On the gorgeous fall Sunday of November 25, 2026, the New Amsterdam Choir (NAC) held its annual 5K Historic Harlem Walk and fundraiser. In addition to NAC Director James Backmon, walkers included current and past choir members, current and past choir board members, and various other friends and family. More than two dozen participants strolled from Church of the Living Hope in East Harlem north into Central Harlem, stopping along the way where choir members shared tidbits of history specific to the different locations.
The first stop was Boys and Girls Harbor in the same building as El Museo del Barrio on East 104th Street. Several decades ago, the NAC had rehearsals in this same space. High school choir member Gabriella told us about this space and, about her own history with the choir. She shared, “My dad was part of the choir, and then my two older sisters were also. It’s nice to be part of something that’s multigenerational. I love being able to say that.”
The multigenerational and multi-decadal involvement was very evident on the walk. Gigs, a parent of a former choir member who participated in 2013 and is current board member, said, “I’ve stayed with the program because of its longevity. I’m always impressed by the performance caliber.”
College-level choir member and emerging choir leader, Elijah, taught us a small tidbit about Duke Ellington when we stopped at the traffic circle named after Ellington at the intersection of East 110th and 5th Ave. Elijah says he’s done this teaching multiple years and has a particular fondness and respect for Ellington as a pianist given his own experience in the choir and as a percussionist.
The walk also leveraged some relatively new plaques called “Signs of the Times,” which commemorate Black perseverance in an ever-changing Harlem. We stopped to hear more readers at three plaques along our route. The first was at the former residence of journalist and LGBTQ activist Pauli Murray on West 110th; another was on West 125th Street where Nelson Mandela was given a statesman’s welcome in 1990 following his release from prison, and the third was at the former site of famed Lenox Lounge on Lenox Avenue.
The next generation of choir members were also in attendance. First time participant Elijah, a K-3rd grade choir member, dug deep to go the distance with the group saying, “It feels really long.” But he, too, got something from the walk. He said, “I made a friend and we connected by talking about Minecraft.”
The walk had something for everybody. Please join us for next year for your first or maybe a return walk to connect, learn about the choir, our history, our community history, and maybe even make a new friend.
