New York City has a rich history in the African American experience, dating back to colonial times. Here are some key points in Black history in New York:

1. During the 17th and 18th centuries, enslaved Africans were brought to the colony of New York to work on farms and plantations. Some were also employed as domestic servants in wealthy households.

2. In the early 19th century, New York played a significant role in the abolitionist movement. The city was a major hub on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses used by escaped slaves to reach freedom in the North.

3. In 1863, the New York City Draft Riots took place, during which angry mobs of mostly Irish immigrants targeted African Americans in violent attacks. The riots resulted in the destruction of Black homes, businesses, and an orphanage.

4. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s was a cultural and intellectual movement centered in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. It was a time of artistic flourishing for African American writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers.

5. In 1941, A. Philip Randolph, a prominent civil rights leader, organized the March on Washington Movement in New York City to demand equal employment opportunities for African Americans in defense industries during World War II. This effort laid the groundwork for the larger Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

6. In the 1960s and 1970s, Harlem became a focal point for Black empowerment and activism, with organizations like the Black Panther Party and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) working to address social and economic injustices facing the Black community.

7. New York City has been home to numerous influential African American figures, including civil rights activists Malcolm X and Shirley Chisholm, jazz musicians Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, and writers James Baldwin and Maya Angelou, among many others.

Overall, New York City has played a crucial role in the African American experience, serving as a center of cultural, political, and social change for Black communities throughout history.