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The post #TheGramUptown: Shine Your Light first appeared on Washington Heights, Inwood & Harlem Online | The Uptown Collective.

* This article was originally published here

The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) is seeking submissions for “Women in the Heights: Up Close and Personal”. The 12th annual Women in the Heights exhibition, curated by Andrea Arroyo, will be held in-person, to inaugurate NoMAA’s new space in the historic United Palace.

In celebration of Women’s History Month (March), we invite artists to submit works that reflect on personal and collective experiences during these challenging times, while inspiring connectedness and hope.February 8, 2022 – Submission Deadline

Eligibility: Open to self-identified women artists working or residing in El Barrio, Inwood, Washington Heights or Harlem. Above 110th Street on the West Side (west of 5th Ave) and above 96th Street on the East Side (east of 5th Ave).

Artwork eligibility: Each artist can submit up to 3 works. Wall-hung works in all fine art media, dimensions limited to a minimum of 10” and maximum of 24” wide, and up to 4” deep (including frame).

Written/spoken word works (maximum 250 words) must be presented printed and framed as per framing guidelines.

For more info: Call For Submissions: Women in the Heights: Up Close and Personal

We invite you to subscribe to the weekly Uptown Love newsletter, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter & Instagram or e-mail us at UptownCollective@gmail.com.

The post Call For Submissions: Women in the Heights: Up Close and Personal first appeared on Washington Heights, Inwood & Harlem Online | The Uptown Collective.

* This article was originally published here

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday urged Americans to take action during “a critical point in our nation’s history” as thousands of protesters demonstrated across the country against new limits to abortion rights making their way through the courts.

Saturday’s nationwide rallies were sparked by the U.S. Supreme Court’s actions the day before, when the high court intervened to delay rule changes that would have limited the way the abortion drug mifepristone could be used and dispensed. The limits were paused while the court reviews the case more thoroughly.

Harris made a surprise stop in Los Angeles at one of the rallies, where she called the latest upheaval over abortion rights a further incursion by conservatives into myriad “fundamental rights” many Americans thought they had.

“And so this is a moment that history will show required each of us — based on our collective love of our country — to stand up, and fight for, and protect our ideals. That’s what this moment is,” she said Saturday, speaking to several hundred demonstrators from the steps of City Hall. “When you attack the rights of women in America, you are attacking America.”

Some of the protesters voiced their anger at the steps of the nation’s high court, which took Friday’s action at the request of the federal Justice Department. The agency asked the high court to lift restrictions on mifepristone imposed by an appellate court in Texas earlier in the week. The decision by the appellate court reduced the window of time when the drug could be used and prevented the drug from being dispensed by mail.

Critics of the Texas and appellate court decisions, including pharmaceutical companies, viewed the courts’ actions as a dangerous intrusion into the authority of the FDA, which regulates how medications are sold and used in the United States.

Demonstrators in New York City stood behind a sign with a four-letter expletive directed at Texas, where a federal judge set off the latest salvo in the battle over abortion. They held signs urging the government to defend medication abortions.

But the crowd was modest, attracting a little more than 100 people outside the picturesque public library along Fifth Avenue.

Still, the demonstrators attracted looks from passersby along the busy thoroughfare, some briefly joining the group to lend their voices.

“It can be hard to get people out, because people are being bombarded with all kinds of assaults on their bodies and people are tired and poor,” said Viva Ruiz, who said she helped organize the rally.

“The news cycle is so fast that when one thing happens something terrible happens the next day. So it’s hard to sustain the momentum or the energy for people to be on the streets,” Ruiz said.

With few exceptions, many of the rallies — organized under the banner of a group calling itself “Bigger than Roe” — were held in smaller cities.

Since last year’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized the right to an abortion, more than a dozen states have effectively outlawed abortion, while additional states have moved to further tighten abortion laws.

On Thursday, the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature moved to became the latest state to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

Restrictions on the delivery and use of mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen to end a pregnancy, would be a further blow to abortion rights advocates. The other drug, misoprostol, can be used on its own, but doing so is less effective than using both drugs in combination.

When mifepristone was initially approved, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug, misoprostol, and the third to address any complications.

If the appeals court’s action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed.

States that support abortion rights, including California and New York, have begun stockpiling misoprostol to assure their states have adequate supplies. Washington state is among those stockpiling a supply of mifepristone or its generic form. And Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said the administration is dedicating $1 million to help providers contracted with the Department of Public Health buy additional quantities of mifepristone.

More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used mifepristone as of June 2022, according to the FDA. In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one-tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.

Calvan reported from New York.

The post Kamala Harris rallies as high court eyes abortion pill rules appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Harlem, New York, has been synonymous with jazz music for over a century. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Harlem was the epicenter of jazz, with legendary musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Billie Holiday playing in venues like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. Today, Harlem is still a vibrant hub of live music, with a thriving scene of musicians and venues. And this April, the Harlem Jazz Club Revival is set to bring together the best of Harlem’s music scene for a 10-day live music festival.

From April 14 to April 23, the Harlem Jazz Club Revival will pair the best Harlem venues with the best musicians in Harlem, showcasing a diverse range of music styles. From soul, blues, and R&B to hip-hop, house, and Latin, the festival promises to have something for everyone. And of course, jazz will be at the heart of the festival, with some of the finest jazz musicians in the world taking to the stage.

The festival will take place in a variety of venues throughout Harlem, from intimate clubs to larger concert halls. Each venue has its own unique character and history, adding to the festival’s overall vibe. Some of the venues participating in the festival include the legendary Apollo Theater, the historic Lenox Lounge, and the cozy Silvana.

The festival’s lineup features an impressive array of musicians, both established artists and up-and-coming talent. Some of the highlights include jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, and Terence Blanchard, as well as rising stars like Jazzmeia Horn and Brianna Thomas. Other artists performing at the festival include soul singer Lee Fields, R&B group Tank and the Bangas, and Latin jazz ensemble Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

The Harlem Jazz Club Revival is more than just a music festival; it’s a celebration of Harlem’s rich cultural heritage. The festival will also feature food, art, and cultural events, showcasing the best of Harlem’s arts scene. Attendees can sample local cuisine, view art exhibitions, and participate in workshops and discussions on topics like jazz history and Harlem’s cultural legacy.

Tickets for the Harlem Jazz Club Revival are available now, and prices vary depending on the event and venue. The festival offers both general admission tickets and VIP packages, which include perks like reserved seating and backstage access. With so much amazing music and culture on offer, the Harlem Jazz Club Revival is not to be missed.

In conclusion, the Harlem Jazz Club Revival is a 10-day live music festival that promises to showcase the best of Harlem’s music scene. With a diverse lineup of musicians playing a variety of styles, and a range of venues that capture the essence of Harlem, the festival is a celebration of the neighborhood’s cultural heritage. From jazz to soul to Latin, there’s something for everyone at this festival. So mark your calendars and get your tickets now for a musical journey through the heart of Harlem!

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers University and union representatives have announced an agreement on a framework for new contracts with several faculty unions, allowing a halt to a five-day strike that was the first such job action in the 257-year history of New Jersey’s flagship university.

Rutgers said early Saturday that the agreement on the framework on economic issues was reached late Friday night with the aid of Gov. Phil Murphy, and closure on that framework “will allow our 67,000 students to resume their studies and pursue their academic degrees.”

“Nothing we do is as important as living up to the expectations that our students and their families have of us to be fully supportive of them and nurturing of their academic ambitions and dreams,” the school said in a statement.

The unions representing professors, part-time lecturers and graduate student workers told members that they had agreed to suspend the strike and return to work, but more issues need to be resolved before members would have a tentative agreement to vote on.

“Our historic strike got us to this point. And let us be clear, a suspension of our strike is not a cancellation. If we do not secure the gains we need on the open issues through bargaining in the coming days, we can and will resume our work stoppage,” they said, also vowing informational pickets as classes resume next week.

Three unions, which represent about 9,000 Rutgers staff members, have been involved in the strike: the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, which represents full-time faculty, graduate workers, postdoctoral associates and some counselors; the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, which represents part-time lecturers; and the AAUP-BHSNJ, which includes faculty in the biomedical and health sciences at Rutgers’ medical, dental, nursing and public health schools.

The unions said the framework included “significant” pay increases for adjuncts and substantial raises for graduate student workers, as well as more job security for adjunct and nontenure-track faculty, union representation for graduate fellows, and other improvements.

Rutgers said the pact, retroactive to July, will increase salaries across the board for full-time faculty and EOF counselors by at least 14 percent by July 2025. It will also provide a 43.8 percent increase in the per-credit salary rate for part-time lecturers and strengthen their job security, increase minimum salaries for postdoctoral fellows and associates and substantially increase wages and other support for teaching assistants and graduate assistants.

Picket lines went up Monday at the New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark and Camden campuses as students were finishing their spring semester and preparing for finals and commencement. NJ.com reports that some said they went to classes as usual because some professors were still teaching or handing out assignments, while others said classes were called off or they decided to stay away or even walk picket lines in support of the walkout.

The post Rutgers, unions announce agreement, classes to resume appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here