Harlem Cultural FEstival (FBI - New York)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:

Any and all records about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 which took place in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the summer of 1969. The festival was hosted by entertainer Tony Lawrence and attended by many famous musicians, and a heave Black Panther presence was there as well, as well as famous activists including Jesse Jackson, Mayor John Lindsay, Marcus Garvey Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, and others. Acts included Nina Simoe, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder and many others.
The following dates and locations are included in the festival:
June 5, 1969 - OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL! Miss Harlem Pageant, a soul band, etc. at 68 E. 131st
June 6, 1969 – 68 E. 131st Street, Harlem Cultural Festival Salutes United Block Association, 5-8pm
June 7, 1969 – 4pm-11pm Block party at 155th Street between Broadway and Riverside
June 7, 1969 – 7pm-9pm, Cantral Park Mal at 72nd and 5th Ave. – College and University Salute to the Harlem Cultural Festival
June 7, 1969 – 1am Smalls Paradise, 135th St and 7th Ave. Hi Society Club presents Tony Lawrence with an award for work in the community
June 8, 1969 – 4-6pm, 62nd and 10th, Damrosch band shell, Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center salutes the Harlem Cultural Festival
June 9, 1969 – 5:30-8:30pm, Manhattanville Community Center, 132 and Amsterdam, Miss Harlem Finalists salute the WLIB Soul Brothers Disk Jockeys
June 15, 1969 - Tribute to the American South in Colonial Park
June 18, 1969 - Gospel and Calypso at Rockefeller Center (this was mentioned in the NYTimes)
June 22, 1969 - Gospel community sing-along at Bethel Baptist Church (265 Bergen St, Brooklyn) with Professor Charles Taylor, Virginia Fowler, Veronica Blakely, Louella Williams, and Deacon Logan, Deacon Ray Hill, Dickie Mitchell and the Youth Choir
June 29, 1969 – WEEK ONE - Opening concert in Mt. Morris (Mount Morris) park in Harlem
July 9th, 1969 – Tribute to Mahalia Jackson
July 13, 1969 - WEEK TWO - Gospel Concert
July 20, 1969 - WEEK THREE - 1969 Soul Day - MAN LANDS ON MOON
July 20th, 1969 - Apollo landing reporting in NYC. There was a “Moon-in” in Central Park , and 10,000 people gathered to watch the moon landing there.
July 20th -25th-ish, 1969 - I’m hoping to find man-on-the-street coverage of Black perspective on the landing of the Apollo on July 20th or 21st or so, 1969. I know this was important reporting at that day because many Black leaders protested the moon landing. The NY times covered the fact that Black people were upset about the expense of the Space program
July 27, 1969 - WEEK FOUR - Sunday
August 17, 1969 - WEEKEND FIVE - Sunday (WOODSTOCK WEEKEND)
August 24, 1969 - WEEKEND SIX - Sunday finals of the Miss Harlem beauty Pageant

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth McGlynn