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Posts tagged as “Harlem”

SékouWrites Launches BumperCandy.com, Automotive Website For Women

SekouWrites (photo by Brittney M. Walker)

Author, journalist, former Uptown Magazine editor and founder of SimplyRides.comSékouWrites, has expanded his automotive-lifestyle business with the launch of BumperCandy.com, a multicultural women’s-interest website featuring beautiful cars and the lifestyle that comes with owning them. BumperCandy.com joins SimplyRides.com under the banner of Sékou’s newly created Dubbnet Networks, an assortment of automotive lifestyle websites tailored to audiences with unique interests.

“Ironically, my childhood career goal was to be a car designer,” says Sékou about his new-found path. “Later, when I was the Managing Editor of Uptown Magazine, I edited the car section to reach an audience of folks who are interested in cars but aren’t very interested in what’s under the hood. Once I started writing the car section myself, several women told me that they liked the way I covered automotive and I realized there was a niche for readers who care about the aesthetics and lifestyle associated with automobiles but don’t like to get bogged down by car jargon.”

Chaka Khan Chosen For Apollo Legends Hall Of Fame

Chaka Khan

NEW YORK — R&B star Chaka Khan will be inducted into the Apollo Theater’s hall of fame.  The theater announced Thursday that Patti LaBelle and Mary J. Blige will perform in Khan’s honor at its June 10 New York gala.
The annual event raises funds for the Apollo’s education and community outreach programs.  Khan and Blige received a Grammy Award together in 2008 for “Disrespectful.”  Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie and the late Etta James were inducted last year into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.
Other previous inductees include LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, to name just a few.  Sarah Jessica Parker will present this year’s corporate award to Time Warner Inc.
via Chaka Khan Chosen For Apollo Legends Hall Of Fame.

Former New York Governor David Paterson to Teach at Touro College

David A. PatersonDavid A. Paterson, the former governor of the State of New York and the only African American to serve in that post, will be joining the faculty at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem. Paterson will serve as a distinguished professor of health care and public policy.
Paterson was elected lieutenant governor in 2006 and was elevated to governor when Eliot Spitzer resigned due to a prostitution scandal. Paterson decided not to run for governor in 2010. After leaving the state house, Paterson taught at New York University and hosted a talk show on WOR-AM radio in New York.
Paterson is a graduate of Columbia University, where he majored in history. He earned at law degree at Hofstra University.
article via jbhe.com

Harlem-Based Education Group Prepares Youth for College—and Graduation

Many of us found adolescence difficult to navigate but got through it, not just with the help of our anguished parents but because of the network of extended family, church friends, scout leaders, and teachers who stepped in and, very often, said the same things our parents were saying but in a way that we heard and responded to. In effect, the proverbial “village” came through for us.

Lynette Faust believes “it takes a village to raise a child,” and that the Harlem Educational Activities Fund has been part of the village that’s helped her to successfully raise her daughter, L’Eunice.

An exceptionally bright child who learned to read at an unusually early age, L’Eunice hit a “rough patch” in her teens.

“Teenagers today are exposed to so much and have so many distractions,” Faust says. “She tried to assert her own authority and had some difficulty adjusting, but HEAF supported us through that.”

By affirming the values her daughter received at home, and by providing a nurturing, supportive environment, L’Eunice emerged unscathed.

“HEAF constantly reinforces your goals, aspirations, and expectations,” Faust says. “You go to HEAF, you go to college.”

HEAF is a nonprofit organization that helps high-potential, underserved black and Hispanic students in New York City prepare for, enter, and graduate from college.

Collector Russell L. Goings Prepares To Disperse Rarely-Seen Romare Bearden Trove

At first glance the modest living room with parquet floor and track lighting resembles any space with an indifferent housekeeper: papers abound, stacks of paintings lean against walls, an indistinct jumble of items swallows a small table. But then Russell L. Goings starts pulling out what he calls his “stuff,” and his home improbably transforms into a personal art gallery, one brimming with his extensive collection of work by Romare Bearden, the 20th-century artist best known for his soulful collages of African-American life. Bearden also happened to be Mr. Goings’s longtime close friend.

Nigerian Director/Producer Tony Abulu Creates Film "Doctor Bello" To Help Legitimize Nollywood

Tony Abulu, center; with Bern Cohen, left; and Andre Leigh during the filming of “Doctor Bello.” (Ángel Franco/The New York Times)

On the surface the production that commandeered a few dormant rooms at the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island this year resembled many other low-budget film projects in New York City. Crew members were each handling multiple jobs. Those from out of town were spending their short nights on friends’ couches. The catering consisted of a box of Dunkin’ Donuts and a carton of coffee, both empty by late morning.

The film “Doctor Bello” also features Genevieve Nnaji, left; Isaiah Washington, center; and Olumide Bakare.
But despite the production’s humble appearance there was a lot riding on it. Its director and producer, Tony Abulu, and his financial backers say the film, “Doctor Bello,” has the potential to chart a new direction for the booming Nigerian film industry half a world away.
That industry, known as Nollywood, is perhaps the world’s third-largest filmmaking industry in revenues, producing more than 1,000 titles every year. But the industry is known for churning out slapdash films with feeble story lines, amateurish acting and sloppy production values. Nearly all go straight to video and are soon forgotten.

Nigerian Director/Producer Tony Abulu Creates Film “Doctor Bello” To Help Legitimize Nollywood

Tony Abulu, center; with Bern Cohen, left; and Andre Leigh during the filming of “Doctor Bello.” (Ángel Franco/The New York Times)

On the surface the production that commandeered a few dormant rooms at the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island this year resembled many other low-budget film projects in New York City. Crew members were each handling multiple jobs. Those from out of town were spending their short nights on friends’ couches. The catering consisted of a box of Dunkin’ Donuts and a carton of coffee, both empty by late morning.

The film “Doctor Bello” also features Genevieve Nnaji, left; Isaiah Washington, center; and Olumide Bakare.

But despite the production’s humble appearance there was a lot riding on it. Its director and producer, Tony Abulu, and his financial backers say the film, “Doctor Bello,” has the potential to chart a new direction for the booming Nigerian film industry half a world away.

That industry, known as Nollywood, is perhaps the world’s third-largest filmmaking industry in revenues, producing more than 1,000 titles every year. But the industry is known for churning out slapdash films with feeble story lines, amateurish acting and sloppy production values. Nearly all go straight to video and are soon forgotten.

Eighty-Eight Year Old New Yorker Runs Marathons

 

Lucille Singleton

Age: 88
Place of Residence: Harlem, N.Y.
Why she is a local hero: Lucille Singleton inspires people to be healthy with her marathon running.
Singleton runs everywhere she goes. It doesn’t seem like a big deal until you realize she’s almost 90. Singleton has run three New York City Marathons and finished in the top 10 for her age group all three times.
“I just love running. It makes me feel so good,” said Singleton.
Around her Harlem neighborhood, everyone recognizes her as he senior citizen who runs. The door attendant at her senior building asks how her running is going. And when she shows up at her gym at the New York Sports Club, she can barely make it to the weights because everyone wants to hug her.
Singleton gets up at 4 a.m. to run three miles and still hits the gym three or four times per week. She’s recently had some age-related kidney problems and now needs regular dialysis. Even that hasn’t stopped her running.
“When I finish dialysis, I like to run home,” said Singleton.
Her efforts are simply inspiring, says neighbor and friend Sylvia White.
“She runs four days a week, goes to aerobics twice a week.  When you see this woman you … do a double take because she looks half her age.  She defies the common expectations for seniors,” said White.
Singleton is proof that it’s never too late to accomplish your goals in life. At 71, after a career as a home health aide, she became a construction worker. The manager gave her the job of a flag person but Singleton wanted more. She wanted to lift and carry things. And that’s just what she did, helping to build 19 Rite Aid stores.
Singleton also didn’t run her first marathon until she was 75 years old. A friend’s daughter was running, and Singleton, remembering her high school running days, decided to give it a try. She finished fifth in her age group.
Now, Singleton feels her running is an inspiration to others. That’s why she has no plans to stop.
“When I get out and run in the morning, the cars blow their horns and the people wave,” said Singleton. “I have fans out there so I can’t stop.”