New Harlem Renaissance

"Harlem has been the jewel of black America. It's a perpetual symbol of of hope and prosperity and excellence. For black lives to matter, black history and black ownership must also matter."

―Mariah Dillard^[src]

The New Harlem Renaissance, officially known as Mariah Dillard's New Harlem Renaissance, was an affordable housing and renewable energy strategy facilitated by Councilwoman Mariah Dillard in 2015 during her political career, which was secretly funded by Cottonmouth's criminal operations.

History[]

Mariah Dillard founded the New Harlem Renaissance in 2015 as part of her campaign as the Harlem councilwoman on the New York City Council. The strategy was founded with the intent to create more affordable housing with renewable energy alternatives, and the implementation of zoning changes. Another platform the strategy was founded upon was to increase community invigoration, by promoting a pride-in-ownership economical model, and the historical preservation of Harlem's deep-rooted culture, including the preservation of unique architecture styles such as the implementation of brownstone buildings.^[1]

This was a driving force in Dillard's political career as councilwoman, which earned Dillard extensive media coverage about the implementation of the New Harlem Renaissance by news channels such as WJBP-TV. Dillard would host benefits and conduct interviews to promote the New Harlem Renaissance.^[2]

However, the funding which was used to finance the New Harlem Renaissance was illicitly seized by Dillard from Cottonmouth's criminal operations. One of the proposed structures in the initiative, the Crispus Attucks Complex, was secretly a safehouse for the illegal cash assets of the Stokes Crime Family. When Luke Cage raided the complex, it crippled Dillard's funding significantly.^[3]

Dillard's connections with the crime family were later revealed to the public, evoking a response from the Harlem City Council demanding her resignation.^[4] With her political career now in jeopardy, Dillard murdered Cottonmouth.^[5] Dillard's political rival Damon Boone threatened to expose her activities, but he was murdered by Diamondback,^[6] who offered Dillard seed money to finance the New Harlem Renaissance and recoup her losses while also attempting to help her regain political standing. However, Dillard had already given up her career, thus abandoning the New Harlem Renaissance.^[7]