Michelle Obama hosted a luncheon at the Studio Museum of Harlem Tuesday for the spouses of world leaders who were in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.
The first lady said she chose Harlem as the location for the event because of its long history of producing Americans who have impacted the world with their work, such as Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong. The Studio Museum of Harlem exhibits the works of artists of African descent locally, nationally and internationally.
"Many of these men and women left the South just a couple of generations after the end of slavery, and they were desperate to find a place where they could explore their talents and express their ideas freely," she said, according to the Associated Press. "This moment in history came to be known as the Harlem Renaissance."
The lunch was prepared by chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has previously served the Obamas. 
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(Photo: AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)