Harlem Emerges as Center of Black Cultural and Political Life

By 1920, Harlem had transformed from a predominantly white neighborhood to the cultural and political capital of Black America, housing the headquarters of the NAACP, the UNIA, the Urban League, and dozens of churches, clubs, and artistic organizations. The concentration of Black talent, institutions, and ambition in a single square mile created an unprecedented cultural ferment. Philosopher Alain Locke called it 'the mecca of the New Negro.'