Harlem Bespoke: Calling emerging artists of African and Latin American descent! Did you know that artist Kehinde Wiley started out in Harlem with a Studio Museum residency before taking the art world by storm? The Studio Museum continues this legacy and is currently receiving applications for the 2023-24 Artist-in-Residence program. This eleven-month studio residency will be offered to three emerging artists working in any media and the application deadline is by May 22nd, 2023. More details and online application can be found on the Studio Museum site: LINK
Monday, April 24th, 7:00PM, Black Swan, United Palace at 4150 Broadway by 175th Street. Monthly movies have returned to United Palace for the new season and more classics return to uptown’s historic theater.The 2010 psychological roller coaster BLACK SWAN kicks off the return of MOVIES AT THE UNITED PALACE on April 24, the first of the season’s six films set in New York City and selected by the United Palace’s good friend, patron, and neighbor, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Immediately following the screening, attendees will be treated to a special conversation between Miranda and Darren Aronofsky, who directed BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER, and, most recently, THE WHALE, which featured Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-winning best actor performance. Tickets available at the official United Palace site: LINK
Harlem Bespoke: Some might be wondering what the hours for Teranga at Africa Center are all about these days since the location is mainly closed for most of the week. The January update is that the Harlem location will be open on weekends starting at noon and so that is definitely the time to drop by for some fantastic African offerings. Uptown has a lot of African restaurants especially in Central Harlem but Teranga by 110th Street on Fifth Avenue has had critics raving all over Manhattan since opening in the beginning of the year. Chef Pierre Thiam has a big reputation as far as West African cuisine is concerned and the new casual dining spot with views of Central Park makes everything really accessible in a museum like setting. More on Teranga can be found in our past post: LINK
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin says his doctors have concluded that a hit to the chest caused his heart to stop after a tackle during a game in Cincinnati in early January.
The rare condition — called commotio cordis — occurs when a severe blow to the chest causes the heart to quiver and stop pumping blood efficiently, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
Hamlin, 25, was administered CPR on the field and hospitalized for more than a week. On Tuesday, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Hamlin was cleared to play after meeting with a third and final specialist last week. Hamlin told reporters later that the doctors all agreed his cardiac arrest was due to commotio cordis. None of his doctors were present to speak to the media.
It’s an extremely rare consequence of a blow of the right type and intensity “at exactly the wrong time in the heartbeat,” said Dr. Gordon F. Tomaselli, dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
“These are several extraordinary things that must all happen at exactly the same, wrong time in a 20-40 millisecond window,” as the lower chambers of the heart are preparing to contract, the former president of the American Heart Association said in a statement released by the group on Tuesday. “Collapse occurs within seconds.”
The condition occurs mostly in boys and young men playing sports, and usually involves a blow to the left chest with a hard round object, like a baseball or a hockey puck, according to the heart group.
Hamlin’s collapse was seen by a national television audience during a Monday night game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2.
“If there is some greater good that can come from his commotio cordis event, it is that as many people as possible are now aware of how important it is to provide urgent care for all cardiac emergencies,” Nancy Brown, CEO of the heart group, said in the statement.
More than 365,000 people in the U.S. have sudden cardiac arrests outside of the hospital each year, according to group. Survival depends on quick CPR and shocking the heart back into a normal rhythm.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
There’s nothing New Yorkers are more loyal to than their local bodega. And with one on nearly every corner of the city, we decided to ask our following via Facebook and Instagram for their top recommendations to curate a list of the absolute best.
The word “bodega” originates from the Spanish term for grocery store, la bodega. According to Time Magazine, bodegas were primarily found in Spanish speaking neighborhoods until more New Yorkers recognized the convenience of a corner store and others began popping up in every neighborhood. Now, there are approximately 13,000 bodegas in New York City.
“In Central and South America and the Caribbean, they have bodegas on every corner to serve the poor,” said spokesman for the Bodega Association of the United States, Fernando Mateo. “New York City is basically the largest urban community in the world. Bodegas serve people who are used to that service in their native countries.”
Not only did bodegas become a more affordable alternative to city supermarkets but “they [became] a place where people [got] together and [went] over their daily news, and people [became] part of their communities,” Mateo expressed.
So whether it’s favored for the best BEC in town or because of the fabulous store manager (aka the bodega cat), here is a list of the best bodegas in New York City, according to locals:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama State University is partnering on a new project to make free mental health resources more widely available to students at historically Black colleges and universities.
The “She Care Wellness Pods” will give students access to therapy sessions, workshops, yoga and quiet spaces. Actress Taraji P. Henson’s Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is partnering with the Kate Spade Foundation to place the pods on HBCU campuses. Alabama State is the first to participate in the program.
Henson visited Montgomery on Friday for the opening of the pods. She said she grew when “women were expected to store the pain and struggles of inequities and disparities.”
“We believed that mental health was a commodity for the rich and those who didn’t look like us,” Henson said. “We are grateful for this partnership with Kate Spade New York. Together, we are changing the narrative and charting a new course for women who are experiencing the ‘Strong Black Woman Syndrome.’”
Henson said the foundations are trying to make resources more available and eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the Black community. She said mental health challenges are a significant factor in why students drop out of college.
Henson told WAKA-TV that her foundation grew out of her desire to give back and her own family’s struggles.
The She Care Wellness Pods program aims to reach more than 25,000 Black women on HBCU campuses. The program plans to also offer wellness pods for men and members of the LBGTQ+ community.
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) recently announced the spring lineup of its annual event series Downtown Brooklyn Presents, and judging by how jam packed it is with fun, free programming you definitely will not want to miss out.
Downtown Brooklyn Presents celebrates the people and the places of one of the nation’s fastest growing downtowns, and the spring launch is only the start of an exciting season.
Kicking off the season is a series complementing The Plaza’s interactive public artwork COMMON GROUND, which gives way to Earth Day events, ping pong happy hours, zumba classes, and more.
This year, Downtown Brooklyn will also host several events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop, Pride Month, and Juneteenth, from their version of hip hop karaoke to commemorative performances and activities.
See Downtown Brooklyn Presents’ schedule below:
COMMON GROUND Performances
Pratt Institute’s fashion department closes the installation with JUNIOR THESIS – a fashion performance featuring selected works from year-end collections.
Saturday, April 22, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Source / Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn Car-Free Earth Day
An exciting and earth-friendly activation on the plaza at Albee Square. Albee Square West will also be closed to traffic all day, so bring your yoga mats, bikes, scooters, and roller skates and enjoy a car-free street!
Saturday, April 22, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Willoughby Walks
For two consecutive weeks, lounge in lawn chairs and revel in a car-free streets! Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and DOT close the streets and transform them with art, music, exercise classes, and fun activities — all free and open to the public!
Thursday, April 27, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Albee Square Happy Hours: Check the Rhime
In honor of Hip Hop 50, channel your favorite MC and spit the verses that have kept you in love with the genre for five decades. Vibe curator, Dot Ichiro provides the beats.
Thursdays, May 4-25, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Source / Downtown Brooklyn
BAMkids SpringFest
A day of free musical performances, interactive activities, and showcases of local talent, celebrating the spirit of spring and themes related to environmental advocacy and care. Co-curated by the BAMkids Parent Advisory Circle.
Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ping Pong Happy Hours
DJ Mike Doelo and The Push are back for another series of ping pong match ups. The series is free to the public.
Tuesdays, May 9-30 & June 6-20, 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Source / Downtown Brooklyn
Zumba with Dodge YMCA
Natarsha McQueen’s beloved Zumba series returns. Devoted fans and new recruits sweat it out each Wednesday to choreographed dance moves set to lively beats.
Wednesdays, May 10, 17, 31 & June 7, 14, 21, 28, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
BKLYN Kids Indoor/Outdoor Block Party
Brooklyn Bridge Parents brings block party fun to Downtown Brooklyn at both City Point and Albee Square with free, fun activities for families with kids ages 1 to 10.
Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
BAM DanceAfrica Outdoor Bazaar
The nation’s largest festival of African and African American dance, music, and culture is back with this beloved annual event.
May 27-29, Times TBD
Source / Downtown Brooklyn
Lunchtimes @ Brooklyn Commons Park
Thursdays in June are filled with lively lunchtime entertainment.
Thursdays, June 1-29, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Bare Feet Downtown Brooklyn
Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi returns for another cultural journey through music and dance. Seasoned pros and first-time dancers are all welcome to join on The Plaza’s dance floor for fun and exciting moves.
Thursdays, June 1-22, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Juneteenth Weekend
651 ARTS presents the 651 ARTS’ Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration, a commemoration of African American emancipation featuring performances and activities.
Saturday, June 17, Time TBD
Source / Downtown Brooklyn
Brooklyn Poetry Slam
This monthly, popular event is celebrating six years and hosts and cultivates an incredible evening of poetry and community, supported by beats from DJ Jive Poetic.
“We are excited to announce a 2023 spring calendar that will give Brooklynites ways to come out and enjoy our public spaces,” said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “Downtown Brooklyn Presents transforms the neighborhood with a vibrant calendar of events and having residents and visitors join us for fun, fitness, and entertainment outside.”
