I can’t believe it’s been nearly 20 years since the Crown Heights Riots, a three-day riot in August 1991 in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The community, which contains a mix of West Indians, African Americans and Jews had longtime simmering tensions. The riots began on August 19, 1991 after the child of Guyanese immigrants was accidentally killed by automobile that was part of a motorcade of a Hasidic rabbi.

During the riots an Orthodox Jew was killed. The riot unleashed tensions between the neighborhood’s black and Jewish communities. The riots influenced the 1993 mayoral race and led to the defeat of David Dinkins, who was viewed by many as having had a weak response to the riots…

This week DeScribe (Born Shneur HaSofer), Crown Heights’ Hassidic Hip Hop and R&B artist, will host a press conference at Borough Hall on August 2nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm with NYS Senator Eric Adams and Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Member Letitia James and Assembly Member Karim Camara to premier his“Harmony” music video, which celebrates diversity, understanding and harmony amongst the Crown Heights’ Black and Jewish communities.

According to a press release from Marty Markowitz’s office:

This event is presented in collaboration with heads of the Crown Heights community and Shemspeed, an independent recording label and artists’ promotional agency based in Crown Heights . The event is sponsored by COLlive.com, one of the most prominent Chabad Hassidic media outlets providing constant up to date information about the movement’s worldwide news and initiatives, and Marley Coffee, owned by Bob Marley’s son, Rohan Marley, which helps promote and support environmental and social justice causes, including aiding Jamaica ’s poor communities and “going green.”