Walter’s World: Remembering Jimmy

By Walter Rutledge August 2, 2010 marked the eighty-sixth birthday of James Baldwin. For the second year in a row the Faison Firehouse Theater has chosen to step to the forefront and present Remembering Jimmy– a tribute to the late James Baldwin. Last year the celebration was a forum with colleagues and contemporaries, and family…

Walter’s World: Abdel Salaam- A Force of Nature (correction)

By Walter Rutledge The great dancer and groundbreaking choreographer Martha Graham said, “It takes ten years to make a mature dancer”. Nikita Talin of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo added “And twenty to make a choreographer.” At first glance this statement may seem extreme, considering our present environment of immediate gratification. To become a…

Jill Marie Lawrence: A Spawning of the Arts in Africa

Harlem resident, actress and community supporter Jill Marie Lawrence recently went on a trip to Tanzania to work on the artistic project, International Theatre Literacy Project for children. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from:…

Disney’s First Black Princess

  By: Dontré L. Conerly Belle. Ariel. Jasmine. Chances are, you know these names as just a few of Disney’s magical princesses from such classic tales as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. After 10 years, since it introduced Chinese warrior princess, Mulan, in 1998, the Disney royal court unveiled its first…

Astor Row in Harlem

Astor Row is the name given to 130th Street between Fifth Avenue and Lenox Avenue in Harlem, in the New York.More specifically, it refers to the semi-attached row houses on the south side of the street. These were among the first speculative townhouses built in Harlem, and their design is very unusual. Become a Harlem…

Mount Morris Park

Mount Morris Park Historic District was designated a historic district by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1971. It is a large 16-block area in west central Harlem. The boundaries are West 118th and West 124th Streets, Fifth Avenue, and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue). “Doctor’s Row” comprises the nearby stretch of…

Irving Berlin’s Harlem ‘Ritz’ Write-out

Puttin’ on the Ritz is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin’ on the Ritz (1930). The title derives from the slang expression “putting on the Ritz”, meaning to dress very fashionably. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Constant…

Walter Dean Myers: Memories of Harlem

Noted author Walter Dean Myers shares his memories of the Black Capital of the World. Harlem began in the 19th century as an upscale community for people who wanted gracious living but not Fifth Avenue prices. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.By submitting this form,…

Jonathan Batiste at Harlem in the Himalayas

Pianist, composer, and bandleader Jonathan Batiste will be performing with his trio as part of the Harlem in the Himalayas series at the Rubin Museum in New York City on January 18th, 2008. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.By submitting this form, you are consenting…