Harlem is one of the most famous neighborhoods in New York and is home to some of the City’s finest universities and cultural institutions. Representing excellence in the areas of literature, music, politics, dance and film, Harlem’s influence reaches beyond its physical borders and touches the world. Some of the most recognizable figures in history and current popular culture have resided in Harlem. The following is a partial list:

 

Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Harry Belafonte
Mekhi Phifer
Alicia Keys
W.E.B Dubois
Al Pacino
Mark Anthony
Sean Combs
Damon Dash
The Wayans Family
Ruby Dee
Ossie Davis
George Carlin
Burt Lancaster
Langston Hughes
Tito Puente
James Baldwin
Cicely Tyson
Billie Holiday
Oscar Micheaux
Charlie Parker
Charles Rangel
Duke Ellington
Harry Houdini
Ella Fitzgerald
Norman Rockwell
Paul Robeson
Richard Wright
Thurgood Marshall
Malcolm X
Sammy Davis Jr.
Ving Rhames
Doug E. Fresh
Keith David