J. Bruce Llewellyn, whose success in fields as varied as banking, broadcasting, Coca-Cola bottling and groceries made him one of the most prominent black businessmen in America, died Wednesday night at his home in Manhattan. He was 82. The cause was renal failure, said Edward Lewis, a friend and legal guardian for Mr. Llewellyn. Mr. Llewellyn had ( Read more... )

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Black Fiction's great griot master: John Oliver Killens ushered in a new era of the African American novel in 1954 and subsequently mentored a whole generation of black fiction talent. So why is most of his work out of print?
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Thought I would share. AUGUSTA SAVAGE was a sculptress around the Harlem Renaissance. She helped organize the Harlem Arts Guild. I've always loved sculpture, so I thought I'd share.

NEW YORK --The body of soul singer James Brown will be returned Thursday to the site of his debut -- the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem -- so the public that saw and heard him leave a lasting impression on music can see him one last time, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Tuesday ( Read more... )

PUTTIN' ON THE RITZFrom the film "Puttin' On The Ritz" (1930) (Irving Berlin ( Read more... )

From "'scuse Me While I Lindyhop"The lindy hop is generally said to have been ‘invented’ in the Savoy ballroom in Harlem in the late twenties. It’s premier dancer, "Shorty" Snowden, threw off his partner in a competition before a large press contingency and performed a brief "breakaway" of fancy footwork that wowed the audience. Referring to the ( Read more... )

The 15th New York Infantry was authorized in 1913 and was not formed until 1916. The armory was a cigar store with a dance hall above it on Seventh Ave. and 131st Street, Harlem. Two hundred Negro residents in the city, who had previous military service, became the nucleus for the new regiment. Overcoming many obstacles, Colonel William Hayward, a ( Read more... )

Harlem: 1900-1940.

xposted from my lj.

It feels like we are losing a lot of great writers, great thinkers, great leaders lately.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/30/national/30cruse.html?

Harold Cruse, Social Critic and Fervent Black Nationalist, Dies at 89
By CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPTPublished: ( Read more... )