The Harlem-based historic preservation organization, While We Are Still Here (WWSH), has launched a new mobile app designed to help users explore New York City’s most historic, Black history-rich neighborhood.
WWSH’s free app is called “Signs of the Times.” The GPS-enabled app, developed in partnership with the software development company HubSpire, was inaugurated last weekend during a press conference held at the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum.
“We are thrilled to introduce this app, which brings our historic markers to life and offers a deeper understanding of pivotal eras in Harlem’s history,” said WWSH founder Karen D. Taylor. “It’s like having Harlem in your pocket.”
“Signs of the Times” guides users to 24 historic markers throughout Harlem. The app was created to highlight Harlem’s history as a cultural hub for African diaspora culture.
Siyaka Taylor-Lewis photo
Taylor told the AmNews: “While We Are Still Here hopes that the app will attract young people, all the way through middle and high school. Another audience is composed of tourists. The app is very easy to use, and people won’t get lost, because GPS is embedded in it, and it maps out all the installed Signs of the Times markers. It even lets you know what markers are nearby. The app also features biographies, historic images, and sometimes, video. We anticipate thousands of users who will patronize our app [along with] sponsors such as stores, restaurants, and cultural institutions.”
In a press statement, WWSH notes that, “The marker project — conceived by Lehman College Africana Studies Professor Emeritus William Seraile; Marline A. Martin, former director of the LeRoy Neiman Gallery; and While We Are Still Here — was initiated in 2020. Although delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project reached near completion in 2024, with one remaining marker scheduled for installation, following site construction, by the end of this year.”