Category: Community
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DJ Rich Medina: Jump N’ Funkin’ For Fela Kuti & Teaching At Cornell University
“Fela Kuti is the James Brown of Africa. We have been pushing the idea that Afrobeat is apart of Black history for 13 years”. Rich Medina introduced a whole generation of dancers to Fela Kuti and Afrobeat with his Jump N’ Funk parties. The party has been branded “the first and most consistent DJ-based party […]
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Yusef Sirius El: “Im A Beast In Footwear Design”
“I’ve been an artist since I was 2” Yusef Sirius El is a a man of many talents. Painter, musician but he is known for his success as a footwear designer. Name the brand..Adidas, Nike, ENYCE, he has designed for them. Millions have worn his designs. Our conversation covers the story of Yusef, footwear designer.
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Children Learning About Occupy Wall Street & Columbus Day
I saw a Facebook posting “New York Children To Occupy Wall Street on 10/10/11 at noon at Liberty Plaza. Get your schools to endorse this event and invite all the students to come. Let the world see how much the children want their world changed.”
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What is Jem?
After walking by Jem a number of times, I had to satisfy my curiosity. When I walked, I saw aisles and aisles of colorful fabric from the ceiling to the ground. I loved the environment. Jem is not your typical fabric store. Jem is owned and operated by a brother-sister team, Michelle Zahabian, who is 24 […]
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Kobie Brown “From Fatherless To Fatherhood” (2012 Film)
I along with millions of Americans have grown up “Fatherless”. And today 40% of American children live in a fatherless home raised by single mothers, aunts, grandmothers and other female caregivers. Kobie Brown’s 2012 film From Fatherless To Fatherhood explores the causes, effects and possible solutions to turning the corner on father absence. We met at […]
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Q-Tip on “Hotel Amazon” & A Tribe Called Quest
After spending a great scenic day driving around my borough of Queens, I jumped on the J train and took an evening stroll through the East Village. I bumped into a true ambassador of Queens, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest. He was enjoying a stroll as well but was cool enough to share a […]
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Culture Critic Amy Linden on 28 yrs in Fort Greene, Rafael Saadiq & Obama
“Bitchin about what Brooklyn is now is like bitchin about what Hip-Hop use to be like..aint gonna happen..Paid In Full is not coming back out again.” Amy moved to Fort Greene 28 years ago from the Lower Eastside. We have been friends since the 90’s when I lived in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill. After […]
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The Blisslife of Amel Larrieux from Groove Theory & Sweetback
Today’s temperature was uncomfortably hot and humid but I perked up when I bumped into R&B songwriter Amel Larrieux at Broadway and 10th street. She has just returned from a vacation in the Bay area. We walk along 10th street and she shares the excitement about having her daughter in her band which comes out […]
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Extreme Hopscotch: “You got beat by an 8yr old!”
Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins..get your Extreme Hopscotch game up! Yesterday at a BBQ in Brooklyn, while filming the kids "hopschotchin", they challenged myself and my longtime friend Jon Cropper to try. He said "no way". I tossed him my camera and thought how hard could it be? Well, I got schooled by an 8year old […]
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John Perry’s Hunger Strike (Day 4)
Manhattan artist, John Perry, is on day 4 of his hunger strike @ Kenmare Sq (Lafayette/Spring St) protesting Tad Friend’s New Yorker’s article from last summer. A piece Perry says killed his reputation, hurt his art career and left him without a steady teaching job. The article, “Sleeping with Weapons,” portrays Perry as a violent […]