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Between Amsterdam and Edgecombe Avenues lies a community that was once a grand part of Harlem's history .A place which showcases Harlem's extraordinary architecture, it played home to some of the most renowned historical black figures in New York such as Duke Ellington and Sara Lou Harris, and was the essence of elegance and class, this historical enclave is Sugar Hill. The history of Sugar Hill not only lies in the brownstones that stand high along the gravel sidewalks, or in the old trees that lived through the last millennium, but in the people, the society they remembered, lived through, struggled through and took part in the changes that made it infamous. The story of Sugar Hill started during the 1920's,the name "Sugar" has many meanings that show its true essence. The original meaning of Sugar Hill is "sweet life on a hill." But its meanings also extend to other elements that describe this rich community elegance, class, sweetness, and love. In the late 20's, blacks began to move into the area while the streets past Amsterdam and down in the "Valley"(streets south of 8th Avenue) stayed occupied predominantly by whites. During this time, residents of Sugar Hill worked hard, respected each other as well as themselves. Parents raised their children to respect them, their elders, and their community.
Many see the solution to fixing this as easy as parents as well as the elders of the community reaching out to the children and trying to understand them and vice versa. One group that is spearheading the change is the Tiny Tots Academy.
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Dennis
Gore, 55, a photographer remembers when the "look" of the community
really began to take shape. "In the late 1920's and 30's, the black
residents of Sugar Hill would have wars against the Whites across Amsterdam
Avenue. This ended when the Blacks moved in and the Whites left their
neighborhood." Throughout World War II in the early 1940's, family members
who couldn't go off and fight for the country would stick together as
a family and support each other. 
"When
people came out from the South or from Sugar Hill and needed a place
to stay, we as a people, not only from the kindness of our hearts but
as an obligation to our people, [realized we needed] to look out for
each other and gave shelter to those [in need] "said Charles Mobley,
retired resident of Sugar Hill said, After the war, family ties began
to diminish until the point of extinction and after long years of respect,
love and community, Sugar Hill's heart and sprit of unity began to fade.
"The youth of Sugar Hill, in general, have no respect for their parents,
their elders and their community," believes Lewis, a 73 year-old dentist,
who has been a resident of Sugar Hill for about 60 years. Lewis is not
alone in his opinion; many of the neighborhood's residents believe that
the respect between the old and young is gone. 
The
Tiny Tots Academy is a local school that teaches young children values
about life and qualities about themselves that they can use for their
future. Ms. Susan Crawford Jones, daughter of Joann Crawford, a dance
teacher who brought Technic Dance and Cultural Arts to Harlem for over
50 years and has been teaching at Tony Tots and believes that the children
need these values restored. "Youth are the future and if we do not teach
them respect and love now we will never change". Ms. Susan teaches her
children to respect and honor their elders by visiting them at the local
Sugar Hill Senior Citizen Centers. It seems as if the attitude in Sugar
Hill is making a change that just may help restore the sprit of unity
that once made this community, one of the most treasured in New York
City. 