Sedgewick Charles Harvey III was one of Harlem’s children. He was born on January 6, 1929 to Sedgewick Charles Harvey II and Carolyn Payne at 119th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY. Sedgewick received his education in the public schools of New York City and graduated from Seward Park High School in 1947. Sedgewick married Dolores Smith on January 31, 1947 and moved to 41 Convent Avenue, New York, NY. The two fell in love with the neighborhood and raised their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren there. Sedgewick and Dolores Harvey were unstoppable and proved to themselves and to others that nothing could break their unity. Sedgewick and Dolores were blessed with four daughters (Laverne, Deborah, Starr, and Stephanie) and two sons (Reginald and Sedgewick IV). Sedgewick’s love was dispensed evenly throughout Harlem and although he had an extensive immediate family, he was a father, uncle, brother and friend to many that he encountered. The children of Harlem called him “Uncle Harvey” as he provided an unconditional love and support to all members of his community. Sedgewick was an entrepreneur of many establishments including the Monarch Bar and Restaurant located at 3800 Broadway, New York, NY. Sedgewick used the success of his establishments to help those in need. Sedgewick assisted children in the community with college tuition as acquiring a higher education was one of his core values. He also assisted those experiencing financial difficulty with rent payments. Sedgewick not only provided financial support to his community he also provided emotional support as he was always willing to lend a listening ear and offer support, encouragement, comfort and advice. Sedgewick was extremely dedicated to improving not only the lives of his family but the lives of members of the community. This dedication to improving the communities of Harlem was strengthened and became more prevalent after the death of his son, Sedgewick Charles “Chucky” Harvey IV. Sedgewick Charles “Chucky” Harvey IV, died on June 13, 1982 at the age of eighteen of a rare blood disease. On each anniversary of his son’s death Sedgewick hosted a memorial tribute to his son at his bar and restaurant, the Monarch. Sedgewick ensured that all proceeds from his son’s memorial tribute were donated to a local Harlem youth educational service organization, Harlem Parents Tutorial. Sedgewick was acknowledged for his donations and contribution to the Harlem Parents Tutorial in the 1982 summer edition of the “New York Amsterdam News”. The article highlights his contributions in addition to the check he presented to Dr. E. Babette Edwards, Executive Director of Harlem Parents Tutorial. Sedgewick was a strong supporter and advocate for improving the quality of education received by children within his community and throughout Harlem. Sedgwick believed that obtaining an education was the key to improving one’s life and community. In addition to tremendous monetary donations to the Harlem Parents Tutorial, Sedgewick also advocated in Harlem’s public schools for healthy school lunches which would include more fruits and vegetables. One of Sedgewick’s philosophies was that good nutrition has a positive effect on the mind therefore children cannot perform well in school if they were not receiving proper nutrition. Throughout the 1980’s Sedgewick voiced his opinion at local public schools within Harlem. His actions did not go unnoticed and as a result, public schools within his community included apples in their school lunches. Sedgewick shared his passion of contributing to the improvement of his community with his children as he taught them to always give back to their community. Sedgwick’s children and grandchildren participated in the “Tidy” Committee of Convent Avenue which was an organization dedicated to the beautification of Harlem. “Tidy” gave the children of Harlem an opportunity to improve their community by cleaning the neighborhood. On December 28, 1998, Sedgewick Charles Harvey III died due to complications resulting from diabetes. He left behind a legacy and community that continues to recognize and benefit from the contributions he has made to Harlem which has greatly impacted the lives of many. As a result, the family and friends of Sedgewick Charles Harvey III would like to rename 129th Street and Saint Nicholas Terrace to, “Sedgewick C. Harvey III Way”, in honor of an amazing man that has made amazing contributions to this community, his community.

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