According to James Johnson, education of Blacks goes as far back as 1704, when the missionaries under persons like Frenchman Elias Neau converted slaves and taught them how to read. The first black school founded in November 1787 was the African Free School, which actually started off as a small room but in 1796, the first building was erected on Cliff Street. With funding from the government, this school eventually expanded and is said to have been precursor to the New York public school systems (Johnson, 21).

According to Thomas C. Fleming, most blacks dropped out of school in fourth or fifth grade and some did not go at all. Jews and Russians made up the majority that utilized the schools.

Life in Harlem was one of poverty. While most of the previous settlers had left for the comfortable regions of Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, there were still remnant of Italians, Jews, Irish and other East European peoples in East Harlem. Being unsure of their security, many blacks moved about in gangs. Jobs were limited especially for blacks and nearly all worked as cooks, waiters, janitors, bootblacks etc. Except for two or three people, there were no blacks working in the transportation, police or sanitation departments (Fleming, 1).

It was not until the Dread Scott Decision and the advent of American Civil War that freedom for all New York blacks became imminent. The election of Abraham Lincoln led to the cessation of the southern states. Lincoln declared the act of cessation an act of war. initially, the reason for the Civil War was unification of the nation, but when confederates called for help from Europe, he added emancipation as a reason for the civil war. This prevented European interference in American politics. In this sense, blacks played a very important role in the unification of America in addition to their strong military service. By the turn of the century, blacks were integrated into of the New York community.

For more information about Black Harlem, click here
Also check out http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs511a,0,6240189.story

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