How Harlem Could Elect a White Council Member - New York TimesFor the last few generations, central Harlem has been the home turf of City Council members who were among the powerhouses of black politics in New York, including Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and J. Raymond Jones, the master organizer known as the "Harlem Fox." C. Virginia Fields, who in most polls is running second among Democratic mayoral candidates, held the seat during the 1990's.

But as the district prepares to select a new council member this November, there is a chance that its representative will be white.