Black Gotham Experience

Mario Alvarez

This installation is a part of Listening Through Time and Place: An Interactive Oral History Exhibit, OHMA's multimedia interactive popup exhibition of stories, which will take place at the Social Hall at Union Theological Seminary on April 28, 2016 at 5:00 pm.

The Black Gotham Experience, created by photographer Kamau Ware, is a multimedia storytelling project about the history of the black experience in New York City. In the form of walking tours, graphic novels, and the occasional lecture, the Black Gotham Experience brings New York's black experience into a more prominent place in the public consciousness. This exhibit showcases Ware's striking photographs and an oral history excerpt in which he describes the origin of the project.

Mario Alvarez is a Dominican-born New Yorker and Columbia College graduate, having earned a B.A. in American History (20th Century). In keeping with his commitment to expand public access to historical knowledge, he has taken a vested interest in the digital humanities, primarily web development. His research interests include American presidential campaigns, the history of hip-hop, and the all-too-complex stories behind American racial identities.