Last week, 52 years ago, the great Malcolm X was assassinated right here in Washington Heights. While the man made his transition then, the spirit of Malcolm X lives on and continues to inspire and galvanize people across the globe. Personally, Malcolm X literally put the Black in Led Black. The Autobiography of Malcolm X changed the trajectory of my life. Please hit up the site to read my ode to Malcolm X and the venerable Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Center (3940 Broadway). Jason Farago of the NY Times wrote an excellent piece on the talented but obscure artist, Alice Neel who had a deep and abiding love for Harlem. Alice Neel, Uptown, a deeply personal exhibit of her work is on display at the David Zwirner Gallery (525 and 533 West 19th Street) until April 22, 2017. By the time you read this, the inaugural book will have been chosen for the One Book, One New York citywide book club in March. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment has chosen 5 outstanding titles for the inaugural installment of the book club. We are partial to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz but you really can’t go wrong with any of the awesome books chosen, which includes such stellar reads as Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Sellout by Paul Beatty and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Isaac Oliver of the NY Times came Uptown to take in the Golden Girls museum and restaurant, Rue La Rue Café. This week the Latinos Out Loud podcast crew is joined by the first Dominican-American elected to the United States Congress, Uptown’s own Adriano Espaillat. Kaity Modesto sat down with Sandra Vargas to discuss her culturally attuned apparel line, Life’s A Moda. What happens when La La Land meets Uptown? Pa Pa Land. The Up Theater annual shindig is going down on March 6, 2017. You need to get your tickets ASAP. The word on the street is that they will be raffling off a pair of Hamilton tickets as well as a whole host of cool prizes. 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.
February 20th – February 25th
