1965.06.01 “Harlem ‘65”
by Burris A. Jenkins, Jr. (1897-1966)
7 x 10 in, crayon on board
Coppola Collection
Burris Jenkins Jr. was the son of a prominent Kansas City minister, war correspondent and newspaper editor. Jenkins Jr. was a popular sports cartoonist, whose work appeared in the New York Journal-American from 1931. His humorous published verses were also popular. Although best known for his sports themes, Jenkins was also a skilled courtroom illustrator and editorial cartoonist.
I do not think this was an editorial cartoon. There was a piece of paper glued to the bottom that said, “with chapter two (2),” so this was likely an illustration that accompanied a text of some kind.
Jenkins also never added information to his editorial work, but this one says “Harlem 65” under his signature, which is the only dating of the piece. I have picked June 1 for reasons outlined below.
In February 1965, LIFE magazine published a powerful photo essay on two New York City heroin addicts, John and Karen, which brought the harsh reality of addiction into American homes and likely increased public awareness.
In 1965, Harlem was at the epicenter of a growing heroin epidemic that garnered significant attention from the press as authorities began to respond with increased efforts against drug use and trade. Reports documented the human cost of addiction and the struggles faced by individuals and families in Harlem.
New York Mayor Robert Wagner, in the run-up to the 1965 election, declared a “narcotics emergency” in late 1964, calling Harlem “the focal point of the problem.” His administration formed new anti-narcotics units, often deploying Black officers in Harlem for political optics.
The “$20-a-day habit turns into $25,000 worth of theft per year” rhetoric was common, and given the quotes in the cartoon, probably extracted from the text in which it was embedded.
Peak media covered was from March-July 1965. Newspapers like the New York Herald Tribune and Daily News ran sustained coverage on Wagner’s narcotics crackdown. This included exposes linking heroin addiction to crime, detailed reports on police raids in Harlem, and editorials backing the mayor’s approach, typically citing statistics on daily fix costs and thefts from addicts.
It would be great to see how this image was used.
