Harlem divided over media, blackness and difference in Le Petit Sénégal
Dahir contends that media coverage does more than describe communities. It helps shape who is seen as belonging, how immigrant neighborhoods are interpreted and how Blackness is portrayed in a city that is constantly changing.
By: Nima Dahir Saturday May 30, 2026
A new study by sociologist Nima Dahir explores how the press influences public ideas about belonging, identity and difference in Black neighborhoods.
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In “A Harlem Divided: Media, Blackness, and Difference in Le Petit Sénégal,” Dahir turns attention to Le Petit Sénégal, or Little Senegal, the West African enclave in Central Harlem.
Dahir reviewed newspaper coverage spanning 1930 to 2025, drawing comparisons between mainstream publications and Black-owned media. The research shows that mainstream newspapers frequently portray Le Petit Sénégal as lively and culturally rich, yet distinct from the rest of Harlem, with coverage often framed around difference, friction and gentrification. Black-owned outlets, by contrast, more often place the neighborhood within a broader story of diaspora, shared struggle, Black solidarity and belonging.
Dahir contends that media coverage does more than describe communities. It helps shape who is seen as belonging, how immigrant neighborhoods are interpreted and how Blackness is portrayed in a city that is constantly changing.
