The Harlem YMCA on West 135th Street is a significant landmark of black culture in New York City. It opened in 1933 intended primarily for the use of African-American men, and was at the time one of the best equipped YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

s in the United States. Architect James C. MacKenzie, Jr. designed and supervised the construction. It is a Designated Landmark and Registered Historic Place

National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 110th Street

List of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 110th StreetThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places above 110th Street in Manhattan...

.

Many notable black Americans have stayed at the facility, including Malcolm X

Malcolm X

Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...

 (then Malcolm Little, who chose to stay there because of its close proximity to his favorite nightclubs). Inside, the building boasts a mural

Mural

A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...

 by Aaron Douglas

Aaron Douglas

Aaron Douglas was an African American painter and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.-Early life:...

titled "Evolution of Negro Dance."