Celebrate disability inclusion at the 21st annual Achilles Hope & Possibility® 4M Presented by TD Bank. On Sunday, nearly 7,000 runners and walkers of all abilities will participate in our Achilles Hope & Possibility 4M Presented by TD Bank. Race celebrates diversity and disability inclusion. One of those athletes is Puspa Poarangan, a longtime Harlem resident, who has…
Black and white photography has many fans. They claim it is the only real art form, forgetting about other kinds of art. One of them we want to talk about today. Color photography is not something you can do well without practice. Contrast plays a very big role in this type. It’s very difficult to…
Staking cryptocurrencies might seem like the realm of tech wizards, entangled in the mystical world of blockchains and nodes. Yet, the reality is far from this perception. An exciting world of passive income awaits those brave enough to step into the crypto realm, and you don’t need to be a Silicon Valley prodigy to be…
As part of Juneteenth weekend, the Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC) hosted the 2nd Annual Black Independence Awards (BIA) on June 17 at Harlem Parish.
HFC designed the Awards to spotlight the leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and creators whose contributions have proven to be cultural, social and economic drivers for the Harlem community.
BIA precedes the inaugural Harlem Festival of Culture taking place July 28 to 30.
Helmed by award-winning journalist and host Selena Hill, BIA featured several awards categories highlighting different areas of focus. This year’s Special Awards recipients include: hip hop legend, cultural icon and entrepreneur Cam’ron (The Legacy Leader Award); Social Justice Leader, Author and Movement Strategist Tamika Mallory (The Champion Award) and the leadership team behind the signature annual celebration of the community – Harlem Week (The Vanguard Award).
Contributed photos
Rachel Noerdlinger
Yvonne McNair and Cam’ron
Sharon Mallory and Tamika Mallory
Sherifa Gayle
In addition to the Special Awards honorees, winners were selected across six additional categories. Nominees in these categories spanned across industries and areas of practice to recognize individuals, businesses and leaders who are making an invaluable impact in the Harlem community and who are not always recognized for their contributions.
The Flex Your Style Award Presented by Shark Beauty: Felicia Michelle Strong
Social Impact Award: Rachel Noerdlinger
Cultural Heritage Award: Lee Lee’s Baked Goods
Maverick Award: Harlem Hops
Visionary Award: Denny Moe’s
Entrepreneurial Award: Black N Ugly
Prior to presenting the Entrepreneurial Award, President & CEO, National Urban League Marc Morialspoke to the attendees about the renowned organization’s historic plans to remain in New York City with one of the largest and most significant building projects in Harlem in 50 years Originally founded in Harlem, NUL’s The Urban League Empowerment Center, located on 125th Street Between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue – will include headquarters, New York’s first civil rights museum and the National Urban League Conference Center for Race, Equity and Justice. Morial also detailed how integral it was for NUL to ensure that affordable housing was a key piece of the project.
Harlem Festival of Culture Co-Founder Yvonne McNair, who presented the Award to Cam’ron, first gave the audience a preview of what people can expect at the upcoming Festival which will feature a diverse roster of artists including FERG, Teyana Taylor, Cam’ron, Wyclef Jean, Muni Long, Bell Biv DeVoe and many more.
Award-winning violinist Mapy AKA The Violin Queen had attendees on their feet a special surprise musical tribute to Cam’ron performing some of his greatest hits.
You are invited to a community forum with a panel of experts at The Forum at Columbia University (601 West 125th Street) on June 21 at 6:30 pm that will explain the latest laws impacting HDFCs such as Local Law 97 and their vigorous requirements. Learn the best ways to prepare your building under new laws, and what can be done to protect shareholder equity and property rights by planning for the future.
The panel will include representatives from the legal, financial and government sectors all with deep knowledge of the HDFC housing community.
The focus of the 90 minute panel will generally cover the following topics.
The state of HDFCs and the legislative wrangle concerning their future including proposed legislation that may have an impact in the near and long term.
The importance of a comprehensive review of governing documents and policies for HDFC Boards.
The requirements for (LL97) Prescriptive Energy Conservation Measures and the need for smaller buildings to consider options for future energy conservation measures.
The run up to expiration of DAMP tax exemptions (2029) and its varied implications.
Financial options and tactics to address upgrades, repairs and emergencies.
HDFCs are at a very critical juncture in their history and are a vital component of the rapidly diminishing affordable housing stock in New York. As challenges continue to arise it is imperative that we work together and overcome differences of opinion to advocate for additional resources and protections for residents of HDFCs city-wide. Our hope is this community forum in West Harlem will be a jumpstart for that work.
