Harlem Renaissance 2.0 Banners
Celebrating Same Gender Loving /LGBTQ+ African American Harlem Renaissance Icons

Banners Presentation
Along 125th Street

The Harlem Renaissance 2.0 Banners feature SGLBTQ s/heroes: Author and activist James Baldwin, the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, Barbara Jordan, organizer and human rights activist, Bayard Rustin, playwright and activist, Lorraine Hansberry and poet, author and activist, Audre Lorde.

Executive Director, Dr. John-Martin Green says,

“The Gatekeeper is an indigenous African term for SGL guardians who restore balance and harmony when there is crisis in the community. As 21st Century Gatekeepers, we must spotlight the vital and unique contributions of SGL people to the history and culture of Harlem.”

Thank you to our Community Partners:

The Gatekeepers Collective (TGC), with West Harlem Development Corp and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council launch HARLEM RENAISSANCE 2.0, honoring the Centennial of the Harlem Renaissance and SGLBTQ (same gender loving (SGL), gay, lesbian, bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Heroes: a public art and performance initiative including a series of Banners along West 125thSt. celebrating SGLBTQ Sheroes and heroes who pioneered the Harlem Renaissance, as well as a public performance created from the lived experiences of the heirs to this legacy. The goal of the initiative is to celebrate and affirm the sexual identities of these giants of African American History and culture who elevated Harlem to mythic proportions.

The Harlem Renaissance 2.0 Banners feature SGLBTQ heroes: Author and activist James Baldwin, the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, Barbara Jordan, organizer and human rights activist, Bayard Rustin, playwright and activist, Lorraine Hansberry and poet, author and activist, Audre Lorde.

Harlem Renaissance 2.0 is made possible in part with funds from the West Harlem Development Corporation (WHDC), UMEZ Arts Engagement, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Stonewall Community Foundation.

West Harlem Development Corporation (WHDC) The mission of WHDC is to promote increased economic opportunities and quality of life to sustain a vibrant community in West Harlem.