Community

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The power to change your community is in your hands. We can help inform funding every year for the next ten years for public services like healthcare, childcare programs, public transportation, schools, and job assistance. And our responses determine how many seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. But time is running out, so complete the census today online, by phone, or by mail.

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EXPRESSIONS PONDER THIS! Nobody Said it was Going to be Easy

By Hazel Rosetta Smith

Aging is a fact, not a dooms day in retrospect. Like anything else that we want to hold onto, it takes diligent determination to age healthy and gracefully. If it is true that youth is fleeting, it may be because we do not count the days until they become undeniable years gone by.

The best wines are highly regarded and priced because the grapes have a little age on them. Crock pots simmer meat to succulent tenderness because of slow cooking. We can participate in the management of our body’s aging process into full maturity by slowly and wisely maintaining a steady partnership of mind, body, and spirit.

The late Dr. Johnnie Coleman, Minister and Founder of Christ Universal Temple in Chicago was known for teaching people how to live better lives. I Hazel Rosetta Smith

was privileged to meet Dr. Coleman in 1990 and her words continue to resonate in my mind today, “It works when you work it.” The principle mandates for Dr. Coleman’s teaching was an understanding of the power to create a long productive life, built on a daily practice of healthy renewal through spiritual consistency and perseverance.

My 101-year-old grandmother, the late Margaret Howard Banks, often said to me,

her inquisitive granddaughter, “Chile, you’ll understand it by and by.” I always thought her words meant when I reached heaven, the Lord would reveal the mysteries of life. Now I am blessed to be in the third quarter of my life finally getting an understanding of those words. By and by is upon us right here and right now, every day, just look around.

Looking back with fond memories of the countless blessings that have come my way, I remember with great pride, watching my granny enjoying life one day at a time, spreading her wisdom, sharing her love and laughter, praising her God unapologetically. She never complained, simply exclaimed, “Age is just a number written in God’s book, assigned to each of his children, designated as the time allotment for the fulfilment Dr. Johnnie Coleman Margaret Howard Banks

of his purpose.”

Margaret Howard Banks opened her eyes at the break of dawn every morning speaking the same words, “Thank you, Jesus.” Nothing was taken lightly or for granted, from bathing to dressing, to breakfast preparation, there was always thanks given all day long. She stretched her arms to strengthen the muscles, she walked every day for blood circulation, and she read God’s good book out loud every evening to challenge her comprehension and strengthen her voice.

Someday something will ache and no matter how much we try to ignore or deny it; it will be the result of the wear and tear on the limbs that have carried

our body through many storms. When the back gets weary and sitting too long does stiffen joints, we can pull on our strong commitment to be a conqueror and rise to the occasion.

So, nobody told you aging would be easy. The charge is to expect the unexpected and be open to change, for it will surely come. As birthdays accumulate with numbers that seem to surprise even you, do not hesitate to remind yourself you are important, you are uniquely created. It would be inappropriate for you to think anything other than, you deserve to have an active, fun-filled celebration of life every day. What you choose to do is up to you. [Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright and director for Help Somebody Theatrical Ministries, retired former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of The New York Beacon and current columnist for Harlem Community News, Inc. Contact: misshazel@twc.com]

BRONX HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS The Artist Studios Program at BRAC is BACK!

Artists of all visual art disciplines - painting, photography, sculpture, video, installation, new media - will be considered for below-market rate studio spaces to produce new work and make use of resources needed to support their creative practice. Studios will be accessible 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week for 1 year with a second year renewal option. These non-living studios, in an open plan with windows in each unit, vary in size from 250 to 400 sq ft. Artists will have the opportunity to present their work to curators and critics and to be exposed to a broader general audience during annual open Studios events. Residency participants will be encouraged to engage with students and community program participants throughout the year.

Artists will be selected based on their portfolio of work, statement of intent, and an expressed interest to work within the Bronx community. Applicants will be reviewed by a diverse independent selection panel composed of artists, curators and arts professionals. The program is seeking artists with a developed studio practice and who are not enrolled in a college or university degree-granting program. BRAC does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation.

Occupancy is projected by October 1, 2020. Circumstances related to COVID-19 could affect this projection and/or the terms of this residency.

Please email opencall@bronxriverart. org with any questions.

BRONX UPCOMING EVENTS

Mondays Until

August 3 7:30pm

Digital Sneak Peeks in at Works in In Progress by Latinx Artists

REMOJO, the company’s recurring sneak peek at works in progress goes digital, giving audiences a chance to get up close and personal with Latinx theater, music, dance, and film/media artists. Events will broadcast for free on website, Zoom, and social media platforms. Visit pregonesprtt.org for sneak peeks!

Now Until August 2 6:30pm

A Virtual Offering: Foot Reflexology

2020 is the year of focus, heart-centered projection and accomplishments. Let training in the science of foot reflexology make it onto your list of achievements! Visit inlightyogaandhealth. com for more info.

Monday-Thursday Until August 13

Summer 2020 Virtual Visual Art & Digital Media Classes

Sign up for the Bronx River Art Center Summer Semester. BRAC is pleased to present five Visual Art, two Digital Media classes and their signature TPS+2.0 (teens plus young adults) Project Studio this Summer Semester. Their commitment to serve the needs of our community is especially heightened in these challenging times. The Summer 2020 semester is an optional donation to assure everyone who wants to engage in creative activities can, regardless of ability to pay. Please register and take classes for free if you need to, or, if you are able to make a donation, we will gratefully accept a suggested contribution of $35 for one series of classes from our summer semester offerings. Email dhebbert@ bronxriverart.org or register at eventbrite. com.

Now Until July 31 9:00-4:00pm

Woodlawn Summer Camp 2020

At Camp Woodlawn, your child will make music and art, learn about the natural world, and explore the history of our great neighborhood and city -- in a small-group setting and with experienced and caring instructors. Camp activities will include plenty of outdoor time, scavenger hunts, map reading activities, arts and crafts, reading workshops, tree identification walks, and more! For grades 1-7. Register online at thewoodlawncemetery. org $150 per camper.

August 1 6:00pm

The Contemporary Latin American Photobook

Latin American photographers and editors: Musuk Nolte (Peru), Lujan Agusti (Argentina), Cristobal Olivares (Chile), and Zully Sotelo (Colombia), will join moderator Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo (Colombia) to discuss the state of the Latin American Photobook today. You can join the webinar at bronxdoc. org FREE with RSVP.

August 1 10:00-1:00pm

Family Art Project: Keeping Our Coral Colorful

Express your care for keeping our coral healthy by painting a vibrant reef habitat on coral forms of wire, newspaper and repurposed found objects. Visit wavehill.org to join.

August 2 9:30-10:00am

Meditation in the Garden

Join mindful outdoor guide Cindy Olsen or dosha healer Sara Hart for the healing practice of “sit spot” nature meditation. Take a few deep breaths together, find inner calm and ground yourself in nature, as you honor

Eco-Urgency the beauty and metaphors of the garden... or whatever space you are in. This experience is open to all who wish to learn simple meditation activities, nature lovers or anyone with an ongoing practice. Your “sit spot” can be anywhere—outdoors in your favorite spot, or your favorite spot at home. Visit wavehill. org to join. $15.

August 3 6:15pm

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation on the Full Moon

Amplify the positive energy of your Kundalini Yoga and Meditation practice on the full moon! Visit inlightyogaandhealth.com for more info.

August 4 & 11 12:30- 2:30pm

Blank Plate Summer Food Demos

Live on the pointcdc’s Instagram, join the Blank Plate Summer Food Demos hosted by Bascom Catering at The Point. All ages can join in and learn how to make healthy meals that are full of flavor and support a healthy immune system. FREE.

August 4 10:00-1:00pm

Photography Workshop: Light and Shadow

Nature photographer Benjamin Swett provides expert guidance and instruction as students explore some of the masters of light and shadow in nature photography. Work from live plants and flowers or from still life vignettes made in your own home. Each session includes a slide presentation, question-and-answer, and a critique of students’ work. Visit wavehill.org to join. $150

August 4 12:00-1:00pm

Eco-Urgency: Courtney Mattison

Sculptor and ocean advocate Courtney Mattison will join Curatorial Assistant Jesse Bandler Firestone in a conversation about Mattison’s practice. They will address the impacts of climate change on the ocean as well as the power of art to inspire environmental conservation. Visit wavehill.org to