Tag Archives: Harlem

Jaylene and the Killer Whale

Posted on by

Jaylene Clark was the mastermind behind the spoken word performance “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale.” The play stemmed from a random Facebook status she wrote before she was on her way to a poetry reading. It read: “It’s time to stop dipping a toe in here/ Wading in a little bit there/I need to jump back into this Sea World of poetry like I’m Shamu/ Heavy/ Too much gentrification going on in Harlem to get light/ Time to spit killer lines, with killer rhymes, of killer tales/ Cuz Harlem is looking more and more like the belly of a killer whale.”

The play takes a look at gentrification as actresses Janelle Heatley, Hollis Heath and Jaylene play the roles of three different young women discussing the changes in Harlem. The most prominent change being how Jaylene’s character’s parents are struggling to keep their brownstone apartment because of the increase in costs with real estate.

As the play goes on, the three actresses play different roles expressing their feelings on how Harlem was, how it is now, and how they hope it will be. Mostly, how they hope Harlem will also be indulged in its culture and originality.

Jaylene takes a stroll through 125th Street, close to the National Black Theatre, speaking about how Harlem doesn’t need any fancy makeovers to be “trendy” because it is an area that is already rich in culture and history.

No Youth Jobs = Violence ?

Posted on by

Ten days after 18-year-old basketball star Tayshana Murphy was gunned down in Harlem, the two young men allegedly responsible for her murder are in police custody, officials said Wednesday.

Despite a visible police presence in Harlem, youth violence has spiked in the past few years. (Photo: Sarah M. Kazadi)

As Murphy’s family mourns, her killing has shed light on the steady rise in youth violence and gang related crimes in the area. East Harlem community leaders say the surge could be largely attributed to the lack of jobs, and initiatives to create more opportunities for youth employment are underway.

Harlem hasn’t been spared from the job market’s downward slant. With overall unemployment in the area almost doubling the national rate, the youth labor force – falling between the ages of 16 and 24 – is also feeling the blow. The National Urban League reports that youth unemployment among minorities, who make up a large chunk of East Harlem’s population, hovers around 39 percent.

The high unemployment rate has coincided with the recent spike in youth violence, and community leaders have tied the two trends. Raichelle Thompson, a 21-year-old lifelong East Harlem resident, said youth violence in her neighborhood is at an all time peak. “The younger the group, the more deaths. Kids with guns and no diplomas, it’s really crazy out here,” she said.

At a community board meeting in February, East Harlem police said gang violence was their toughest challenge, and that gang members ranged from 13 to 21 years old. There are about 24 active youth gangs spanning Harlem, according to a DNAinfo report, some even using social websites like YouTube to taunt each other.

Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito established the El Barrio/East Harlem Youth Task Force in response to the alarming numbers, organizing events on youth violence and putting an emphasis on youth jobs. Congressman Charles Rangel has teamed with other local elected officials and the NUL to gain support for the Urban Jobs Act, which promises to “provide critical resources for non-profit groups to prepare at-risk youth for new employment and educational opportunities.”

With the initiatives freshly under way, it will be a while before we can determine whether they can create more youth jobs and slow down youth violence. Percentage wise, how much do you think the lack of jobs is to blame for the spike in violent youth crimes? What other factors should be addressed to stop the trend in communities like Harlem?

East Harlem On Obama’s Jobs Bill

Posted on by

Spanish Harlem’s unemployed population, hovering around 16 percent according to the Census Bureau, is tentatively hopeful that President Obama will get his jobs bill passed. The primary concern, however, is whether the bill can actually create more local small business jobs instead of just painting a brighter picture.

Guadalupe Castro owns Fierce Nail & Spa salon on 117th Street in East Harlem (Photo Credit: Sarah Kazadi)

– Will the incentives work?: The $447 billion American Jobs Act comes with incentives the president believes will get small businesses hiring again, including payroll tax cuts and a $4,000 tax credit to companies hiring the long-term unemployed. Guadalupe Castro, a small business owner in Spanish Harlem, said she wouldn’t mind hiring to “help out,” but that the incentives are not a guarantee that she’ll expand her staff. “They have to be professional, they have to know what they’re doing, it’s going to be a lot of things all together before I can say yes,” she said.

–How long will the incentives last?: There is skepticism that the bill’s incentives will create long term job opportunities. “I don’t think it’s going to work,” said Eladio Perez, an East Harlem resident who has been out of work since October 2009. “If they hire you just based on the incentives, a little after that you’ll be out again looking for work,” he said.

–How long before results?: Some unemployed East Harlem residents applaud the plan but believe that it may take too long to bear fruit. “What they’re doing may not come fast enough to help us. You still have to eat, you still need a roof over your head and hot water,” said Angelo Marquez, who has been unemployed for two years. President Obama added a measure to pay small businesses faster, “So that puts more money in their pockets quicker, which means they can hire folks quicker,” he said in an address at North Carolina State University. 

President Obama sent his job bill to Congress on Monday. There is currently no set date on when it will be voted on.