What is the importance of New York in the essay collection, Well Read Black Girl?

New York features prominently in this anthology, as many authors either grew up there or spent some time in the city. For those such as Clemmons, author of "Two New Yorks," the city represents a shift in cultural and political landscape. Whereas earlier, many parts of New York were reserved for immigrant families such as hers who could find a home in a community built up of islanders, today New York boasts less diversity in those same neighborhoods. Now, gentrification has changed New York and pushed out many of the people who used to call it home. New York happens to be the city many writers, including the authors in this anthology, look to for writing inspiration, since it was the hub of much of black culture. Langston Hughes in Harlem represented a larger-than-life icon of black artistry in the city, for example.