Happy New Year, mi gente! Puerto Rico may be down but it is certainly not out. Uptown superhero Lin-Manuel Miranda has teamed up with Toys “R” Us to bring a little joy and magic to the children of Puerto Rico for Three Kings Day on January 6, 2018. They have already blown through the initial goal of providing 10,000 toys to kids throughout the island. Gifts will be distributed to Hispanic Federation and R.Evolución Latina’s community partners throughout Puerto Rico. The more gifts you buy, the more kids can be reached. Go to www.toysrus.com/toys4PuertoRico to do your part to help out those who need it most. Please share widely and with abandon. Don Hogan Charles was the first black photographer to be hired by The New York Times. While you may not know his name, you have definitely seen his work. His most famous photograph was the iconic image of Malcolm X holding a rifle as he gazed out of the window. Besides capturing key moments and figures of the Civil Rights era, Mr. Charles also countered the negative conceptions of Black people with simply beautiful images of Black life. Don Hogan Charles died on December 15 in East Harlem. He was 79. While he made his transition last year, his work will live forever. Make sure you stop by the Inwood Spanish Resource Fair at the Manhattan Bible Church (3816 9th Ave) on Sunday, January 7, 2017 from 3 pm to 6 pm to find out about the many resources that are available to the Inwood community. Engage face-to-face with Spanish speaking staff of city agencies and local service providers to obtain information and resources, including free legal services, housing lottery applications, adult literacy and education, youth employment and after-school programs, health and wellness programs, job skills training, resources for small businesses and more. Don’t forget that the deadline for submissions for the 2018 Uptown Arts Stroll Poster Contest is February 20, 2018. And please donate what you can to help Angel Salazar rebuild Grandpa’s Brick Oven Pizza after a devastating fire. Please spread that Uptown love and support here: www.gofundme.com/rebuildgrandpaspizza. Lastly, hit up the site to check out the best #InstagramUptown pics of 2017. Keep checking us out at www.uptowncollective.com. Led Black Editor-in-Chief The Uptown Collective The UC’s mission is to become “the” definitive, transformative and community-based force impacting the arts, culture, business and New York City’s overall perception of Upper Manhattan. Its objective is to reset, reboot and positively redefine Uptown’s artistic, political, cultural and business spheres via the online space as well the collective’s initiatives and functions.
December 25 – December 30
