From the beginning of African-descended people becoming Americans, being Black in America has come with its share of trials and triumphs. There are histories that hurt, histories that heal, and, thankfully, histories that remind us to celebrate simply because we can.
For 57 years—yes, fifty-seven—Harlem has been doing exactly that.
On Sunday, September 20, the African American Day Parade returned to Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. The streets were filled with marching bands, floats, performances, community organizations, Black-owned businesses, and people who apparently did not receive the memo that rain was supposed to ruin the party…