On Monday, March 12, Rep. Adriano Espaillat held an Inwood Rezoning Forum where he presented a sweeping vision for the future of Northern Manhattan. The presentation underscored the dire need for affordable housing and reiterated his demand for 5,000 units of affordable housing as part of the Inwood Rezoning. Sherry Mazzocchi of the Manhattan Times penned an informative piece on the Inwood Rezoning Forum that brought out hundreds of folks that are deeply concerned with the pace of the changes that are transforming this neighborhood. True to the promise that he made at the Inwood Rezoning Forum, Rep. Adriano Espaillat held his 100% Affordable Housing Now! Tour on Sunday, March 18. NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodríguez will also be hosting a community meeting regarding the Inwood Rezoning and the overall state of development in Northern Manhattan on April 29 at 2:30 pm at the Manhattan Bible Church (3816 9th Avenue – btwn 204th and 205th Streets). Make sure your voices are heard by attending and help to shape what the Uptown of the future will look like. Local novelist and my good friend A.J. Sidransky, penned a must-read piece on the crucial importance of representation and why Wakanda matters. It is an absolute must that you check out the Roxanne Shanté Biopic, Roxanne Roxanne on Netflix when it drops on Friday March 23. The film deftly tells the story of pioneering female emcee Roxanne Shanté and takes you behind the bright lights and the stardom. Brought to you by the producers of Fruitvale Station and Dope, the film boasts a talented cast that includes Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Chanté Adams as well as Washington Heights’ own Elvis Nolasco. Roxanne Roxanne is a good look for Hip-Hop. While we are talking about the homie, Elvis Nolasco, please hit up the site for a great video Q&A with the talented but super humble movie star. The video takes you to his old theater class in the George Washington High School (AKA G Dubs) in Washington Heights. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/UC_ElvisNolasco. This week the Latinos Out Loud crew chop it up about the Frida Kahlo Barbie Doll, Barbara Streisand’s cloned dog, Amazon’s Alexa totally eerie spontaneous laughter for no reason and so much more. This week’s special guest is Afro-Latina Comedienne, X-Mayo. 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.March 12 – March 17
