![]() The NYPD presence was minimized, and Black Panthers provided security for the talent. The performers were all thrilled to play in the heart of Harlem, and witnesses reported that they’d never seen such a large gathering of black people in one spot before. They were marvelously programmed to highlight different avenues of black music, from Motown pop to jazz to Afrobeat to gospel to psychedelic funk. The shows, officially called the Harlem Culture festival, were a revelation. It was determined that free concerts on six consecutive Sundays might release some necessary summer steam. ![]() Part of the thinking was that the previous year saw riots in Harlem after King’s killing as well as a campus occupation at nearby Columbia University inspired, in part, by sympathetic whites upset the school was building what was essentially a racially segregated gymnasium in Morningside Park. He found a sponsor in Maxwell House coffee and had an advocate in John Lindsey, the progressive-for-his-time mayor. ![]() In 1969, a club singer, concert promoter, raconteur and very sharp dresser named Tony Lawrence convinced the New York City parks department to allow him to produce a series of summer concerts in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park (now known as Marcus Garvey Park). There’s a lot to talk about with Summer of Soul, and part of the story is how this extraordinary event was nearly forgotten. And what’s unbelievable is that this footage has been collecting dust in a basement for 50 years. It goes beyond the category of mere singing, it’s an expression of grief, tenderness, community and healing. As Staples brings the crowd to a near-stunned state of rapture, she hands the microphone to her mentor, Mahalia Jackson, who simply explodes with cathartic, full-bodied emotion.
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