The summer of 1969, New York, a musical festival is taking place over six weekends in the heart of Harlem at the same time as Woodstock, but until 2021 no one had heard about it or seen any pictures, it is the cultural event that History forgot.
The story
Upon hearing about the Harlem cultural Festival, musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, best known as the drummer and front man of hip hop band The Roots, set out to dig-up the recordings and give this historical event the recognition it never got. A seminal moment in Black American culture, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a musical translation of the Black American experience. In the midst of the civil rights movement, the black and latino musicians expressed musically on stage what people were feeling politically: people wanted change and liberation.
From a young Stevie Wonder to Nina Simon, Mavis Staples duetting Precious Lord with Mahaila Jackson, black artists graced the outdoor stage in a celebration of the richness, complexity and joy of Black American culture.
Along the music some deep political issues are brought to light in the documentary. If History forgot this festival it is not by mistake but because unlike Woodstock, which had a predominantly white public, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a celebration of black music and culture, produced by black people, featuring black and latino artists in the heart of Harlem, New York’s quintessential black neighbourhood, something white America didn’t want to know anything about let alone acknowledge.
Why watch it
Simply put because black stories, black events and black culture have all too long been erased from History and it is time they are embraced and celebrated. Rediscovering these images will lift your heart, the beauty and power they transmit will have you dancing on your seat and perhaps shedding a tear or two. There is pride, respect and love to be felt, something that the world can always do with more.
Watch the documentary on Disney+
