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★★★★I’M WITH HER!★★★★
“ It’s not a woman thing. It is just the right thing. It is the right choice. Hillary Rodham Clinton is our only choice. I’m With Her!”
— Dr. Teresa Taylor Williams Owner & Publisher, New York Trend
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NATIONAL CHARGED: THE DA VS. BLACK AMERICA
BET Networks continues its award-winning “Truth Series” programming with the premiere of the compelling documentary, Charged: The DA vs. Black America, which will air Tuesday, November 7, at 9:00pm EST. #Charged is BET’s battle cry for all registered voters on election day to pay close attention to the men and women on the ballot for district attorney in their local community. Produced by “NBC News” Senior Producer and Emmy nominated Shoshana Guy, and narrated by Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter of
the legendary hip hop band The Roots, #Charged is an “alarming wake up call” regarding the absolute power of the District Attorney. With an in-depth and unprecedented look into the DA’s impact on individuals and families across the country, the documentary exposes how these elected prosecutors have contributed to the mass incarceration of Black men.Today, there are more AfricanAmerican men in prison, on parole or on probation than were enslaved in 1850.
The documentary features an exclusive interview with Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, one of the few Black female prosecutors in the entire country who garnered notoriety for charging six white police officers in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. “I had a number of death threats, hate mail, obituaries describing the way I would die, the way my husband would die,” says Mosby. Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change,
the largest online, non-profit racial justice organization, recalls the recent victory in galvanizing Chicago voters, using the hashtag #ByeAnita, to dethrone Cook County District Attorney Anita Alvarez following her mishandling of the LaQuan McDonald case, a 17-year-old African-American male shot 16 times by a police officer. There are over 2,300 prosecutors in the country, 95 percent of who mare white. And it is the prosecutor and the prosecutor alone who decides who to charge what charges to bring, and what the plea bargain will be. All of these negotiations happen behind closed doors. The film asks the question of every African-American voter today: Do you know who your local District Attorney is? #Charged is part of BET’s “Truth Series,” where passionate awardwinning, independent filmmakers like actor/activist and executive producer Jesse Williams (Stay
Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement), television producer and journalist Sacha Jenkins (CNN Film’s Fresh Dressed), Emmy award-winning director Stanley Nelson (The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution), and Emmy award-winning producer Candi Carter (Katrina 10 Years Later: Through Hell or High Water), are given the creative freedom to document the Black experience. “Truth Series” is designed to tell our stories to evoke progressive dialogue about social justice. The premiere of Charged: The DA vs. Black America is Monday, November 7, 2016 at 9:00pm EST. BET will also host an online panel discussion with
Shoshana Guy (the documentary’s director/producer), Color of Change Executive Director Rashad Robinson, rapper/activist David Banner, Tamika Mallory (civil rights leader and anti-gun advocate), and Arva Rice (President and CEO of the New York B:8.125” T:7.875” Urban League) S:6.875”
FLORIDA A&M RISES TO TOP OF HBCU’S
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According to Dr. Mangum, FAMU earning a 4.1 out of 5 for its peer assessment is a testament to FAMU’s strong reputation among the HBCU community. “Moving from No. 10 to No. 7 is validation that FAMU is, in fact, moving forward,” Mangum said. “This ranking is the highest we’ve achieved on the U.S. News Best HBCU list in recent history, and I believe it speaks volumes that the work we are doing is being recognized.” U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers by focusing on health, personal finances, education, and more.
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FAMU’s 2017 ranking surpassed last year’s No. 10 listing. The University’s ascension comes at no surprise as the rankings’ key measurements include graduation and retention rates – a primary focus of President Elmira Mangum’s administration. Other measures include peer assessment, faculty resources, student selectivity, and financial resources.
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Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) has risen to the No. 7 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities” list. Climbing three spots, the ranking reveals FAMU as No. 1 among public HBCUs and among the “Best National Universities.”
LOCAL NEWS
NEW IDNYC POP-UP ENROLLMENT CENTER ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND
NEW YORK TRENDNYC Owner/Publisher Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief Dr. Teresa Taylor Williams
Online Editorial Director Rachel Breton Hamlett Art Director Allison Burris
Assistant to Publisher, Administrative Zoie Williams
Emeritus Office & Subscription Manager Sophie Taylor
International Correspondent Ann Brown
Social Media Zoie A. Williams
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Writers Ezra Mechaber Deardra Shuler Jim Weaver Anastasia Williams Justin Williams Teresa Williams
Contributing Editor Justin Williams Circulation Manager Robert L. Taylor
NewYorkTrendNYC Catalogued and displayed in the U.S. Library Congress. New York Trend welcomes letters to the editor.
IDNYC, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), Council Member Ben Kallos, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Senator Jose M. Serrano, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation are co-sponsoring a new IDNYC Pop-Up Enrollment Center. Located at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center – a program of the Carter Burden Center for the Aging at 546 Main Street, the center will run from October 11th until October 17th with operating hours of Monday from 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Council Member Kallos will enroll for his own IDNYC card immediately following the press event.
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“I am excited to become one of the almost 1 million IDNYC cardholders and I am proud to do it in my district on Roosevelt Island,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. ”Congratulations to Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Mayor for making IDNYC a success in such a short period time. I invite all Roosevelt Island residents to sign up and get the card.”
Email: NYTrend@aol.com Website: www.newyorktrendnyc.com “Like Us” on Facebook: www.facebook.com/newyorktrendnyc New York Trend is published by TTW Associated, Inc. which holds copyright to the content of this publication. ISSN: 1083-5822 Mail inquiries to: New York Trend NYC, 14 Bond Street, Suite 176, Great Neck, N.Y. 11021. New York Trend NYC is not responsible for the content of letters to the editor or opinions expressed by individual writers. New York Trend reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor. Photographs and manuscripts will not be returned.
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THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU THINK YOU SMELL A GAS LEAK IS NOTHING.
“We are proud to partner with the Carter Burden Center for the Aging to bring an IDNYC PopUp enrollment center to Roosevelt Island for the very first time. To date, more than 100 Pop Up enrollment centers have brought IDNYC to communities across the five boroughs. These Pop Up sites bring this important government program directly to New York City’s many diverse neighborhoods and communities,” said Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.
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This event is part of ongoing partnerships with elected officials across the City to host popup IDNYC enrollment sites and encourage residents to sign up for the card. The IDNYC card is an accessible and secure document that enables residents to access all City buildings, such as schools, and is accepted as a form of identification for accessing numerous City programs and services. IDNYC also provides a dynamic series of benefits to cardholders, including a free one year membership at many of the City’s leading museums, zoos, concert halls, and botanical gardens and access to discounts on groceries, and medicine. In addition, the card can be presented as proof of identification for interacting with the police and is an accepted form
of identification for opening a banking account at 12 banks and credit unions with more than 70 branches across the City.
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Smell gas. Act fast. Don’t assume someone else will call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Leave the area immediately and make the call yourself. You can report a gas-related emergency anonymously, and not even be there when help arrives. For more gas safety information, visit conEd.com and take safety into your own hands.
November 3, 2016 - November 9, 2016
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LOCAL NEWS
MAYOR’S OFFICE WORKING TO PROTECT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS’ RIGHTS
Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray have announced a package of policies to protect domestic violence survivors, their livelihoods and their homes. Together with Julissa FerrerasCopeland, Mayor de Blasio will protect survivors and their families by introducing Paid Safe Leave legislation, which will allow survivors to take paid leave from work to attend to immediate safety needs without fear of penalty. The City will also put housing lawyers in every Family Justice Center to aggressively defend survivors’ housing rights, and work with the NYPD to root out chronic offenders by instituting new practices to ensure law enforcement targets resources on the highest priority abusers and contacts every victim to ensure safety after an Order of Protection has been violated.
“Domestic violence is a public safety menace in every neighborhood, affecting every population, and it’s by confronting domestic violence that we will end the vicious cycle that perpetuates it,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are sending a loud and clear message – we will not tolerate domestic violence, survivors have the City’s full support, and abusers must be held accountable. In the 21st century in the greatest city on earth, those who have already suffered at the hands of those they love should never have to
“ Domestic violence is a public safety menace in every neighborhood, affecting every population, and it’s by confronting domestic violence that we will end the vicious cycle that perpetuates it.” — Mayor Bill de Blasio choose between their safety and a paycheck or their home.” “Every day the NYPD gets roughly 800 domestic violence calls from every social and economic class and from all over the city,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray, co-Chair of the Commission on
Gender Equity. “Domestic violence is disturbingly common, and almost every one of us knows someone who has lived in fear of physical or emotional violence. It is time for us to come together as New Yorkers, protect the rights of victims and hold those who abuse others accountable. A safe city means a city that is safe for everyone – women, children and men.” Across the country, jurisdictions have struggled to effectively reduce rates of domestic violence. In New York City, where crime is at historic lows, domestic
violence persists. The de Blasio Administration is taking a new, interagency approach to break down silos in social service agencies and law enforcement to ensure that victims of domestic violence and their children are given the tools they need to seek safety from abuse. To fight domestic violence, the City is protecting the paychecks, safety, housing and rights of survivors, as well as instituting new practices to ensure law enforcement is triaging domestic violence cases with the most sophisticated and effective approaches.
FIRST HBCU TO WIN NATIONAL ACADEMIC LIBRARY
The Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library is the winner of the 2016 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. This is the first time that a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Library has received this national honor.
“This award is a stamp of recognition to the staff here and the programs we offer our students” says Loretta Parham, CEO and Library Director.“This brings an immense endorsement to the level of education that is provided at the AUC, it proves that an HBCU can bring as much value, and expertise as a library at a predominantly white institution. And we do it with much fewer resources.” The AUC Woodruff Library competed against hundreds of national university libraries. After a competitive selection process, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and YBP 4
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destination in the academic village. “Each year we continue to see the ‘Club Woody’ definition evolve,” chuckles Parham. “We’re not offended by that title at all. People give nicknames to things that are near and dear to their heart. This is a welcoming space where students can visit with their friends, meet for classes, work on projects, engage in educational activities, and discuss social and political issues” she adds.
Library Services, selected the AUC Woodruff Library as its winner, recognizing the library’s staff, programs and resources which further the educational missions of the institutions they serve. The Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library serves the students and faculty at Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College. “While many academic libraries are challenged
by relationships with one group of administrators, faculty, and students, the Atlanta University Center manages to effectively support the teaching, learning and research at four different institutions, deftly managing those relationships,” says Trevor Dawes, chair of the 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee. Fondly known as “Club Woody” to its students and alumni, the AUC Woodruff library is heralded as a safe learning and social
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The AUC Woodruff Library has holdings of over 1.5 million items in all formats, and its Archives Research Center is a well-known destination for the preservation and documentation of African American history and culture. It houses items from the historic Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Papers, the Asa G. Hilliard Collection, the Walter Rodney Collection, the C. Eric Lincoln Collection and the Tupac Shakur Collection. www.newyorktrendnyc.com
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Moving forward to make things right. We are deeply committed to serving you and your financial needs. We know we did not live up to that commitment. We want you to know that we’re making things right and that we’re even more dedicated to serving you and making sure you know where you stand. There is nothing more important than for you to experience the very best from us. That’s why we’ve already taken action: Putting your interests first: We have eliminated product sales goals for our Retail Banking team members who serve customers in our bank branches and call centers. This means that their focus will be on meeting your financial needs, not meeting sales goals. Proactively communicating with you: We send a confirmation after you open a new consumer or small business checking, savings or credit card account so that you know what is happening and can tell us if anything we’ve confirmed is different than what you expected. Full transparency: You can always see your eligible accounts any time when enrolled in Wells Fargo Online.® Fixing what went wrong: We have provided full refunds to customers we have already identified and we’re broadening our scope of work to find customers we may have missed. If we have any doubt about whether one of your accounts was authorized, and any fees were incurred on that account, we will contact you and refund fees. T:14”
If you have any concerns about your accounts or any aspect of your relationship with Wells Fargo, please come into a branch or call us on our dedicated hotline 24/7 at 1-877-924-8697. The trust you place in us means everything and we will work hard every day to earn it back. wellsfargo.com/commitment 1-877-924-8697
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NYC POLITICS
UPSTANDER AWARDS HELD AT GRACIE MANSION
goal of having a Center in every borough of the city. Family Justice Centers are walk-in centers that provide free and confidential assistance to victims of intimate partner violence, sex trafficking and elder abuse, regardless of income, language, immigration status, gender identity or sexual orientation. On-site services provided by community partners include: case management, risk assessment, safety planning, family law and immigration legal services, counseling for adults and children, self-sufficiency and economic empowerment classes and programming, NYPD Domestic Violence Prevention Officers (DVPOs) and Assistant District Attorney’s from the District Attorney’s Office. In 2015, there were over 59,000 client visits to the Family Justice Centers throughout New York City.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray and Office to Combat Domestic Violence Commissioner Cecile Noel host the City’s 3rd annual Upstander Awards at Gracie Mansion. The Upstander Awards salute New Yorkers who, along with the Administration, have taken an active role in helping the City to raise awareness about domestic violence. “Domestic violence often takes place behind closed doors, but its impact reverberates to every member of our NYC family. When a woman, man or child is put in danger by their family or loved one, we all need to stand up and speak out,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This year we recognize New Yorkers who are Upstanders: individuals and groups that have dedicated themselves to combatting violence, raising awareness and supporting survivors.” “Every day, the NYPD gets roughly 800 calls about domestic violence. And that’s only a fraction of the true number, because so many people are afraid to report their abuser. In order to reduce the violence, we must get to the very root of the problem,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “We must teach our young people better models of interaction, which we are doing through our Healthy Relationship training workshops, and by supporting survivors so that no woman remains with her abuser because she doesn’t have another choice. Today we recognize five honorees who have taken those messages to heart. I’m proud to stand alongside these dedicated, talented and fierce advocates to 6
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renew our call to stand up, speak out and make change to end domestic violence.”
• Offer unconditional support to someone who has experienced violence.
Domestic violence occurs in every neighborhood and community in New York City regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. Awareness is the greatest tool we have, which is why OCDV wants every New Yorker to understand that he or she plays a role in combatting domestic violence.
• Speak up against statements that promote violence.
The Upstander Campaign was launched to inspire New Yorkers to move from being bystanders to domestic violence to being Upstanders, focusing on the idea that everyone plays a role in preventing intimate partner violence. This public awareness campaign was featured in taxi cabs and online, and is one component of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness and bring an end to domestic violence in New York City. To become an Upstander against domestic violence, the City encourages New Yorkers to: • Recognize and speak out against intimate partner violence, gender injustice and all forms of abuse.
• Get help from an expert, advocate, or other professional. • Help share resources with those who need help: NYC DV Hotline 1-800-621-4673; 911 in emergencies; for information and connection to services, call 311 and ask for OCDV’s Family Justice Centers. OCDV wants all New Yorkers to know that there is help. OCDV is the City government’s hub for Citywide delivery of domestic violence services, development of policies and programs and work with diverse communities in the five boroughs to increase awareness. Through a robust outreach effort, OCDV is able to connect victims to critical services through the City’s Family Justice Centers and other key stakeholders. This past summer, the City opened the doors to the Family Justice Center in Staten Island, completing the Administration’s
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Along with opening the City’s fifth Family Justice Center this summer, OCDV also unveiled its Policy and Training Institute, which will assist City agencies and community-based organizations in reviewing and updating their domestic violence policies, and providing tailored trainings for their staff. Included within the Institute is the NYC Healthy Relationship Training Academy which last year conducted over 300 workshops and trained almost 7,000 youth, parents and organizational staff about what a healthy relationship consists of and looks like. This year, as part of the Academy, OCDV also introduced the Creating Awareness about Relationship Equality (CARE) Program, which will bring our trainings to the over 5,000 youth in the City’s foster care system, giving them the tools they need to build healthy relationships. The Upstander Awards remind New Yorkers that everyone plays a role in ending domestic violence. From global leaders to local media, all of the honorees are taking a stand against domestic violence in New York City. The five honorees at the award ceremony include: The Color Purple The Musical, the NYC Anti-Violence Project, New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito, Judge Toko Serita of the Queens Human Trafficking Intervention Court, and Huffington Post senior reporter Melissa Jeltsen. www.newyorktrendnyc.com
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ENTERTAINMENT
COMMON ‘BLACK AMERICA AGAIN’ NOW AVAILABLE!
Multiple Grammy®, Golden Globe, and Academy Awardwinning Chicago rapper, actor, social activist, and philanthropist Common follows up the release of his explosive and politically relevant new single “Black America Again” featuring Stevie Wonder with today’s announcement that BLACK AMERICA AGAIN, the eponymously titled new album will arrive November 4th on ARTium/ Def Jam Recordings. “I wrote this song in March,” Common said of “Black America Again” recently, “and unfortunately it was as relevant then as it is now. As it could have been in the 1960s or 1800s or any era that we have existed in this country.” The song’s socially conscious message resonates with scorching yet uplifting power, akin to Common’s groundbreaking 2014 single from the Selma movie soundtrack, “Glory” (with John Legend) for which they received Oscar, Grammy®, Golden Globe, and numerous other awards. “‘Black America Again’,” Common continued, “is centered in the injustices that black people have experienced and endured since we arrived on the shores of America. ‘Black America Again’ is a call to
long-time friend and collaborator No I.D., who came of age in the ’90s as producer of Common’s first three albums. BLACK AMERICA AGAIN also features the anthem “Letter To The Free” featuring Bilal, the end-title track to Ava Duvernay’s powerful new documentary ‘13th.’ Centered on race in the United States criminal justice system, the film is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which theoretically outlawed slavery. Acclaimed director of Selma, DuVernay argues that slavery is being perpetuated, however, through mass incarceration. “Letter To The Free” has already been nominated for a 2016 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award for “Best Song in a Documentary.”
action. It is a song about black love, black strength, black justice, black resistance, black resilience, black empowerment, and black people.” BLACK AMERICA AGAIN, the 11th studio album from Common,
is the long-awaited follow-up to Nobody’s Smiling (2014), his debut on No ID’s ARTium/Def Jam Recordings venture, which entered the Rap and R&B charts at #1. The album marked a creative reunion between Common and
Common will hosted a special event at Morehouse College in Washington, DC on 10/24. Common talked with students about the important issues he grapples with on BLACK AMERICA AGAIN. More college events are planned for the coming weeks. BLACK AMERICA AGAIN IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW: http://smarturl.it/BAA
TONI BRAXTON
NOV 10, 2016 THURSDAY @ 8:00 PM NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY IN WESTBURY, NEW YORK
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November 3, 2016 - November 9, 2016
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THE ARTS “ART’S CONSCIENCE II” AT INTERCHURCH CENTER GALLERY
A who’s who of top artists of color will be on hand as the Mackey Twins Art Gallery presents “Art’s Conscience II” at the Interchurch Center Gallery in Manhattan. The exhibit will include the works of Xenobia Bailey, Betty Blayton, Stacey Brown, Leroy Campbell, Demetric Denmark, James Denmark, Essud Fungcap, Magno Laracuente, Ruth Miller, Charly Palmer and TWIN and run from October 31 through November 30. Opening Night will be celebrated from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11, and include an Artists’ Talk at 6:30 p.m. sharp. Those participating in the Artists’ Talk on Opening Night include Bailey, Brown, James Denmark, Fungcap, Laracuente, Miller and Palmer. The event will be moderated by Diedra HarrisKelley, co-director of the Romare Bearden Foundation. HarrisKelley is also a historian, writer and formally trained artist. In April 2013, the Gallery, the largest collection of exclusive works of artists of color in the tristate area, presented “Art’s Conscience” at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. November’s exhibition continues and expands on that theme. “The Conscience becomes the ‘soul’ in the matter of creating and collecting. The responsibility rests on both parties,” said Sharon Mackey, who, together with her identical twin sister, Karen, founded the Mackey Twins Art Gallery to develop art collectors of color while promoting the works by artists of color to all audiences. “Understanding the artist’s style process is critical.” NewYorkTrendnyc
throughout the country. She was one of the founding members of the Studio Museum in Harlem and founder of the Children’s Art Carnival. Blayton was the recipient of the 1984 Empire State Women of the Year in the Arts Award; New York State Governors Art Award; and the 1995 CBS Martin Luther King, Jr., Fulfilling the Dream Award, to name a few. Her vibrant works can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Uniworld Advertising Corporation, Philip Morris Corporation, Fisk University, Spelman College, Virginia State College, Tougaloo College, David Rockefeller, Blanchette Rockefeller, Reginald Lewis, Byron Lewis, and more. Stacey Brown, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, offers an eclectic collection of original paintings for the contemporary art lover. Born and reared in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, his artistic journey of discovery began with aspirations for a career in graphic design. After graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta, he embarked on a successful ten-year career in his chosen field, but something was “missing” in his life.
“The artists’ inner struggle is to create, whether it’s safe, unpopular or political. In spite of these challenges, the artists want the collector’s approval,” said Karen Mackey. Clients and supporters of the gallery include Lonette McKee, Khalil Kain, Danny Simmons, Byron and Sylvia Lewis, Lloyd Williams and Voza Rivers, as well as firsttime buyers entering the field and more experienced collectors. The exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The Interchurch Center Gallery is located at 475 Riverside Drive (at 120th Street), New York, NY 10115. For more information on the exhibit or Mackey Twins Art Gallery, visit www.mackeytwinsart.com, email mackeytwinsart@gmail.com or call 917-796-5895 or 914-6438266. Follow the gallery on Twitter at @MackeyTwinsArt1 or like it on Facebook at www.facebook. com/MackeyTwinsArtGallery. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Xenobia Bailey is an artist and designer best known for her eclectic
crochet hats and her large-scale crochet pieces and mandalas, consisting of colorful concentric circles and repeating patterns. Her designs are influenced by African, Chinese, Native American and Eastern philosophies, with undertones of the 1970s “Funk” aesthetic. Her hats have been featured in United Color of Benetton ads, on the Cosby Show and in the Spike Lee film “Do the Right Thing.” In 2003, her designs were commemorated in the form of an Absolut Vodka ad entitled “Absolut Bailey.” Her work is in the permanent collections at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Allentown Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and in the Museum of Arts and Design. Most recently, some of her crochet work has been transformed into mosaics and is on display at the New York City subway 34th Street-Hudson Yards station.
Leroy Campbell is a self-taught, mixed-media visual artist. Leroy Campbell has painstakingly captured the essence and emotion of god-fearing, self-reliant, proud, and intelligent subjects of his Gullah childhood through acrylic mixed-media collage-on-canvas works that display a deliberate choice of vintage quilted fabrics, news print clippings, burlap, threads, and elements of southern terrain. His works are also displayed in universities, corporations and private collections.
Betty Blayton was an accomplished artist who referred to herself as a “spiritual impressionist.” Her works are on display at major museums and corporations
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THE ARTS
BLACK WOMEN PRODUCERS SWEEP PITCH PRIZES
Black women won all three prizes in the second annual National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) Pitch Black Forum, a pitching session in front of panels of industry executives. The winners, who personify #BlackGirlMagic, will each receive between $50,000 and $100,000 from NBPC’s 360 Incubator + Fund to develop their television, web and transmedia series, were announced Friday at a reception in Manhattan at the program’s lead partner, WNET/Thirteen’s Tisch Studios at Lincoln Center. With this program, NBPC, the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated solely to media content about the Black experience, is also helping advance projects by female producers. Hosted by veteran public television executive and producer Donald Thoms, Pitch Black was the culmination of 360’s intensive, six-week boot camp and incubator. Held Thursday at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in Manhattan, the event drew public television representatives from CPB, PBS, WNET/Thirteen, POV, SCETV and UNC-TV; executives from Cinereach, Tidal, BET and Third World Newsreel; and representatives from MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Tribeca Institute. Seven teams competed in the interactive pitching session. Proving that #BlackGirlsRock, winners include: “Saltbox,” a broadcast series by Shirlette Ammons, was awarded $100,000. The show is a hybrid cooking/reality series following former “Iron Chef” contestant Ricky Moore, who moves his wife and two kids from the big city of Washington, D.C., back to his home state of North Carolina. There he turns the gems of his rural raising into an urban culinary enterprise in Durham. “So Young, So Pretty, So White,” a broadcast series by Chanelle Aponte Pearson and Christiana Mbakwe, received $75,000. The show is a window into the often-secret world of skin bleaching, unmasking what drives people to lighten their skin. The series delves into the lives of those who adhere to the practice—the lure of lighter skin and the challenges to sustain it transcend national borders—and exposes multinational corporations who exploit regional discrimination 10 NewYorkTrendnyc
against people with darker skin tones. “Beyond the Book,” a web series by Dominique Taylor and Stephanie Fields, was awarded $50,000. The project blends entertainment and education for adults to continue a love for reading beyond our formative years. This imaginative, intellectual series encourages mature audiences to share the gift of reading with each other. “In recent years, we have seen a number of Black women emerge as producers of highly successful films. With Black women taking the top spots in the 360 Incubator + Fund this year—not by design but by sheer talent—we are excited to be part of this growing movement of Black female voices. That notwithstanding, the jurors still had the very difficult task of selecting the winning projects as they all were amazing,” said NBPC Director of Programs and Acquisitions Kay Shaw. “Although, only three will immediately move forward to the pilot stage, NBPC will continue to work closely with the remaining four deserving projects to find funding and a media home to ensure that these projects also find their way into the marketplace.” Panelists included Pamela A. Aguilar, PBS director of programming, Eric Johnson, VP of Sound + Engagement at Trailblazer Studios, and Jason Samuels, New York University associate professor of journalism and senior consultant for BET (broadcast panel); and
Deniese Davis, COO of Color Creative TV, Dennis Dortch, CEO/ co-founder of Black & Sexy TV, and Eric Freeland, PBS senior director, digital programming (web/ interactive panel). NBPC launched the 360 Incubator + Fund in 2014 to help ready quality content for market. Projects from the inaugural year have been both broadcast and acquired. “My Africa Is” by Nosarieme Garrick and Hassatou Diallo broadcast its pilot’s premiere earlier this year as part of NBPC’s “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” public television series; “POPS” by Garland McLaurin will premiere its first season on ITVS’s digital channel and PBS.org in 2017; “Pixie Dust” by Damon Colquhoun and “Street Cred” by Sultan Sharrief are being shopped for distribution. At Friday’s reception NBPC Executive Director Leslie FieldsCruz also announced the formation of the Nonso Christian Ugbode Digital Media Fund, named after the organization’s late NBPC’s Director of Digital Initiatives who died earlier this year. The fund will provide support to digital media projects by creatives under 30. Ugbode’s mother Maryann Ugbode and siblings Munonyedi Ugbode and Nicholas Ugbode were in attendance. “Christian left a profound mark on the work of NBPC and the many producers who sought his advice and guidance as the media landscape changed from analog to digital,” said NBPC Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz.
November 3, 2016 - November 9, 2016
“This new fund ensures his legacy continues for generations to come.” The 360 Incubator + Fund was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the NEA and the New York State Council on the Arts. Partners for 360 include WNET (lead station partner); ITVS; KQED; Writers Guild of America, East; Producers Guild of America/ Diversity Committee; National Minority Consortia; South Carolina ETV; POV; WGBH; WORLD Channel; Silicon Harlem; Third World Newsreel; and the International House. The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) is committed to enriching our democracy by educating, enlightening, empowering and engaging the American public. The nonprofit supports diverse voices by developing, producing and distributing innovative media about the Black experience and by investing in visionary content makers. NBPC provides quality content for public media outlets, including, among others, PBS and PBS.org and BlackPublicMedia.org, as well as other platforms, while training and mentoring the next generation of Black filmmakers. Founded in 1979, NBPC produces the “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” documentary series and manages the 360 Incubator + Fund, a funding and training initiative designed to accelerate the production of important Black serial and interactive content. www.newyorktrendnyc.com
ENDNOTES NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE INVITES YOU TO #TAKEABREATH
Audience members are invited to share their experiences with “Sweet” with the hashtag #TakeABreath. Follow NBT on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ NationalBlackTheatre) and Twitter/Instagram (@NatBlackTheatre).
Photo Credit: Peter Cooper
Harrison David Rivers Photo Credit: Peter Cooper
Raelle Myrrick Hodges Photo Credit: Peter Cooper
The recent onslaught across the country of violence and brutality against Black people have left many African Americans feeling they are suffocating. Other people also feel battered by daily reports of intolerance and strife. In presenting Harrison David Rivers’ play “Sweet,” Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre (NBT) invites all audiences to #TakeABreath, a rare reprieve from the headlines to explore a work of hope and promise. Featuring the talented Raelle Myrick-Hodges in her New York City directorial debut. NBT’s entire 48th season explores the theme “In Pursuit of Black Joy.” “News of racism and police misconduct have made many African Americans desperate to take a breather from shouldering life’s burdens. And rising polarization has taken its toll on Americans of all stripes,” said NBT CEO Sade NewYorkTrendnyc
Lythcott. “‘Sweet’ creates a world away from it all for Blacks to engage in the revolutionary act of considering their own happiness and that of their people, and a moment for all audience members to lose themselves in a story of love and hope.”
Pass ($99) includes one ticket to every NBT production this year (excluding any Opening Night show), one ticket to every Keep Soul Alive Monday Reading Series and access to other events throughout the season.
Photo Credit: Peter Cooper
“Sweet” shines the light on a lesser-known part of the Black experience: middle class AfricanAmerican Midwesterners from a small town in Kansas during the late ’60s. Retha and Nina Baker (Maechi Aharanwa and Renika Williams) have always been close—folding laundry, chasing fireflies and enduring the summer heat together. But when their mother dies unexpectedly and their neighbor, George (Tré Davis), returns home from college, the sisters’ relationship begins to fray and long-held desires threaten to tear them apart. “Sweet” is a coming-of-age story about the sacrifices we all make to hold on to the people we love. Scenic design is by Matt McAdon, lighting design by Xavier Pierce, sound design by Justin Hicks, costume design by Ari Fulton and stage management by Belynda Hardin. Theatergoers can take a journey “In Pursuit of Black Joy” with a Season Pass, offering excellent discounts. A VIP Season Pass ($149) includes two tickets to every NBT production this year (“Sweet,” “Manhood,” “Blood” and the spring world premiere production; TBA), two tickets to every Keep Soul Alive Monday Reading Series showcase and access to other events throughout the season. A Regular Season November 3, 2016 - November 9, 2016
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November 3, 2016 - November 9, 2016
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