Mention renaissance and Harlem in the same breath, and many Blacks around the country, the Caribbean and Africa become nostalgic and reflect on the artistic and socio-cultural awakening among Blacks in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Names such as Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, W.E.B. DuBois, James Weldon Johnson and Gwendolyn Bennett evoke memories of a time when the life and the arts of Blacks in America took center stage. At the same time, immense political action taken by the National Association for the Advancement of Color People, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the National Urban League and the Universal Negro Improvement Association led by Marcus Garvey spurred racial pride and assertiveness.

If scholars and standard-bearers of cultural identity disagree on the use of the name Harlem and the term “Renaissance” to describe the early 20th century phenomenon, then many of them would insist that what is taking place in Harlem these days is a Renaissance of a different dimension.

Instead of poetry, music, fiction and dance, among other artistic pursuits that characterized the awakening several decades ago – the revival, if you will – what’s being recorded in Harlem today is more about economic development and enfranchisement, as well as about upgrading the living standards, opening up business opportunities and improving the level of health services, education and training for the new generation of Harlemites.

“The renaissance that is being echoed throughout the community is more about bricks and mortar than of arts, culture and education,” said Voza Rivers, chairman of the Harlem Arts Alliance.

U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), dean of the New York Congressional delegation in Washington and the ranking Democrat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives, has an interesting perspective on the whole thing.

Looking back on the Renaissance then and now, the congressman recalled during a conversation with this newspaper in his Harlem office, that while his father couldn’t find work during the earlier Renaissance, the current rebirth is about economic growth, jobs, cultural identity and a range of other factors that go into making life better.

Clearly, then, the two are not mutually exclusive.

And that’s how it should be, enabling the current movement and the legacy of the earlier period to mesh in a seamless fashion during the comprehensive range of activities that marks the Harlem Week in 2005.

Harlem Week, which began in 1975 as Harlem Day, has evolved into a striking showcase for the people who live, work, visit or otherwise enjoy the sights, sounds and delights of this intriguing place. Created to pay tribute to Harlem’s distinct history, the event isn’t simply about nostalgia, but about allowing the thousands who participate in the observance and celebrations to measure the progress of the past 30 years and consider the glorious future, which is being planned by the community leaders, businesses, residents, government officials and others.

New York State Senator David Paterson (D-30th District), a towering political figure in Harlem and Albany, wasn’t off base when he said “This historic community has seen today a wave of private development that is overwhelming tenants, home owners and small business owners. History teaches us that without foresight, massive public projects can destroy neighborhoods without delivering promised benefits.”

In other words, planned development that involves local interests serves the community well while protecting and preserving people’s rights, guarding the unique characteristics of a neighborhood and guaranteeing that progress isn’t stymied.

Obviously, there is much to celebrate both culturally and economically. New housing throughout Harlem, the entry of retail outlets, skyrocketing real estate values, the construction of a hotel and an auto mall, the planned expansion of Harlem Hospital, the return of firms that once abandoned the community, the presence of young white executives whose parents in the 1970s would step on the gas pedal of their automobile when they drove through the community, all tell an amazing story of important rebirth.

We agree with Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, who represented Harlem for years in the City Council, when she said recently that an “event such as Harlem Week, in addition to highlighting the cultural richness and uniqueness of Harlem, helps to focus attention on the continuing social, economic and political renaissance of this historic part of New York City.”

But Harlem Week does more than that. The Uptown Chamber of Commerce, the Harlem Arts Alliance and its chairman, and other institutions ensure that the events open the floodgates to the limitless pride that exudes from the people who consider it home.