After a week of meaningful festivities, Harlem Week concluded last Sunday, Aug. 15, closing its curtains with a high-energy event that showcased the culture and diversity of the historic neighborhood.
Step aside boys! Comedian Amy Schumer is on fire right now -- and we're not talking about her pesky UTI (urinary tract infection) that she referred to while headlining her first HBO stand-up special, directed by Chris Rock at Harlem's iconic Apollo Theater.
"The chairman has won. The chairman has won," Congressman Gregory Meeks said as he proclaimed Representative Charles Rangel the winner of the state's 13th Congressional District. It was his second consecutive electoral victory against challenger and Democratic State Senator Adriano Espaillat, also defeated by Rangel in the 2012 primary election.
What does community mean to you?
A true sense of community is more than borrowing a cup of sugar, saying hello or holding the door, it's going the extra mile in a time of need. For East 'Harlemites' who are still reeling from the tragedy of the East Harlem explosion at 116th St./Park Ave on March 12, the community is pulling together to raise funds for displaced families and making sure their voices are heard well beyond the quadrants of their block.
The tragic East Harlem explosion that destroyed two buildings, killed eight and injured more than 60 people on March 12, continues to bring more heartache, separation anxiety and financial hurdles for displaced families, many who are a part of the Latino community.
The Harlem ballroom scene was once ablaze with Latinos and African Americans performing the highly stylized, modern house dance called Vogue or voguing. While Madonna's video "Vogue" (1990) popularized the model-like poses, the history of the dance began in the early 1960s -though competing reports state that Drag (Queen) balls can be dated back to the 1930s, which was referred to as "Spectacles in Color" by Langton Hughes. The dance scene evolved into the "intricate and illusory form" that it is recognized as today. Vogue magazine was inspired by the dance; as well as Malcolm McLaren's "Deep in Vogue"; America's Best Dance Crew dance group Vogue Revolution; as well other mediums of performance and art. The 1990 film Paris is Burning documented the creative phenomenon.
