NYPL Oral History

NYPL Community Oral History Project

“The New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project is an initiative taking place at NYPL branches that aims to document, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of the city’s unique neighborhoods by collecting the stories of people who have experienced it firsthand.”

Featuring stories from members of many communities in NYC including Harlem, Greenwich Village, Washington Heights and Soho, many of these oral histories are given by immigrants and/or describe what it means to live, work, and build community by weaving together the multiplicity of customs from diverse cultures.

A People’s History of Harlem: Abdou Karim Samb