Promises KEPT

  

As with any new development, there are always high hopes, plenty of fears and a certain amount of mystery. Will it turn out as planned? Will people come and shop? Will local businesses suffer or benefit? Will these new neighbors add to the culture and economy of the community in a positive way? These are the kinds of questions that faced Harlem USA when we opened our doors five years ago.

Harlem USA was built to provide Harlem residents with the goods and services we had to travel elsewhere to access. We hoped that we would form positive and significant bonds with our customers and neighbors. We promised to enrich the community we were moving into in diverse and meaningful ways from creating new jobs to supporting local organizations to encouraging our youngsters in their academic endeavors. Promises were made and these are promises kept.

As of June 30, 2005, there were: 141 full-time employees and 262 part time employees working at Harlem USA. Most of these jobs are filled by local residents.

Before they even opened their doors, many of our retailers were actively involved in supporting local community-based organizations such as Harlem Little League, various local schools and not-for-profit organizations.

Our commitment to our young people runs deep as we have used an array of events to encourage literacy, critical thought and artistic endeavors. We have hosted an annual celebrity read-a-thon to encourage literacy, a chess tournament for kids, various kids' art exhibits, Halloween trick-or- treating and an essay contest with The Amsterdam News. In addition to our kids events, we and our retailers have hosted Hollywood movie premieres, promotional events and in-store signings which have brought the best and the brightest to Harlem. Thank goodness we have pictures or no one would believe the list of celebrities and the excitement Harlem USA has brought to the community. The list of celebrities and legends who have come to Harlem includes:


The Late Ossie Davis
Ruby Dee
President Bill Clinton
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Vice President Al Gore
Jada Pinkett Smith
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx
Tom Cruise
Nate "Tiny" Archibald

  


Janet Jackson
Musiq
Rah Digga
Foxxy Brown
Loon
Leon
AJ and Free
Big Tigger
Mo'Nique

 
E. Lynn Harris
Terry McMillan
Bill Cosby
Al Sharpton
Lil' Kim
Wesley Snipes
Wyclef Jean
Jill Scott
Colin Powell
    They walked the walk, talked the talk and slowly but surely convinced all the lenders, vendors and naysayers that Harlem is home to a community of avid readers. Five years ago their vision was realized and our collective dream came true when the Hue-Man Bookstore and Café opened its doors.

There was a time not so long ago when most of the local bookstores had closed their doors and the major chains didn’t feel that our community would support a book retailer. Fortunately for us, Clara Villarosa, Rita Ewing and Celeste Johnson believed something else. Ms. Villarosa has since retired, but Marva Allen has since joined the team and continues the Hue-Man tradition of providing an excellent selection of titles, great special events and most important of all, knowledgeable customer service with a smile.
   Since its gala opening over five years ago, literary giants, a former President of The United States of America, the junior Senator from New York, cultural icons, spiritual and political leaders, poets, rappers, sports figures, educators and authors from just about every corner of American life have come to Hue-Man to interact directly with their fans and fellow Hue-Man beings.

The Hue-Man Bookstore and Café has become the place where Harlemites come to share their ideas, thoughts and dreams, where they come to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich and of course where they come to find their favorite book. Hue-Man is yet another Harlem dream come true.
Imagine pulling up a chair, grabbing a cup of coffee and chatting with Terry McMillan about her latest novel. Picture an evening spent with neighbors sharing poetry. Think about meeting your favorite storytellers and historic figures and having a chance to hear them speak directly to you about what inspires them to create the literary works that touch your life in such a meaningful way. Fortunately you were not alone in these thoughts and dreams. Three incredible African-American women shared your dreams. Three women believed that you would support a bookstore and café that catered to your unique tastes and desires. They believed that you would support a literary oasis in your own community. They believed that the authors you love and support would feel the same sense of connection that you do.
CELEBRITIES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS JOIN 300 HARLEM
YOUNGSTERS FOR A MORNING OF READING

On Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m., 300 elementary school students from Harlem gathered at the Magic Johnson Theatres in the Harlem USA retail complex for the 6th annual Harlem USA Celebrity Read-A-Thon. The event was a morning dedicated to encouraging literacy among Harlem youngsters.

    Several guest readers from a variety of professions read aloud to 3rd - 4th graders from local schools. This year’s participating readers included: BET air personality Mad Linx; teen rapper Ms. NaNa, Elaine Edmonds (President of the Harlem YMCA); Kim ben-Salahuddin (Harlem Commonwealth) and others.

   The annual event is part of an ongoing commitment by Harlem USA to encourage literacy and academic achievement through a variety of events and programs which also include an annual Kids Chess Tournament and a series of art exhibits.

 

    Harlem USA’s Magic Johnson Theatres once again served as the host venue for the event. The nine-screen, 2,700 seat Magic Johnson Theatres complex includes stadium seating and state-of-the-art sound and projection systems. In addition to showing the best in current film releases, the theaters host an array of community-based and promotional events throughout the year. Other event partners included: Burger King, which provided discounted meals to our young guests; Scholastic Inc., for the sixth year provided a generous donation of 300 books for our students; and Concepts and Solutions which provided nearly 600 toys and stuffed animals. The NY Jets, NY Giants, and NY Yankees also generously donated items for our gift bags.

      Harlem USA, is the highly successful retail and entertainment complex located at the corner of Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 125th Street. The 285,000 square foot development includes Magic Johnson Theatres, Old Navy, the African-American owned Hue-Man Bookstore and Café, Modell’s Sporting Goods, K&G Superstore for Men and Women, New York Sports Club, a full-service Chase Manhattan Bank branch, Nine West, Rainbow, FoodChange, and a full service branch of Commerce Bank.
Hollywood in Harlem: Five years of movie magic in Harlem

 

MJT has hosted film festivals, charity events, Hollywood premieres, private parties, meetings and even a regular comedy night. Talk about an entertainment mecca. They are great neighbors working closely with various groups to serve the community as a meeting place, not to mention a safe refuge for our kids. It’s become “the” gathering place as many Harlemites can often be heard saying “meet me at the Magic Johnson Theatres.”

The new Managing Director of the theaters, James Andrews, has created an environment where his staff is not only happy to do a good job but they, in many ways, have become part of an extended family.

Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mo’nique, Mario van Peebles, Melvin Van Peebles, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and a list that keeps going. What do these Hollywood superstars have in common?

Magic Johnson Theatres came to Harlem with the promise of providing a first-class movie going experience uptown. It’s a promise they have kept. This nine-screen state-of-the-art movie theater has screened the best Hollywood has to offer in a safe and stylish setting. They continue to offer great food, good fun and fantastic films.

Commonwealth Local Development Corporation: A local organization with vision   Hue-Man Bookstore & Café Circle Card Membership

To stimulate the overall economic development of the Harlem Community through the creation of enterprises, generation of jobs and improvement of services. This is the stated mission of one of Harlem’s most respected organizations: Harlem Commonwealth Council, Inc.

The Harlem Commonwealth Council, Inc. (HCC) was founded in 1967 by a group of Harlem professionals, community and business leaders. HCC is a not-for-profit 501© (3) community development corporation dedicated to empowering the Harlem community through job creation and ownership of local commerce, industry and real estate.

Originally, HCC focused on fortifying the economic base of the community by assisting in the establishment of small businesses. Reasoning that greater economic stability would lead to social progress, HCC concluded that the key to stopping the flow of workers and cash from Harlem lay in renewing the confidence and activity in the Harlem business community through community ownership of viable and vital business operations. By the early 1980’s HCC’s methodology had evolved from a small business approach to an integrated business investment approach. To meet the goals of developing Harlem’s economic potential, HCC created the for-profit Commonwealth Holding Company, Inc. (CHC). Through CHC, manufacturing plants, wholesale/retail outlets, real estate and service-related businesses were acquired.

It was through this vision and the leadership of then President Barbara Norris that HCC, Grip Properties and Gotham Construction joined forces to create Harlem USA. Harlem USA helped to turn another page in the on-going story of Harlem. Our community is rich in history, creativity, style, ingenuity and that special attitude that says to the world “you don’t think it can be done, so we have to prove that it can be done.” “When the world had given up on Harlem and urban communities like it nationwide, HCC and other community based organizations, business owners and residents did not.” They serve as a shining example of what people can accomplish when they are dedicated to a vision and work together to realize it.

  

The Hue-Man Bookstore & Café Circle Card Membership has arrived! Join the Circle and enjoy year-long membership benefits:

10% off all bookstore and café purchases. Monthly members only offers and events. Advance notice and sign-ups for celebrity book signings...

PLUS receive an immediate reward of a $10 coupon off your next purchase of $50 or more AND if you get a friend to join, youll receive $5 off your next purchase of $25.

Membership cards are just $25, and renewable yearly. Join the Circle Club today!

Go to www.huemanbookstore.com for a full listing of upcoming events.