Founded in 2000, The Marcus Garvey Park Alliance (MGPA) was formed to restore the Park as a safe and inviting place for community residents. Over time, the mission has adapted to the changing cultural and political climates of the city. No longer is the mission to simply restore and maintain the Park; rather, the mission has grown to use the Park as a tool to embrace the community on a more profound level. This has expanded MGPA’s work beyond the borders of the Park and has encompassed other Parks and open spaces. MGPA has developed ongoing arts and cultural programming to celebrate and preserve the culture of the community at a time when gentrification threatens the visibility of the creative culture of Harlem