Harambee NID 7

"Since the 1930s, Harambee has been a hub for African American culture and heritage. Originally settled by German immigrants in the 1800s, the African American community grew over the years and reached its height by the 1970s. Harambee was particularly attractive to working class families because of the modest and tidy single-family homes and proximity to downtown.

In the mid-1970s, residents adopted the name Harambee, the Swahili word for "pulling together". Harambee's organizing culture is rooted in the civil rights movement. During the 1970s and 1980s, the neighborhood became organized with over one hundred active block clubs. Residents fought against school and housing segregation, and other forms of institutional racism and divestment facing their community."

Photos and neighborhood background courtesy of the Harambee Greater Neighborhood Initiative.

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