Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited, more commonly called HARYOU, was an American social activism organization founded by psychologists

Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...

and Mamie Phipps Clark in 1962. Its director was Cyril deGrasse Tyson, father of astrophysicist

Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...

, and founding member of the 100 Black Men of America. The group worked to increase opportunities in education and employment for young blacks in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

. It also was designed to teach residents of Harlem how to work with governmental agencies to meet their demands.

History

Formed in 1962, HARYOU achieved national prominence quickly. In 1964 the

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

administration provided $110 million to back educational changes recommended by HARYOU. These plans included recruiting educational experts to reorganize Harlem schools, providing preschool programs and after-school remedial education, and employment programs for dropouts. After the Harlem riots in the summer of 1964, HARYOU published a report detailing causes of the unrest and recommending solutions. They, together with several other organizations, received federal funding for

Project Uplift Project Uplift was a major short-term program of the Great Society. It was an experimental anti-poverty program in Harlem, New York in the summer of 1965, intended to prevent the recurrence of the riots that hit the community the summer before. P ...

, intended to prevent riots from happening again. HARYOU merged with Associated Community Teams (ACT), under the aegis of Congressman

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (November 29, 1908 – April 4, 1972) was an American Baptist pastor and politician who represented the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the United States House of Representatives from 1945 until 1971. He was t ...

The combined entity took the name HARYOU-ACT.

References

{{Authority control Youth organizations established in 1962 History of New York City Youth Opportunities Unlimited Youth organizations based in New York City Neighborhood associations