Escape From New York

OP-ED COLUMNIST - Escape From New York - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

New York City holds a special place in the collective conscience of Black America.
Not only does it have the highest concentration of blacks -- according to the 2000 Census, there were more blacks living in New York City than in all but four whole states -- much of black intellectual power and cultural capital has been accrued within its borders.
It gave voice to Shirley Chisholm, refuge to Malcolm X, legs to Althea Gibson and opportunity to Jackie Robinson. It was the incubator of the Harlem Renaissance, the proving ground of jazz and the birthplace of hip-hop.
It was a black Mecca and magnet. Was.

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http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE3D81631F93AA25750C0A9679D8B63