Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy (212)788-2969
Joining the Mayor were Public Advocate Mark Green, City Comptroller Alan Hevesi, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Department of Business Services Commissioner Earl Andrews, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce President Lloyd Williams, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Board Member Arthur Barnes, community leaders and award recipients.
"New York is a city of many diverse communities, and Harlem's international population reflects this diversity," Mayor Giuliani said. "Each year Harlem's great cultural and religious institutions, entertainment centers, restaurants, businesses and bustling streets are visited by millions of New Yorkers and people from around the world who love its great energy, its history and its people."
The Harlem community's rich history and culture are celebrated during the Harlem Week festivities. This year's celebration includes carnivals, sports events, conferences, black film festivals, the Taste of Harlem International Food Festival, the Upper Manhattan Auto Show, the Black College Fair and the Apollo Theater Classic Series Concerts.
Begun in 1975, Harlem Week was established to revitalize the community. The original theme of the festival was "The Second Harlem Renaissance," to demonstrate that Harlem was still a thriving, pulsating community with much to offer. Harlem Week honors the community's distinction as the symbolic "Black Capital of the World"--a phrase used by Nelson Mandela in 1990.