home contact harlem aboutHi archives 2010


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



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