Celebrate the History and Community of Harlem

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA

Legislation S.1204/A.5339 Renames 110 St-Central Park North Subway Station to 110 St-Malcolm X Plaza

Legislation S.7152A/A.8220A Designates the Harlem Renaissance Cultural District

A legislation to celebrate the rich history of Harlem as the community celebrated the 51st Harlem Week festival was signed by Governor Hochul. The two new laws will rename the 110 St-Central Park North subway station 110 St-Malcolm X Plaza and will empower the Council on the Arts to designate the Harlem Renaissance Cultural District as a region of cultural significance.

To commemorate the life and legacy of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X and his historic connections to the Harlem community, Governor Hochul signed S.1204/A.5339, renaming the 110 St-Central Park North 2/3 subway station 110 St-Malcolm X Plaza. Malcolm X lived in Harlem for over a decade, first in 1943 and then from 1954 until his assasination in 1965. This legislation renames the station south of the Malcolm Shabazz Plaza after Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, Chairperson of the Board of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, joined Governor Hochul and the Harlem Community for the renaming ceremony.

2025 is the 100th anniversary of the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance, a defining period in American culture. To mark this milestone, Governor Hochul signed S.7152A/A.8220A, which designates the Harlem Renaissance Cultural District as a region of cultural significance. After the Great Migration, Harlem grew to include about 175,000 Black residents, making it the most densely populated Black community in the world. The Harlem Renaissance saw this community flourish in the 1920s and 1930s, spawning a revolution of music, art, literature, theatre, fashion, politics, and scholarship, the impacts of which are still felt today.

Originally started by then-Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce founder and CEO Lloyd A. Williams in 1974 and now in its 51st year, Harlem Week is a celebration that brings together the greater Harlem community’s residents, businesses, religious, educational, arts and cultural institutions. This year’s theme is “Celebrate Our Magic,” which shines a light on the culture and community of Harlem, New York City, New York State, and the “Harlems of the World.” Prior to the bill signing, Governor Hochul and local leaders observed a moment of silence in memory of Lloyd A. Williams, who passed away on August 5th.