Everything I know about Harlem comes from the nightly news and Hollywood -- neither source worthy to give a true, impartial history. Writer Joseph Holland explores a story that every American should understand. Take a look at the synopsis and reviews below:
As a diplomat's son, star athlete, and Harvard Law School graduate, in
the early 1980s, Joseph Holland had a world of opportunities awaiting
him on Wall Street and in corporate America. Instead, Holland moved to
the inner city, driven by a divine calling full of unfolding mystery and
challenge. He found himself in Harlem during the nadir of its blight
and endeavored to contribute to a neighborhood that was tough in every
sense of the word. A Republican among Democrats, a privileged Southern
scion among working-class Northerners, Holland earned his stripes as an
entrepreneur/activist embracing a vision of personal and community
transformation. A five-year sojourn became a three-decade commitment, as
his Harlem-based career morphed from practicing law to empowering the
homeless, to running small businesses, to writing plays, to serving in
politics, to building housing—all aimed at revitalizing a beaten-down,
dream-deferred cultural mecca haunted by poignant memories of its glory
days in the early twentieth century. Part memoir, part cultural and
political history of Harlem, and part vividly depicted tour guide, From
Harlem with Love is filled with wittily mordant insights into a
neighborhood that has touched the highs and reached the lows, and yet
remains indisputably one of the most storied and vital centers of
African American culture.
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| Amazon $8.99 |
Amazon 5 Star Review by Sara Green:
"As a resident of Harlem, I am familier with the struggles and success of Joseph Holland. In fact, I was the recipient of the apartment of J. Raymond Jones and am very familiar with Daniel Burrows, father in law of ex Mayor David Dinkins. Joe Holland lived on Convent Ave where
I still reside. Not once did I pass him on the street and he didn't
take the time to respond to a hello or small talk. To be as well
educated and the son of such a prestigious family, I am proud to say
that despite his good fortune, he fought for and received the respect of
everyone who was privileged to know or be associated with him. I am so
pleased that he wrote this book because now the world will be aware of
his legacy. And yes, it is all true!! It is a remarkable story of his
still youthful life."
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