According to Rolling Stone, the festival was the brainchild of Tony Lawrence, a local entertainer who was hired by the New York City Parks department in 1967 to organize summer events in Harlem. Held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park (now known as Marcus Garvey Park), the festival celebrating Blackness, featuring free events that celebrated Black people and highlighted Black music.

Over the next few summers, the festival grew exponentially. Great artists like Count Basie, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Tito Puente and Mahalia Jackson performed to tens of thousands of festivalgoers. Soon, white politicians gunning for bigger political opportunities, as well as Black community organizers and civil rights leaders, wanted to make an appearance at the festival. It was official — the Harlem Cultural Festival was a force to be reckoned with.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

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