living between New York City and the counties that surround it. African American's constitute neighborhoods that are predominantly black such as the Bronx, Harlem, Queens, Bedford, and Brooklyn. Harlem has the most dense amount of African Americans in one area, while Brooklyn has the largest population with over 900,000 African Americans residing there. The Bronx would come in second with over 600,000 and Queens with almost 500,000 black individuals. When it comes to the stability and opportunities of these neighborhoods, areas such as as the Bronx, and Queens are considered to have better opportunities and stability rates then Harlem. As Harlem is very scarce in housing and job opportunities compared to other areas of New York City.

In order to understand the term Ghetto we have to take it back to it's roots of existence. The ghetto was a term used for Jewish individuals in the early 16th century for a compromise of them getting a small island. Though this term shifted to African Americans, and was used in a different sense that dealt with residential segregation. It was for reasons such as how blacks were restricted to certain areas and were denied many homing benefits. This is a term that can be seen as offensive to some, but an experience to others, as this is a resilient word with lost capacity. The ghetto was forced upon the blacks as it was a way of forcing them into a specific area and restricting their freedom of choice. It's important to note the ghetto for New York City as it was one of the main two destinations for African Americans during The Great Migration. Levels of racial isolation rose for Black individuals in New York City from the year of 1880 to 1910, and this was prevalent in the neighborhood of Harlem. Apart from Isolation they were facing dissimilarity, as well as drastically lower levels of socioeconomic standing then whites. This was brought up from factors that were a result of the segregation.

African Americans have faced systematic oppression throughout the whole country of America. New York City was apart of the systematic oppression that Blacks face, as whites till this day have been very vocal with expressing their racism toward Blacks. The start of racial rioting didn't actually start with Blacks, but with Whites, as it was a way of tormenting Blacks with their hatred. For example the Ku Klux Klan parade that occurred in 1927 in Queens, New York which included about 1,000 members, that ended up turning violent. Racial injustice existed as well, with Jim Crow segregation. An example is white mothers marching across the Brooklyn bridge against the efforts of desegregating a school program. Blacks faced the injustice of Jim Crow segregation with being denied to have racially mixed marriages, not being to use certain public accommodations such as the same water fountain as a white person, and being denied housing. As before when individuals fled to the north for better opportunities they were forced in to highly densely populated areas like Harlem, where housing wasn't enough and African American's workers were forced to share a single bed between shifts. Actions similar to this still exist, with Harlem being considered to be part of the Black ghetto with high levels of poverty struck families living in their, as they are not receiving the job opportunities of their white counterparts. Also the policing practice against many non- violent black individuals of the "Stop question and Frisk" tactic, on the New York City streets.

There has always been a fight against the systematic oppression that African Americans faced, although in New York City it was truly prevalent. African Americans were done with the racial injustice they were dealing with, so they took matters into their hands. Actions such as marches, racial riots, protests and the organizing of organizations all came into play. For example in the year of 1943 in New York City there was a numerous amount of racial riots, with them starting in Harlem due to the shooting of James Powell a fifteen year old Black male by an off-duty police officer, that lasted for six days. This resulted in a full blown out riot with the breaking of windows, looting and hundreds of injuries, which spread all the way out to Bedford- Stuyvesant. This was all a recognization of civil unrest. Also the Negro Silent Protest Parade, which was organized by the NAACP (the Brooklyn branch) an organization that was formed due to the ongoing violence that Blacks faced. This parade was attended by 10,000 African Americans fighting in solidarity against the race riots from white individuals, lynching and violence in states such as Texas, Illinois and Tennessee. The NAACP didn't only address the ongoing violence, but they also addressed the destruction of African American Communities. More organizations were also established such as The National Urban League, which was established to help Black southerners with issues such as education, employment, housing, health and etc.

Black flourishment in New York City, was the result of the rise of Black culture that emerged around the 1920’s. African American’s choose to express themselves through their talents such as through the arts, music, and entertainment. The Harlem Renaissance was a revolutionary movement for African Americans, in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City that expressed heritage and black identity. It could be seen as a postcolonial prosperity, as it was a readjustment to supporting the Black Urban life at that time. It was a revolution of cultural, social and artistic values. Harlem was considered the biggest place for African American reform as it was the symbol for civil struggles and economic equality. Some of the most famous places that artists showcased their talents at during this time was the Apollo Theater, or the Lafayette Theater which was the first theater to become desegregated, and many more nightclubs. Apart from this it also produced many famous musical genres, such as Hip Hop that all started at a simple birthday party in the Bronx. It was the emergence of Black Youth's expressing their creativity through music, as it has roots in African American cultural practices. New York City has produced many famous Black figures ranging from political figures, to artists, musicians and to even actors. Some of these individuals include Langston Hughes, Whoppie Goldberg, Tyler Perry, Maya Angelou, 50 cent and more. Apart from it producing famous figure it has become a melting pot of Black prosperity with Black-Owned businesses such as tattoo shops, barbershops, clothing stores and etc.