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Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | 6:44pm
Columbia U. Plays Nice With The Apollo Amidst Angst over Harlem Solidarity
Ivy League School tries to distract Harlem while White America steals its history and culture
The residents of Harlem, New York have been beefing with the distinguished Columbia University over the schools ever expanding campus which some argue has annexed much of the neighborhood’s historic landmarks and cultural value. In a move hoped to smooth tensions the University has given hush money extended an olive branch to Harlem’s most famous landmark, The Apollo Theater.
Described or better yet DISGUISED as “an effort to spotlight and safeguard one of New York’s most important cultural institutions,” the University has developed online and on-site exhibitions to help the theater celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009. The project will include an educational component for public school students and an archive of audio and video interviews with Apollo performers such as Smokey Robinson, Leslie Uggams and Fred Wesley.
The University hopes the glorified community service project $6.3 billion expansion between W. 125th Street (home to the Apollo) and W. 134th over the next 25 years. Opponents of the plan contend that gentrification spearheaded by Columbia has driven the cost of living up and local businesses out to make way for the white folks expansion.
Columbia’s president, Lee Bollinger estimates that the new campus will create 6,000 new jobs in the area. Yah and what? The majority of the jobs given to local Harlem residents earmarked as “custodial” I bet. Get a grip!
FILED IN Editorials, Need to Know
Interesting. What would you do if you were the heads of the University and you needed to expand your school?
If you’re Columbia you don’t NEED to expand anything. There’s nothing to GAIN from expansion other than money but I think in Columbia’s case, being as prestigious as they are there are other ways to do so. I think that the two have coexisted for quite a while and now with Harlem’s rich history being annexed by Yuppie white folks I think the school is taking advantage by piling on. Bad form.