In 1914, nestled in lower Harlem, stood the newly finished Hurtig & Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater, a whites-only venue. For 20 years, theater patrons and performers ignored the rise of one of America’s largest black communities around them.¹ But in 1934, the theater reopened proudly as a locale to showcase talented black performers. With a new name and a new audience, the Apollo Theater became vital to the emergence of American music genres and major black musicians. Today it stands as an important historical landmark, a witness to the African American culture of creativity and achievement.

For over 35 years, February has served as African American History Month. As a nation, we celebrate the accomplishments of influential people of color such as Harriet Tubman, who worked tirelessly leading slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought against racial intolerance and segregation. The strength and courage they showed in the face of appalling discrimination is truly an inspiration.

When Frederick Douglass reached New York in 1838, after narrowly escaping the clutches of slavery, he wrote in a letter to a friend, “I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions.” In 1847, Douglass came to Rochester and began the publication of the "North Star" which was later changed to "Frederick Douglass Paper," a weekly journal.

Today, an eight foot bronze sculpture of Mr. Douglass stands on the corner of Highland Park near his former South Avenue home, along a boulevard named after him.

As noted by Booker T. Washington at the time of the dedication of the sculpture, “ It is a very fitting circumstance that, in Rochester, the scene of his early trials and struggles, a monument should rear its head heavenward to commemorate the worth, and works of one whose sincere service was ever in behalf of humanity. Mr. Douglass is still our hero. His life will ever be an inspiration and a hope; and up from the depths from which he sprang others of his race have come, and are coming, to show, and to prove, that his great life in their behalf was not lived in vain.”

While these historical figures still inspire us, African Americans today continue to break down barriers and make history. Nearly eight years ago, President Barack Obama became the first African-American man to be elected President of the United States. As his presidency comes to an end, the legacy he leaves behind will continue to inspire future generations.

Our state also served as home to many prominent black history icons. Born in Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm served as a member of the New York State Assembly until 1968. She then became the first black woman elected to Congress and went on to be the first female African-American candidate to run for president in 1972. A Harlem native, Colin Powell became the United States’ first African-American Secretary of State in 2001. Liberation leaders such as Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X both lived and worked in New York.

Throughout our nation’s history, we have seen African Americans rise, breaking through barriers that limited freedom, education and wealth. African American History Month is a time to honor that perseverance and strength. As we celebrate this year, it’s important to recognize that the fight for equality is not over. New York will continue to lead the way to ensure justice and equality for all.

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