![]() | Playing the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem between the Wars Subjects: Gambling -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th century; Lotteries -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th century; City and town life -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th century; African Americans -- New York (State); The phrase "Harlem in the 1920s" evokes images of the Harlem Renaissance, or of Marcus Garvey and soapbox orators haranguing crowds about politics and race. Yet the most ubiquitous feature of Harlem life between the world wars was the game of "numbers." Thousands of wagers, usually of a dime or less, would be placed on a daily number derived from U.S. bank statistics. The rewards of "hitting the number," a 600-to-1 payoff, tempted the ordinary men and women of the Black Metropolis with the chimera of the good life. Playing the Numbers tells the story of this illegal form of gambling and the central role it played in the lives of African Americans who flooded into Harlem in the wake of World War I. Shane White is Professor of History at the University of Sydney.Stephen Garton is Professor of History at the University of Sydney.Stephen Robertson is Professor of History at the University of Sydney.Graham Whiteis Professor of History at the University of Sydney. |
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