The queen of hip hop, Mary J. Blige, is about to host her third annual “Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit” throughout New York City and you might want to get the whole crew together for this electrifying family affair.

The three-day festival will include concerts, comedy shows, panels and female empowerment sessions curated by an all-Black and all-women team.

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Mary J. Blige created the multi-day festival in partnership with Live Nation Urban to empower and give resources to women of color across the music, wellness, tech, beauty and financial literacy sectors.

“I’m so excited to bring our Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit to my hometown, New York City, a place that has always been a huge source of inspiration for me,” the artist said in an official statement. “Having the opportunity to continue to uplift, inspire and build within my community is the reason I created this festival. […] Nobody does it like New York, so get ready.”

The festival is going to kick off on Friday, May 10, with a comedy show called “Don’t Call me White Girl” starring Tiffany Haddish and Paris Sashay at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and a jazz concert starring Robert Glasper at Blue Note in Greenwich Village.

The programming will continue on Saturday, May 11, with the Strength of a Woman Summit, an all day affair hosted by Angie Martinez and featuring keynote speakers, panels, workshops and more.

The Saturday will close out with a Coachella-level concert at Barclays Center on May 11 where Blige will perform alongside special guests 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Muni Long, Lola Brooke and Funk Flex.

On Sunday, May 12, a gospel brunch hosted by Blige at the Brooklyn Chophouse in Times Square and a gospel concert featuring The Clark Sisters at the recently renovated Brooklyn Paramount will wrap up the extravagant affair.

You can get your tickets to the festival here.

* This article was originally published here

The Schomburg Center’s annual Black Comic Book Festival recently returned for its 12th year and united Black comic book enthusiasts for a celebration of creativity, diversity, and empowerment. The event was held April 26-27.

From vibrant comic-filled booths and engaging panels to thrilling cosplay showcases, the festival offered an immersive experience for fans of Black comics, while advancing the careers of Black and POC creators. 

Leah Mallory photos

This year, attendees saw the addition of new elements such as a musical, alongside long-standing favorites like the cosplay showcase and drawing workshops.  

While preserving its legacy of authentic Black representation, the festival highlighted more voices within the community including LGBTQ+ and Black women’s voices.  

Watch the video by Leah Mallory for more on the 2024 Schomburg Black Comic Book Festival.

The post The Schomburg Center’s annual Black Comic Book Fest returns to Harlem appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here