Focus

EVENTS Emerge! Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Fashion Show in Virtual Harmony

By Audrey J. Bernard

New York Fashion Week’s fall/summer collections are held in February during Black History Month and the Emerge! Fashion Virtual Runway Show, which was celebrating a decade of delivering fashions from top Black and African designers, was one of the first to sashay down the “Reimagined” virtual runway with a beautiful display of designs created by Black designers from the United States, London & Africa!

The Emerge! 10th Anniversary fashion extravaganza was hosted by Claire Sulmers of Fashion Bomb Daily, with special guest presenters Andre’ Leon Talley (former Vogue contributor), and Fern Mallis (creator of New York Fashion Week).

Emerge! 10th Anniversary designers unveiling their newest designs via creative vignettes included Terri Stevens of Funkinbeautiful Designs (Chicago), Scalo Designs (Johannesburg), Jesu’ Segun London, Orla Couture (Lagos, Nigeria), Haus of L.A. (Los Angeles, Chicago).

The virtual event also featured congratulatory remarks from fashion & style notables, an excellent performance by Yanna Cello, a nostalgic look back over the 10 year history of Emerge!, and special clips from Emerge! In addition, EMERGE! Design Talk, which covered today’s fashion challenges, featured London-based designer Ozwald Boateng, urban street wear designer Karl Kani & iconic model Pat Cleveland.

Each year the Fashion Innovator Award is presented to a fashion leader, visionary, and innovator who has paved the way for other artists in the industry and who has made a huge impact in the fashion industry. Fashion Bomb Daily’s Claire Sulmers presented the coveted award to celebrity stylist & “image architect” Law Roach for his impact

Dionne Williams, Terry Stevens Funkinbeautiful Designs

in shaping the global fashion industry. “Stylist and Image Architect, Law Roach, undeniably transforms celebrities into fashion icons and I am grateful to him for accepting this award,” stated Sulmers.

“I am so excited about the anniversary show,” says Dionne Williams, creator and producer of Emerge! Fashion Show. “When I created Emerge 10 years ago my purpose was to highlight the creativity and art that designers create for the runway. I am always at awe at the talent and gifts that designers bring to light.”

Sponsors for the show included AMBI Skincare, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, LAMIK Cosmetics & ORS Haircare and GFNTY. The virtual event streamed on GFNTV. com and on www.Emergerunwaynyc.com. GFNTV is a premiere online video network, which also streams live on various platforms including ROKU & Apple TV. (Photos courtesy Emerge!)

About Emerge! Brands

EMERGE! A Fashion Runway Show, EMERGE! Design Talk, and the Fashion Innovator Award are all brands of, or are created and produced by Dionne Williams of D. Williams Public Relations Group. These have become among the top emerging designer platforms during New York Fashion Week, and have been consistent in providing national outlets for emerging designers to showcase their work. Hundreds of designer submis-

Jesu'Segun

sions are reviewed by an elite designer committee, which selects some of the top designers from around the world to be featured and/or honored.

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Lincoln Center Announces Restart Stages, Creating Outdoor Performing Arts Center to Help Kick start Arts Sector and New York City Revival

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts today announced Restart Stages, a sweeping initiative that will create 10 outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces—an outdoor performing arts center—as well as other outdoor civic venues to help kickstart the performing arts sector and contribute to the revival of New York City.

The project is made possible by the generous support of the Lincoln Center Board of Directors and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the SNF-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative, a collaboration that reimagines and reactivates public space for a new era.

As one of New York City’s leading arts institutions and an anchor of its cultural and public life, Lincoln Center is embarking on this effort as a symbol of its commitment to the city, and to an equitable revitalization which elevates all New Yorkers. Restart Stages is a major, public-facing component of its broader effort to provide resources in this moment not just to Lincoln Center’s resident companies, but to the performing arts community as a whole — helping get artists back to work and supporting institutions from Brooklyn to the Bronx to engage their communities in the elevating power of the arts.

Designed with expert advice from medical and public health professionals, Restart Stages will create a safe, welcoming, accessible, and dynamic environment for arts and community organizations from across New York City, including Lincoln Center resident companies.

Restart Stages is being developed in coordination with NY State PopsUp, part of Governor Cuomo’s New York

Arts Revival, in a partnership to help extend reach of the initiative far beyond Lincoln Center’s campus.

All offerings will occur outdoors with safety protocols in place for artists, audiences, and staff.

Restart Stages venues will include:

A cabaret-style stage on Hearst Plaza

Dedicated family and kids’ areas with arts activities for young people

Venues for rehearsals, opening up the artistic process to visitors

Space for public school graduations, recognizing the extraordinary achievements of students under difficult circumstances

An outdoor reading room, created in partnership with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Artistic programming will feature Lincoln Center’s world-class constituent organizations, including outdoor performances of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s annual Summer Evenings concerts, film screenings from Film at Lincoln Center, a concert and cabaret series by Lincoln Center Theater, and dance workshops from New York City Ballet.

This project will help bring back New York’s rich and vital performing arts ecosystem by also reaching far beyond the Lincoln Center campus to include a wide range of cultural and community partners and guest curators, including the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Harlem Week and the Harlem Arts Alliance, Korean Cultural Center New York, and Weeksville Heritage Center. As part of its outreach, Lincoln Center is collaborating with organizations from across New York City to use these spaces in their efforts to return to the stage.

Restart Stages will launch on World Health Day, April 7, with a special performance for healthcare workers.

Lincoln Center will also bring its commitment to civic and community service to Restart Stages, supporting communities that have been hardest-hit by the virus and resulting economic catastrophe. Alongside arts programming, Lincoln Center will offer blood drives in partnership with the New York Blood Center, food distributions in partnership with Food Bank For New York City, and serve as a designated primary election polling place in partnership with the Board of Elections.

“The cultural community has an urgent role to play in the revitalization of New York, to showcase that our city is not just back economically, but spiritually and socially. Which is why we knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that as the city reopened it was our absolute obligation and privilege to be first in line to support our constituents, New Yorkers, and the cultural community,” reflected Henry Timms, President & CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “We are building this outdoor campus to be ready, so that when the time comes, we do not miss a single day. We will fling our metaphorical doors wide open on day one in celebration of New York and the resolute, remarkable people who make it the best city on earth.”

Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said, “Reimagined and reactivated public space could be a shot in the arm for civic life in New York and around the world. SNF is proud to support Lincoln Center in realizing a more expansive and inclusive vision for public space, one that sees arts, culture, education, and community engagement as facets of the same civic project.”

Select Restart Stages events will be offered via livestream on Lincoln Center and partner organization digital platforms, increasing access nationally and internationally, well beyond those able to travel to the physical campus.

Since the pandemic began, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has driven efforts to bring the power of the arts to New Yorkers outdoors and digitally—from Love From Lincoln Center concerts for individual essential workers to works of art that elevate the voices and lived experiences of people of color in America, such as Carrie Mae Weems’ installation Resist COVID/ Take 6!, Davóne Tines’ Vigil, and digital commissions like The Baptism by Carl Hancock Rux. Future international collaborations with the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in Athens (SNFCC) will bring new approaches to cultural engagement in both cities. These are just the beginning of a reorientation towards prioritizing openness, access, and inclusive excellence – elevating talent from every corner of the globe and fostering a sense of radical welcome on the campus.

Additional programmatic details will be announced in the coming weeks. Visit RestartStages.org for updates.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the steward of the world’s leading performing arts center, an artistic and civic cornerstone for New York City comprised of eleven resident companies on a 16-acre campus. The nonprofit’s strategic priorities include: supporting the arts organizations that call Lincoln Center home to realize their missions and fostering opportunities for collaboration across campus; championing inclusion and increasing the accessibility and reach of Lincoln Center’s work; and reimagining and strengthening the performing arts for the 21st century and beyond, helping ensure their rightful place at the center of civic life. ***

Restart Stages is made possible by Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative.

Major support provided by First Republic Bank.

Additional support is provided by BNY Mellon, The Scully Peretsman Foundation and Lincoln Center’s generous donors and supporters.

Endowment support is provided by Oak Foundation, PepsiCo Foundation, The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Lincoln Center’s artistic excellence is made possible by the dedication and generosity of our board members.

Operation of Lincoln Center’s public plazas is supported in part with public funds provided by the City of New York.

Public support for Lincoln Center is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Gonzalo Casals, Commissioner, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center. ***

FOLLOW LINCOLN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: facebook.com/ LincolnCenterNYC Twitter: @LincolnCenter

Instagram: @LincolnCen-

ter

#LincolnCenter #RestartStages ###

For more information,

please contact: Isabel Sinistore isinistore@lincolncenter. org

646-642-0189

Desiree Naranjo dnaranjo@lincolncenter.org 212875-5078

Jenni Klauder jklauder@ lincolncenter.org 212-8755490

AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL

The New York Urban League Centennial Celebration will be virtual elegance

By Audrey J. Bernard

The New York Urban League (NYUL) is One Hundred Years old! As one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the nation, the flagship affiliate of the National Urban League continues to challenge existing inequities of our society and the League’s work in the areas of economic development, education, and advocacy have impacted generations of underserved New Yorkers. Through direct service delivery, advocacy, referrals, community capacity building, information dissemination and technical assistance, the League accomplishes its mission to help people face and overcome barriers to full participation in American society.

Founded in 1919 to provide opportunities for Blacks migrating from the rural south to New York City, NYUL has helped workers and families gain access to jobs, schools, and opportunity. In addition, the organization has opened the ranks of many industries to Black workers and helped thousands of African American students become first generation college students.

Now 100 years later the League will celebrate its Centennial and the 55th Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner Gala – virtually – filled with pomp and purpose! This year’s Centennial Celebration will take place Tuesday, March 16, 2021, and will be virtual elegance at its best! The gala will kick off with a reception at 6:00 pm, followed by the program at 6:30pm, and end with a celebratory after party with music by MC Lyte. The gala will raise funds to support new and expanded programming and community services to further the League’s mission and fund Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarships.

“During our celebration, we acknowledge esteemed honorees that have a steadfast commitment, dedication, and influence that have led the charge for advancing the rights of generations of underserved African Americans and salute their seminal work elevating communities, expressed Arva R. Rice, President and CEO, New York Urban League. “The Centennial Gala is a signature moment in the centennial celebration. The Gala will raise funds to support new and expanded programming and community services to further the League’s mission.”

The 2021 awards recipients include: Legendary sportsman Hank Aaron, Posthumous (Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Civil Rights Advocate); Michael Dowling (President and CEO, Northwell); Raymond J. McGuire (former Vice

Hank Aaron Michael Dowling Crystal McCrary

Chairman, Citigroup, running for Mayor of New York City); and Daniel Schulman (President and CEO, PayPal) will receive NYUL’s most coveted honor – the Frederick Douglass Award. Film producer and social justice advocate Crystal McCrary will receive the Ann Kheel award, named for the civic leader and founder of the Frederick Douglass Awards.

The Centennial Gala will be co-hosted by Deborah Roberts, Senior National Affairs Correspondent, ABC and Al Roker, Weather and Feature Anchor, TODAY and Co-Host of Third Hour, TODAY. The gala will feature the popular Text-to Pledge hosted by Chuck Nice. Comedian Special Performances and Remarks will be provided by Keyon Harrold, Celebrated Jazz Artist, Spike Lee, Film Director, and The Hon. Andrew Young, Politician, Diplomat, and Activist. For more information please call event producer Dwight Johnson of Dwight Johnson Design at 212/889-4694.

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. is Honorary Chair of the Centennial Celebration Gala and is joined by Honorary Committee members: Billye Suber Aaron l, Harry Belafonte, The Hon. Bill Bradley, Naomi Campbell, The late Hon. David N. Dinkins, Bethann Hardison, Iman, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Tonya Lewis Lee, Spike Lee, Hal Steinbrenner, Deborah Willis, David Winfield, Cole Anthony and Ella Anthony.

“The 55th Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner Gala will enable us to commemorate our Centennial while acknowledging an esteemed roster of honorees who have a steadfast commitment and dedication to influence change and by advancing the rights of generations of African Americans. We salute their seminal work in empowering communities and changing lives,” said Ward Corbett, Board Chair, New York Urban League.

Members of the Board of Directors include: Ward Corbett, Chairman; Chadwick Roberson, Treasurer; Anwar Ismael, Secretary; Arva R. Rice, Bill Washington, Maja Hazell, Amal Alibair, Lloyd Chinn, Andrea Donkor, Douglas F. Eisenberg, Malcolm Ellis, Bryant Fields, Andrew Hall, Eric Lerner,

Raymond McGuire Daniel Schulman

Eu’nice McCoy, Barrington Rutherford, Helen C. Shelton, Darryl C. Towns, Teresa Wells. The Advisory Council includes the late Hon. David N. Dinkins, Bruce Gordon, Hon. H. Carl McCall, Raymond McGuire, and Victoria Rowell.

Gala sponsorships aid NYUL’s COVID-19 and educational response efforts, provide resources and virtual programming to those affected by COVID-19 and support the League’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which offers grants to students and families in the organization’s employment and youth services and other much-needed programs. In addition, the League is launching a Small Business Center to support African American business owners hit by the epidemic and creating a Diversity Lab to help corporations better show and serve the communities in which they do business.

“As our City and nation rise to the challenges of COVID-19, racism, and economic uncertainty, the New York Urban League’s work is more vital than ever before,” added Arva R. Rice, President and CEO, New York Urban League. “In our first century of fighting for social justice and racial equality, we have helped more than one million people achieve their potential. In this next century, we aim to improve upon that footprint and increase our engagement.”