Explore the evolution of bebop jazz music during the 1940s. Who were some of the key figures? In what ways did bebop diverge from traditional jazz? Why was it considered controversial?

How were African Americans treated in Northern cities during the 1940s and 1950s? How did the everyday life of a working-class black family in the North compare to that in the South? Was Sonny's brother, who led a middle-class lifestyle, an anomaly?

Examine the current role of the church in Harlem. What services does the church offer? How do the functions of religious institutions in neighborhoods like Harlem differ from those in other areas of the city?