Cheryl A Smith

On Hallowed Ground Cheryl A Smith

On Hallowed Ground: The Dunbar Complex in Harlem is a short history of a place situated in the Mecca of Black America, Harlem. The story provides historical, social and economic contexts as a backdrop for themes of family, cooperative economics and community building. The Dunbar Complex, apartments and a bank, opened during the height of the Harlem Renaissance. The Complex can be considered a "small first," tenant-owned garden apartments for Black people in the late 1920's. It is also a story of an ordinary family that illustrates the "other side of the Harlem Renaissance." Some members were pioneers in tiny events in Black History, "small firsts." The lived experiences of families in a particular place can provide a unique perspective of a city during a moment in time. Documenting this history can be a defense against the increasing onslaught of gentrification on Hallowed Grounds, particularly in Black America.