The Harlem in Transition Project
HarlemLive is an award-winning, critically acclaimed web magazine produced by teens from New York City. It is a journalism, technology, and leadership program that teaches students ages 13 to 21 how to run an online newspaper. The publication "HarlemLive," includes news articles, investigative stories, opinion pieces, personal essays, poetry, photography, and video documentaries. The students organize events, conduct workshops, and sit on panels, increasing their networking and public speaking abilities. The program is located on 123rd Street in Manhattan, the heart of Harlem's commercial district.
I worked as an investigative reporter covering the Harlem in Transition project. Low-income families were being pushed out of their central park north homes by upper-class individuals looking to raise the market value and take advantage of the prime location and beautiful view of central park.
Bridging the Digital Divide
Playing2Win is the oldest Community Technology Center in the Country. Founded by Toni Stone in 1980; its mission was to provide the surrounding high-risk neighborhood of East Harlem with the hardware, software, and related technologies of the time. P2W is also a project of Boy's Harbor, a 60-year old, multiservice youth organization serving over 4,000 young people and their families. P2W partnered with the Institute for Learning Technologies (ILT) at Columbia University; ILT provided instructional and technical support for P2W and P2W provided internships for Teachers' College students. I was an intern at P2W for two years and worked as an instructional technologist and reporter.
A Grassroots Program That Changes Lives
I'm Living Proof
I worked with HarlemLive back in 1998 on a project called "Harlem in Transition," a series of articles we published on the teen website covering the rising market value of apartments along Central Park North at 110th Street. At the time, I had no idea how much that experience would shape my life. HarlemLive gave me my first real taste of journalism, technology, and professional collaboration — skills I carried with me for the rest of my career.
Today I'm a teacher and a property owner, and I can trace a direct line back to those afternoons spent reporting, writing, and learning how to use the tools of the trade at HarlemLive. This organization doesn't just teach kids how to write articles or build websites — it hands them real responsibility, real audiences, and real confidence. That's rare, and it's powerful.
Programs like HarlemLive prove that meaningful, lasting change can start at the grassroots level, block by block, story by story. This book captures exactly why that model works. I'm grateful to have been part of it, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who believes in the potential of young people when they're given real opportunities.