"Harlem is renowned as the epicenter of African American culture, a key reference point for blacks who seek to define themselves in relation to a certain version of African American tradition and history. The neighborhood is arguably the most famous in all New York and is home to more than a fifth of the population of Manhattan. But to most, Harlem is still the quintessential black slum - a symbol of the hard and fast boundaries that separate the rich from the poor in our cities.".

"With Harlemworld, John L. Jackson, Jr., uncovers a Harlem that is far more complex and diverse then its caricature suggests. Many experts believe that black America consists of two geographically distinct populations: a neglected underclass living in hopeless urban poverty, and a more successful suburban middle class of college graduates and thriving professionals. Through extensive fieldwork and interviews with residents of Harlem, Jackson explodes these presumptions.

Harlemworld probes the everyday interactions of Harlemites with their black coworkers, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and relatives, and shows how their social networks are often more class stratified and varied then many social analysis believe."--BOOK JACKET.