Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

Works On Loan From the Museo Dolores Olmedo Collection are Presented Alongside Multimedia Timeline of Artists Life, Kahlo-inspired Garden and Childrens Area

Glen Ellyn, Ill., June 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beginning Friday, June 25, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage will offer virtual tours of Frida Kahlo: Timeless, a one-of-a-kind, multifaceted exhibition of original artwork by iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Making the in-person exhibition accessible to remote audiences, on-demand individual tours are priced at $18 and provide in-depth curatorial commentary from curator Justin Witte and Executive Director Diana Martinez, offering intimate glimpses into the artists life and work. Group tours, led by museum docents and offering opportunities for lively discussions and questions, are available Monday Friday at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. for groups of up to 25 people ($250) and 26-50 people ($500).

On view now through Sept. 6, Frida Kahlo: Timeless is the most comprehensive presentation of Kahlos work displayed in the Chicago area in over 40 years. Visitors to the exhibition, both virtual and in-person, can also take advantage of a robust series of virtual programs focused on Kahlos life and legacy, freely available on the museums website (theccma.org/videos). Virtual talks feature renowned art historians, scholars and curators including Cesreo Moreno, Chief Curator of the National Museum of Mexican Art and Julie Rodrigues Widholm, Director of the UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive.

The 26-piece collection, on loan from the Museo Dolores Olmedo, features an array of oil paintings and works on paper spanning the life of Kahlo, a Mexican artist foundational to the 20th century art historical canon. Best known for self-portraits highlighting themes of identity, politics, sexuality and death, Kahlo channeled her childhood and personal struggles into her art and became an iconic figure and symbol of female empowerment, individual courage and Mexican pride.

The exhibition includes pivotal pieces created throughout the artists life, including 19 oil paintings, representing over one-tenth of the total number of Kahlo paintings in existence. Works from Kahlos life follow a period when the artist was bedridden for months after surviving a life-altering bus accident at age 18 and span her lifetime, concluding with a work completed the year of her death.

The exhibition also features a multimedia timeline with replicas of notable objects from Kahlos life, over 100 photographic images, a Frida Kahlo-inspired garden and a childrens area.

Frida Kahlo: Timeless will be on view at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 425 Fawell Blvd., through Sept. 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Wednesday and 10 a.m.10 p.m. Thursday. The exhibition is presented by Bank of America and made possible by the support of Ball Horticultural Company, Wight & Company, Nicor, AeroMexico, The National Endowment for the Arts, DuPage Foundation Illinois Office of Tourism, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the College of DuPage Foundation.

For tickets or more information, visit Frida2021.org or call 630.942.4000.

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CLEVE CARNEY MUSEUM OF ART TO OFFER VIRTUAL TOURS OF - GlobeNewswire

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is set to explore the music and legacy of influential vocalist Martina McBridein the exhibition Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice. The exhibit encompasses the singer's journey from performing in her family's band as a child to becoming an award-winning country music artist with an enduring career delivering substantive and socially aware hit songs. Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice opens July 30, 2021, and runs through Aug. 7, 2022.

McBrideknown for hits including "Independence Day" and "A Broken Wing"has ranked as one of country music's most powerful voices, owning four CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards. The Kansas native released her major label debut in 1992 and had her first Top Ten single on Billboard's country charts in 1993 with "My Baby Loves Me." Inspired by forerunners such as Linda Ronstadt and Country Music Hall of Fame members Reba McEntire and Connie Smith, McBride brought her own unique voice and style that helped further modernize the image of female artists in country music, choosing material that often highlighted women's strengths. In 2019, the Academy of Country Music presented her with the Cliffie Stone Icon Award for her contributions to country music.

"Martina McBride has been creating powerful, socially conscious country music for more than 25 years," said museum CEO Kyle Young. "Her anthems of personal empowerment have addressed the challenges women face and contributed a much-needed perspective to the genre. The empathy at the core of her music informs her life offstage, where she advocates for female artists."

Born July 29, 1966, Martina Mariea Schiff was raised on a dairy and wheat farm in Sharon, Kansas, population 200. By age seven, she began performing with her family's band, the Schiffters. After moving to Wichita, Kansas, she performed in rock bands in area clubs and met recording engineer John McBride, whom she married in 1988. After returning home to sing with the Schiffters at a battle of the bands, she decided to move to Nashville and sing country music.

The McBrides moved to Nashville in January 1990, as country music exploded in popularity. John started working as a sound engineer on concert tours and, in 1991, became production manager for Garth Brooks. So that the newlyweds could spend more time together, Martina took a job on Brooks' tour selling T-shirts. She made a demo recording of five songs to pitch to record labels. To get the demo to the talent scouts at RCA Records, she got past the company's strict rules about submitting new material by writing, in large letters, "REQUESTED MATERIAL" on a bright purple package, even though RCA had not asked for the tape. The strategy worked. RCA signed McBride to a recording contract in 1991.

Focusing on traditional country music, McBride's debut album, The Time Has Come,was released in May 1992. The album received critical accolades, but it wasn't until the release of her second album, The Way That I Am, that she began achieving commercial success, with songs focused on what she described as "melody and message." The song "My Baby Loves Me" reached #2 on Billboard's country charts and depicts a woman reveling in her partner's love of the traits that make her different and distinctive. "Independence Day," an anthem portraying an abused wife and mother reaching a breaking point, was named Song of the Year in 1995 and Video of the Year in 1994 by the CMA.

The Way That I Amcrossed the million-seller plateau in May 1995 and began a streak of platinum albums stretching into the 2000s. McBride ranked among country music's most acclaimed stars of the era. She won four CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards, three consecutively (1999, 2002-2004), and three consecutive ACM Top Female Vocalist honors (20012003). In November 1995, she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

After years of crossover pop success, McBride returned to her roots in traditional country music with her 2005 album,Timeless, the first album she produced alone. She has continued as a commercial force: Each of her albums from 2007 to 2016 reached the Top Five on the country album chart. She continued as a cultural force, too: In 2015, she became a lead voice in combatting the dwindling airplay given to female country artists.

Martina McBride, who will mark her thirtieth year as a recording artist in 2022, epitomizes how country artists can find success as they reflect their changing times and address social issues in songs.

"Postponing the exhibit opening last year due to the pandemic was a difficult decision but the right one," said McBride. "It did, however, allow us more time to plan and dig through my archive to find several truly special artifacts. I'm excited to finally be able to let everyone see what we've created.Having an exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is something I've had on my dream list for a long, long time. Being able to share moments and mementos from my life and career with my fans and country music fans from all over the world is both humbling and exciting. I'm so grateful to be a part of country music."

Items featured in Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice include awards, stage wear, handwritten lyrics and personal artifacts. Some highlights:

In support of the exhibition's opening, McBride will participate in a conversation and performance in the museum's CMA Theater on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., discussing her career and sharing personal stories and memories associated with the artifacts included in Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice. Tickets will be available at CountryMusicHallofFame.org on Friday, July 2.

More information about this exhibit can be found at http://www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org.

Suggested Tweet: @CountryMusicHOF announces details of Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice. The exhibit will run from July 30, 2021, through Aug. 7, 2022.

Photos of artifacts featured in Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voicecan be found here.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and welcomes over one million patrons each year, placing it among the most visited museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B, Hatch Show Print poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive, and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fameand Museum is available atwww.countrymusichalloffame.orgor by calling (615) 416-2001.

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SOURCE Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to Unveil New Exhibit, Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice - KPVI News 6

Dior Parsons grew up believing she could accomplish anything thanks to the support of the adults in her life. Now, she and a team of volunteers are working to instill this same confidence in young St. John residents while addressing other issues on the island, like mental health. The group, called Society 340, got its start in 2019 by hosting a Junior Achievement U.S. Virgin Islands workshop called Innovation Camp at Sea Shore Allure.

I was feeling like my peers didnt have motivation or determination, Parsons said. Growing up, it was instilled in me that you can grow up to do whatever you want, so Id apply for jobs I wasnt qualified for and Id be confident stepping into any room. I wanted to share that. I want people to dream big. I wanted to create an opportunity to give people that experience and space where they can feel comfortable and know what they can do.

The Innovation Camp was followed by a graduation celebration for the class of 2020, whose in-person ceremonies were thwarted due to COVID. A Mothers Mental Maintenance Brunch at Heading East invited island mothers to relax with one another, and an impromptu celebration and motorcade for the Class of 2021 brought joy to the graduates whose high school career started with hurricanes Irma and Maria and ended with a global pandemic.

When we did the motorcade, one of the graduates said This couldve never happened anywhere else other than St. John, said Parsons. It came together so quickly. [V. I. Police Departments St. John Deputy Chief] Vivianne Newton was like whatever you need. Anything we do I can always reach out to [V.I. Fire Service St. John Deputy Chief] Clarence Stephenson for help. [Senator at Large] Steven Payne was influential in the motorcade and our administrator Shikima Jones-Sprauve was there to make sure everything went smoothly. Any time we reach out to Love City Strong theyre like yeah sure, just let us know what you need. Its always a community effort. St. John really takes care of St. John.

Society 340s next event will be the V.I. Male Empowerment Network Initiative this Sunday, when Sherman Browne will return to his home island of St. John. Browne is a personal growth expert and founder of Aim High, an organization that works to empower students, and hell bring his message to young men on the island.

Youll see a room full of influential men willing to step up to be the mentors and the models, said Browne. We want to change the narrative of how we look at young men. We want to show you men who are influential. When I was growing up on St. John, I remember individuals who taught me through sport and mentored me and made a tremendous difference in my life. This will be a game-changing event.

Along with Society 340s in-person events, the group has hosted online forums called Leh We Talk, where community members are invited to join the discussion on topics like marketing for entrepreneurs and mental health.

The excitement that Society 340 members have for bettering their community is palpable, and with every event the group hosts, it spreads even more.

Were all fired up, said Parsons. The young boys who came out to serve our mothers at the brunch have been calling me every other day asking what else they can do and theyre encouraging their peers.

Aim Highs Browne commended Society 340 for bringing to the forefront discussions that are typically swept under the rug.

Sometimes we see situations like mental health as important, but nothing is urgent, said Browne. We acknowledge we have to take care of this but we dont do it urgently. In partnering with Society 340, I saw an opportunity to urgently address this matter by providing resources that are needed and by building relationships across networks so we can build resilience as it relates to mental health and many other issues.

Society 340 members meet virtually every Thursday evening to discuss their upcoming projects and events. Committees focused on events, policy, and planning are in place to help channel new volunteers to the tasks that best suit them. Society 340 is working toward becoming a 501(c)(3).

Donations to the organization can be made by contacting info@society340.org. Follow Society 340 on Facebook for updates on future events.

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Society 340 bringing joy and empowerment to the Virgin Islands community - Virgin Islands Daily News

Editors note: This is the fourth and final installment of this special series looking back at 40 years of AIDS. Visit washingtonblade.com for the previous installments.

Like so many others in California, lesbian feminist Ivy Bottini had high expectations for the federal government to finally intervene in the growing AIDS crisis after the first congressional committee hearing on the mysterious new disease, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman on April 13, 1982. There was very little press coverage of the hearing held at the Los Angeles Gay Community Services Center on Highland Ave. in Hollywood. But years later, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health recalled a quote reported by the Washington Blade: I want to be especially blunt about the political aspects of Kaposis sarcoma (KS), Waxman said. This horrible disease afflicts members of one of the nations most stigmatized and discriminated-against minorities.There is no doubt in my mind that if the same disease had appeared among Americans of Norwegian descent, or among tennis players, rather than among gay males, the responses of the government and the medical community would have been different.

The gay San Francisco newspaper The Sentinel published a very short brief on April 16 entitled House Holds Cancer Hearings about the gay cancer. The paper quoted an unnamed subcommittee staffer saying the CDC, which is coordinating research on the baffling outbreak, should not have to nickel and dime for funds. The brief appeared next to a column written by gay nurse Bobbi Campbell, who wrote about going to The Shanti Project to get emotional support for his KS.

Bottinis takeaway from the hearing was that no one really knew how AIDS was transmitted. She was upset. Her friend Ken Schnorr had died just before the hearing and Bottini had to explain to Kens distraught mother that he had not been abused at the hospital the purple bruises on his body were KS lesions. After weeks of governmental inaction, Bottini called Dr. Joel Weisman, Schnorrs gay doctor, to update the community at a town hall in Fiesta Hall in West Hollywoods Plummer Park. Weisman had sent gay patients to Dr. Michael Gottlieb and was one of the co-authors on the first CDC public report about AIDS on June 5, 1981.

Bottini later recalled how gay men often thanked her for saving their lives at that packed town hall. Bottini subsequently founded AIDS Network LA, to serve as a clearing house for collecting and disseminating information. But not everyone bought the science-based premise that AIDS was transmitted through bodily fluids including Bottinis friend Morris Kight, prompting a deep three-year rift. Nonetheless, groups offering gay men advice on how to have safe sex started emerging, as did peer groups forming for emotional, spiritual and healthcare support. The Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, Houstons Citizens for Human Equality and the new Gay Mens Health Crisis in New York City published pamphlets and newsletters.

Panic and denial were wafting in tandem through gay Los Angeles, too. In Oct. 1982, friends Nancy Cole Sawaya (an ally), Matt Redman, Ervin Munro, and Max Drew convened an emergency informational meeting at the Los Angeles Gay Community Services Center on Gay Related Immunodeficiency Disease (GRID, soon to be called AIDS) delivered by a representative from San Franciscos Kaposis Sarcoma Foundation.

My friends and I were in New York in 1981, hearing stories among friends coming down with this mysterious disease. We realized that back home in L.A. there was no hotline, no medical care, and no one to turn to for emotional support, Redman told The Advocates Chris Bull on July 17, 2001 for a story on the 20th anniversary of AIDS. For some reason I wasnt really scared. It was so early on that no one could predict what would happen.

That quickly changed when the friends realized there was no level of governmental help forthcoming. They set up a hotline in a closet space at the Center, found 12 volunteers and asked Weisman to train them on how to answer questions, reading off a one-page fact sheet. The idea was to reduce fear and eventually give out referrals to doctors and others willing to help.

The four also reached out to friends to raise money, netting $7,000 at a tony Christmas benefit to fund a new organization called AIDS Project Los Angeles. They set up a Board of Directors with Weisman and longtime checkbook activist attorney Diane Abbitt as co-chairs. They gaveled their first board meeting to order on Jan. 14, 1983 with five clients. The following month, APLA produced and distributed a brochure about AIDS in both English and Spanish.

Four months later, in May, APLA and other activists organized the first candlelight march in Los Angeles at the Federal Building in Westwood and in four other cities. The LA event was attended by more than 5,000 people demanding federal action. The KS/AIDS Foundation in San Francisco was led by people with AIDS carrying a banner that read Fighting For Our Lives. When the banner was unfurled at the National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference that June by activists presenting The Denver Principles, the crowd cried, with a 10-minute ovation.

If the word empowerment hadnt yet been a part of the health care lexicon, it was about to be, HIV/AIDS activist Mark S. King wrote in POZ. The group took turns reading a document to the conference they had just created themselves, during hours sitting in a hospitality suite of the hotel. It was their Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence rolled into one. It would be known as The Denver Principles, and it began like this: We condemn attempts to label us as victims, which implies defeat, and we are only occasionally patients, which implies passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are people with AIDS.

While The Denver Principles were injecting self-empowerment into the growing movement of people with AIDS, the Reagan administration was infecting America through mass media association of homosexuality, AIDS and old myths of sexual perversion. Ronald Reagan was keenly aware of his anti-gay evangelical base, appointing Gary Bauer as a domestic policy adviser. Bauer was a close associate of James Dobson, president of the powerful Religious Right group Focus on the Family. Reagan also picked anti-abortion crusader C. Everett Koop as surgeon general which turned into a mini-scandal when Koop agreed that sexually explicit AIDS education and gay-positive materials should be federally funded for schools. You cannot be an efficient health officer with integrity if you let other things get in the way of health messages, Koop told the Village Voice. Koop was slammed by the Moral Majoritys Rev. Jerry Falwell and other anti-gay evangelicals.

But perhaps one of the most egregious examples of the Reagan administrations homophobic callousness toward people with AIDS came from the persistent laughter emanating from the podium of White House Press Secretary Larry Speakes. On Oct. 15, 1982, less than four weeks after Reps. Henry Waxman and Phillip Burton introduced a bill to allocate funds to the CDC for surveillance and the NIH for AIDS research, reporter Lester Kinsolving asked Speakes about the new disease called A.I.D.S.

KINSOLVING: Larry, does the president have any reaction to the announcement the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?

SPEAKES: Whats AIDS?

KINSOLVING: Over a third of them have died. Its known as gay plague. (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean its a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the president is aware of it?

SPEAKES: I dont have it. Do you? (Laughter.)

KINSOLVING: You dont have it. Well, Im relieved to hear that, Larry. (Laughter.) Im delighted.

SPEAKES: Do you?

KINSOLVING: No, I dont.In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?

SPEAKES: No, I dont know anything about it, Lester. What

KINSOLVING: Does the president, does anybody in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?

SPEAKES: I dont think so. I dont think theres been any

KINSOLVING: Nobody knows?

SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.

The exchange goes on like that. For another two years.

On World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2015, Vanity Fair debuted a 7:43 documentary directed and produced by Scott Calonico about that 1982 exchange between Kinsolving and Speakes. But Calonico also found audio of similar exchanges in 1983 and 1984 for his film, When AIDS Was Funny.

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AIDS @40: White House laughs as gays try to save themselves - Washington Blade

From child star to anonymous poet to Oscar winner.

H.E.R. is a name wrapped in anonymity. The singer whose identity was unknown until two years ago was considered somewhat of a musical ghost, with her real name shrouded in mystery. You may know her by her voice, or by the sunglasses that conceal her face, but as long as you know H.E.R., I guess thats all that matters.

The multi-instrumentalist has used her crooning vocals and thoughtful lyrics to win over R&B purists the world over. She signed to RCA Records at age 14, is halfway to an EGOT (winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar and a Tony), and considers Alicia Keys a label mate and collaborator.

She has also just released a brand new 21-track album titled Back Of My Mind. To truly get a sense of the evolution of H.E.R. we revisit 11 essential songs from her catalogue. Join us as we learn all about musics favourite anonymous poet.

1. Age 10, performing Alicia Keys on The Today Show, 2007

The H.E.R story begins many moons ago. 2007, to be precise, when a young lass named Gabi Wilson took to The Today Show stage to perform, neigh, belt out, a rendition of Alicia Keys No One. Gabi plays the piano, the drums, the bass guitar, begins host Hoda Kotb. She has the rich, soulful voice of a singer three times her age.

This performance is enough to bring a tear to even the most jaded of eyes. Before TikTok, YouTube and Ellen DeGeneres became hell-bent on making every minor a cash-cow cum celebrity, it was a rare and glorious sight to see kids excelling on public platforms like this. Watching 10-year-old Gabi Wilson was one of those pure, innocent moments; and an appropriate foreshadowing of the career to come.

2. My Music, 2009

Like all child prodigies of the early 2000s, H.E.R. (still making music under her government name, Gabi Wilson) was tapped on the shoulder by executives at Disney. She participated as a part of Radio Disneys Next Big Thing contest.

Gabi Wilson competed in Season Two of the competition, eventually losing out to Jasmine Sagginario (who!?). My Music was the single she performed, and it is an extremely accurate snapshot of Disneys sonic output in 2009. Im getting R&B Camp Rock vibes.

3. Something to Prove, 2014

In 2011, Gabis big break came when she signed her first record deal with Sonys RCA records at age 14. Still performing under her real name, Something to Prove was the debut single that the label chose to release.

It was here that R&B purists began to take note of Wilson. Sampling Between The Sheets by The Isley Brothers, Youre Getting a Little Too Smart by Detroit Emeralds Take Me to the Marti Gras by Bob James, Something to Prove was the first taste of what would become H.E.R. Her deep, soul-filled voice while still growing was filled with self-empowerment, yet delicate and airy in delivery.

4. Focus, 2016

The world was first introduced to H.E.R. on September 9 2016. Re-emerging with a new persona, her debut EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1, was the beginning of a new sonic era. The EP release was relatively low-key, making H.E.R the perfect combination of indie and talented that heavy hitters like to co-sign.

She received support from Usher, Tyrese, Pusha T, Wyclef Jean, and label mates Alicia Keys and Bryson Tiller. The EP features seven cuts, including a notable cover of Drakes Jungle. The standout track, Focus, connotes undertones of desperation. Beautiful in its execution, and extremely loyal to the genre, the song is a public-private musing that examines vulnerability in the best possible way.

And, in a stroke of marketing genius I doubt you can even pay for, the song was given the ultimate approval in April 2017. Rihanna posted a video of herself on Instagram, with Focus playing in the background. The clip has been viewed over 5 million times.

5. Every Kind of Way, 2017

H.E.R.s second EP, H.E.R. Vol. 2, revolves around seduction. Every Kind of Way places onus on personal sexuality, in a way that its predecessor was too nervous to affirm. Interestingly, the identity of H.E.R. was still anonymous at this point in time perhaps why it was easier to write so literally about taboo topics at the age of 20.

The Pitchfork review of this project wrote, There have been theories that H.E.R. is Gabi Wilson, a singer who saw her first big break at the age of 10, but at the end of the day, does it matter? With hindsight, its clear to see the world was ready to know about H.E.R.

6. Best Part ft. Daniel Ceaser, 2017

The compilation album H.E.R. was released on October 20, 2017, comprised of songs from each of the three EPs in this series. Best Part was the breakout acoustic collaboration, featuring the radiant musings of Daniel Ceasar.

This simple, thoughtful love song has become an alt-radio staple. And the album on which this appeared was H.E.R.s greatest personal success yet. It took home Best R&B Album and received four other nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

7. Couldve Been ft. Bryson Tiller, 2018

Riding the wave of Grammy success, Couldve Been is the fourth track from H.E.Rs I Used To Know Her: The Prelude EP. The song marks her first collab with Bryson Tiller who she had toured with in 2017 and was ranked as one of Barack Obamas best tracks of 2018. Not much else to be said, really.

8. Slide, 2019

H.E.R had a couple of notable songs and projects in the wake of the Grammy wins, and Slide was one of the big ones. The original version of the song featuring Californian rapper YG was initially released in September 2019, with an official remix featuring Pop Smoke, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Chris Brown following in January 2020.

The lyrics artistically interrogate two sides to a supposed new perspective on love and relationships. H.E.R broke down the meaning of the song in a Genius Verified video here.

9. Prince In Memoriam, Nothing Compares 2 U, 2020

It was always a well-known subsidiary of H.E.Rs persona that she was an aesthete for the masses. Similar to Solange and Rhianna, intricate costumes and elevated fashion are just par for the course in the brand of H.E.R.

Nowhere is this more evident than in this Prince memoriam at the 72nd Emmys. H.E.R. is well-documented in dubbing Prince one of her major influences, and listeners can hear Princes signature, funky, husky notes in her solos particularly the ones that are played live.

Like Prince, H.E.R.s celebrity image is intrinsically attached to the things she wears. Her signature sunglasses are almost as iconic as the music itself, and I could write an entire piece dedicated to her inspired sartorial choices. In fact, I just might.

10. Damage, 2020

When news began permeating of the first official H.E.R album, eager anticipation began to build. Fans knew it was titled Back Of My Mind, but they didnt know much else. Damage was the first taste they received.

The track samples Herb Alperts 1987 hit Making Love in the Rain, and uses its dulcet croon to express how the protagonist doesnt want to be taken for granted by a lover. The significance of the song came to a head on October 24 2020, when H.E.R debuted the song on Saturday Night Live alongside guest host, Adele.

11. We Made It, 2021

That brings us here. We Made It ironically the opening song to H.E.Rs first proper album release. It feels incorrect to call this project a debut, and yet, here we are. Released just days ago, Back Of My Mind is swarmed with social and political hallmarks,and aptly intertwined with moments of light. 2021 has been the year of H.E.R.

In March, the now 23-year-old won a Grammy for her poignant protest song titled I Cant Breathe, written in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd. At the Oscars, she collected a win for Fight For You for her contribution to the film Judas and the Black Messiah.

This album occurring over 79 blissful minutes gives H.E.R. the space to breathe. Her lyrics have always been intimate, but the panoramic versatility of this record leaves everything out on the floor. It was a conscious choice it seems, because with a talent (and release) of this scale, complete anonymity will most likely be the next thing H.E.R. will have to let go of. Heres hoping she enjoys it.

Listen to H.E.Rs new album here.

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Who is H.E.R? Get to know the R&B goddess in 11 songs - Fashion Journal

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. H. Harrington Bo Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Recovery Rising initiative.

H. Harrington Bo Cleveland

Recovery Rising works to foster a resilient, diverse and accessible recovery framework in Pennsylvania, including pathways to improved health and wellness, community acceptance, and personal empowerment.

Cleveland joins an advisory commission of individuals in clinical, policy, family and community roles that will work to create a framework of recovery support services. The commission will consider research and data to offer specific steps to implement a full range of recovery options, which will be provided to service providers, community organizations, and policymakers to generate widespread support.

For Cleveland, who has worked with Penn States Collegiate Recovery Program for over 10 years, it is important that research play a part in shaping the commonwealths policy on recovery.

I hope to see policies that support removing barriers to people attempting to build and maintain their recovery from substance abuse, said Cleveland, who studies individual differences and experiences in substance use and abuse. Recovery is difficult for everyone. But it is especially hard, if not bordering on impossible, for Pennsylvanias citizens whose efforts to build stable and purposeful lives are consistently blocked by economic and structural barriers.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) works to reduce the stigma of recovery, increase prevention programs, strengthen treatment systems, and empower sustained recovery for individuals with opioid use disorder.

Last Updated June 21, 2021

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Human development and family studies professor joins Recovery Rising initiative | Penn State University - Penn State News

Since 2018, FICO has invited consumers to broaden their credit education through its successful, free-to-attend Score A Better Future program. This event series has provided thousands of attendees with the opportunity to learn about the key ingredients that make up the FICO Score, how credit scores are used in credit decisions by lenders, as well as the myths and facts about FICO Scores, which are used by 90% of top U.S. lenders.

Continuing FICO's unwavering commitment to financial education and empowerment, FICO, alongside its national partners, is building on the success of the nationwide event series by inviting small business owners to attend Score A Better Future | Small Business on June 24. The session will focus on demystifying FICO Scores and empowering attendees with personal finance knowledge to reach their entrepreneurial goals, such as how to receive a low-interest loan, and steps to take during a financial downturn.

"Small Business Roundtable is delighted to partner with FICO on the Score a Better Future educational event for small businesses, and we are equally excited to share this honor with SBR Members, the National Association of Women Business Owners and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. As our nation continues to recover, capital access remains a top issue for American entrepreneurs. Good credit is paramount to ensure business owners can succeed and grow their businesses," said John Stanford, co-executive director at Small Business Roundtable.

Recognizing that 75% of small business owners depend on personal capital in order to fund their businesses (US Census), FICO is committed to extending its financial education resources to the individuals pursuing small business ownership who are at the backbone of the US economy. Over 30 million small businesses existed in 2020 and employ more than 60.5 million workers, accounting for 47% of the United States workforce (SBA).

"Financial literacy is incredibly important for our community of women business owners as they work through every stage of their business, and understanding their FICO Score and how to leverage it is a large part of that," said Jen Earle, CEO of the NationalAssociation of Women Business Owners. "NAWBO is proud to partner with FICO to bring credit education to our nation's entrepreneurs to help propel their success."

"FICO is providing the opportunity for small business owners to acquire the necessary resources to uplevel their personal finance knowledge. Our organization represents over 4.7 million Hispanic owned businesses and we are thrilled to have FICO share key credit information and resources with our vibrant community," said C. LeRoy Cavazos-Reyna, vice president of Government and International Affairs, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Other national partners supporting the event include:

To register for the event or get more information about the Score A Better Future program, visit http://www.scoreabetterfuture.com/

Who: FICO, SBR, NAWBO and USHCC

What:Score A Better Future is a free community education and financial empowerment program by FICO in partnership with national nonprofits, consumer advocates, credit educators and community leaders

When:Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 2:00 pm EDT

Where:http://www.scoreabetterfuture.com/(Virtual link to webinar provided upon registration)

About FICOFICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time. Learn more at http://www.fico.com.

Join the conversation at https://twitter.com/fico, and https://www.instagram.com/ficoscoreabetterfuture/.

SOURCE FICO

https://www.fico.com

Originally posted here:

FICO Partners with Leading National Small Business Organizations to Empower Entrepreneurs with Credit Education - PRNewswire

As the famous slogan has it, you never actually own a Patek Philippe. And if forecasts are right, you never will. Instead, youll be happy to rent one.

Its early days, but there are signs that a new luxury watch rental market led by the brands is coming. According to the market research company Bain & Company, rentals could account for 10 percent of luxury brand revenues by 2030. Now, it says, is the time for brands to engage with subscription culture and generation rent, a growing number of young people less inclined to spend money on high-priced luxury goods.

Something is changing in the way consumers think about and interact with luxury products, said Claudia DArpizio, a partner at Bain and co-author of LuxCo 2030: A Vision of Sustainable Luxury. The willingness of the younger generation to embrace renting and secondhand is very high. The shift from owning to having an experience is super strong.

Rentals, according to Bains research, could also reinvigorate a flagging market. Exports of luxury Swiss watches have been in decline for years, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. The numbers contracted to 13.8 million last year from 28.6 million in 2014, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.

Bains forecast concluded that brands needed to decouple growth from volume and adopt circular business models that cater to certified pre-owned (secondhand) and rental services, as well as sales of new watches. An item rented 20 times could generate a profit margin of 41 percent, according to the research.

So far, uptake is slow. In March, Breitling became the first mainstream luxury watch brand to enter the rental space when it introduced a 12-month subscription service called Breitling Select. Subscribers pay a one-time fee of $450, and then for $129 a month they can rent three watches a year, one at a time. At the moment, the service is available only in the United States, but Breitling has plans to roll it out in Europe this year.

Georges Kern, the companys chief executive, said the initiative was intended to attract consumers away from unauthorized dealers online who obtained and sold slower-moving brands or designs at lower prices.

We dont give discounts, especially not online, he said. So how do you respond to consumer needs and create new offerings in order to make your online business interesting?

Mr. Kern said subscribers could buy their watches during the rental period for less than the retail price, depending on how long they had borrowed it, and that there were around 200 refurbished watches in the rental pool, covering around 35 different models from Breitlings mens and womens collections. He said the average retail price of the rental collection was $4,500 and that the company might one day release a special-edition watch that was available only to rent.

Is it profitable? This is a business that is direct to consumer, he said. We make margins. After three months, Breitling Select accounted for 15 percent of his e-commerce business in the United States, he added.

Adopting rental strategies poses a number of problems for brands, such as the high tariffs associated with shipping; returns; insurance against loss, damage and theft; and maintenance. Mr. Kern said the $450 sign-on fee covered these costs.

Ms. DArpizio said that in the early stages brands going it alone would struggle to make a profit from rental services. In the short term, I dont see brands doing this by themselves, she said. Theyll do it as a partnership, unless theyre part of a group, where you can have a critical mass.

Rental programs also present watch brands with a marketing challenge. For years, the industry has pushed luxury watches as exclusive objects, meant as lifetime investments. Can the same product be an heirloom and also a brief encounter?

Ms. DArpizio said she believed that brands offering rentals would be helped by a shift in consumer attitudes toward luxury.

It used to be that if you couldnt afford a product, you werent part of the circle, she said. Not anymore. Besides, now you dont want to show off your money; you want to show off your personality and that you know how to live. Youre not posting on Instagram the name of the three-Michelin star restaurant; youre posting the food and the experience youre having. It seems a slight difference, but its not.

One brand was using a rental service to demonstrate its own personality. Last month, Fears, a British company, introduced Be Fearless, a free watch-for-rent service offered to anyone with an upcoming job interview.

For us, theres no return on investment, other than that its doing the right thing, said Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, owner of the company. The pandemic hasnt been as harsh on us as on others, so you dont just say, We were lucky. You have to stop and ask what you can give back. You have to think like this in the 21st century, and not purely in terms of product. I cant see why this wouldnt be the start of this business growing.

Mr. Bowman-Scargill, who rolled out his Britain-wide service only a week after he came up with it while sitting in a pub garden, said his business was perfectly suited to the weeklong rental service. For the last five years, weve been an online business, so were geared up for shipping, he said. To keep it simple, were not taking a deposit. It costs us a lot more in insurance, but the logistics are easy.

Will rentals cannibalize sales of new watches? It doesnt mean consumers will never buy a watch, Ms. DArpizio said. This is a huge opportunity to create the new growth engine for the new generation. You can attract them through this market and grow them in your brand and then upgrade them.

Mr. Kern agreed. He said that he expected around 80 percent of subscribers to buy a watch, but that for some, ownership simply wasnt an issue.

You have people who want to experience luxury but dont want to own it, he said. This is a trend. It could be superficial for those who like to own luxury, but not for those who want to experience luxury. Its a very personal question.

Ms. DArpizio said rental services could help make luxury watches relevant to a new audience. Gen Z are very much into achievement and self-empowerment, but they live it in a more social way, she said. Watches can play an important role because they are both a symbol of achievement and self-empowerment, and at the same time of personality and experience.

Should every luxury watch brand adopt a rental strategy? Its mandatory to change the marketing formula to attract and engage younger consumers, Ms. DArpizio said. But rental is not mandatory. It can be an interesting enabler. Its the lifetime value of the customer that is important, not the volumes you do every year.

Read more from the original source:

To Enjoy a Luxury Watch, You Dont Really Need to Own It - The New York Times

By Karen Ocamb | LOS ANGELES Like so many others in California, lesbian feminist Ivy Bottini had high expectations for the federal government to finally intervene in the growing AIDS crisis after the first congressional committee hearing on the mysterious new disease, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, (D-CA) on April 13, 1982.

There was very little press coverage of the hearing held at the Los Angeles Gay Community Services Center on Highland Avenue in Hollywood. But years later, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health recalled a quote reported by the Washington Blade:

I want to be especially blunt about the political aspects of Kaposis sarcoma (KS), Waxman said.This horrible disease afflicts members of one of the nations most stigmatized and discriminated-against minorities.There is no doubt in my mind that if the same disease had appeared among Americans of Norwegian descent, or among tennis players, rather than among gay males, the responses of the government and the medical community would have been different.

The gay San Francisco newspaper The Sentinel published a very short brief on April 16 entitled House Holds Cancer Hearings about the gay cancer. The paper quoted an unnamed subcommittee staffer saying the CDC, which is coordinating research on the baffling outbreak, should not have to nickel and dime for funds. The brief appeared next to a column written by gay nurse Bobbi Campbell, who wrote about going to The Shanti Project to get emotional support for his KS.

Bottinis take-away from the Waxman hearing was that no one really knew how AIDS was transmitted. She was upset. Her friend Ken Schnorr had died just before the hearing and Bottini had to explain to Kens distraught mother that he had not been abused at the hospital the purple bruises on his body were KS lesions.

After weeks of governmental inaction, Bottini called Dr. Joel Weisman, Schnorrs gay doctor, to update the community at a town hall in Fiesta Hall in West Hollywoods Plummer Park. Weisman had sent gay patients to Dr. Michael Gottlieb and was one of the co-authors on the first CDC public report about AIDS on June 5, 1981.

Bottini later recalled how gay men often thanked her for saving their lives at that packed town hall. Bottini subsequently founded AIDS Network LA, to serve as a clearing house for collecting and disseminating information. But not everyone bought the science-based premise that AIDS was transmitted through bodily fluids including Bottinis friend Morris Kight, prompting a deep three-year rift.

Nonetheless, groups offering gay men advice on how to have safe sex started emerging, as did peer groups forming for emotional, spiritual and healthcare support. The Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, Houstons Citizens for Human Equality and the new Gay Mens Health Crisis in New York City published pamphlets and newsletters.

Panic and denial were wafting in tandem through gay Los Angeles, too. In Oct. 1982, friends Nancy Cole Sawaya (an ally), Matt Redman, Ervin Munro, and Max Drew convened an emergency informational meeting at the Los Angeles Gay Community Services Center on Gay Related Immunodeficiency Disease (GRID, soon to be called AIDS) delivered by a representative from San Franciscos Kaposis Sarcoma Foundation.

My friends and I were in New York in 1981, hearing stories among friends coming down with this mysterious disease. We realized that back home in L.A. there was no hotline, no medical care, and no one to turn to for emotional support, Redman told The Advocates Chris Bull on July 17, 2001 for astory on the 20th anniversary of AIDS. For some reason I wasnt really scared. It was so early on that no one could predict what would happen.

That quickly changed when the friends realized there was no level of governmental help forthcoming. They set up a hotline in a closet space at the Center, found 12 volunteers and asked Weisman to train them on how to answer questions, reading off a one-page fact sheet. The idea was to reduce fear and eventually give out referrals to doctors and others willing to help.

The four also reached out to friends to raise money, netting $7,000 at a tony Christmas benefit to fund a new organization called AIDS Project Los Angeles. They set up a Board of Directors with Weisman and longtime checkbook activist attorney Diane Abbitt as Board co-chairs. They gaveled their first Board meeting to order on January 14, 1983 with five clients. The following month, APLA produced and distributed a brochure about AIDS in both English and Spanish.

Four months later, in May, APLA and other activists organized the first candlelight march in Los Angeles at the Federal Building in Westwood and in four other cities. The LA event was attended by more than 5,000 people demanding federal action. The KS/AIDS Foundation in San Francisco was led by people with AIDS carrying a banner that read Fighting For Our Lives. When the banner was unfurled at the National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference that June by activists presenting The Denver Principles, the crowd cried, with a 10-minute ovation.

If the word empowerment hadnt yet been a part of the health care lexicon, it was about to be, HIV/AIDS activist Mark S. King wrote in POZ. The group took turns reading a document to the conference they had just created themselves, during hours sitting in a hospitality suite of the hotel. It was their Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence rolled into one. It would be known asThe Denver Principles, and it began like this:

We condemn attempts to label us as victims, which implies defeat, and we are only occasionally patients, which implies passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are people with AIDS.

While The Denver Principles were injecting self-empowerment into the growing movement of people with AIDS, the Reagan administration was infecting America through mass media association of homosexuality, AIDS and old myths of sexual perversion. Ronald Reagan was keenly aware of his anti-gay evangelical base, appointing Gary Bauer as a domestic policy advisor. Bauer was a close associate of James Dobson, president of the powerful Religious Right group Focus on the Family.

Reagan also picked anti-abortion crusader C. Everett Koop as Surgeon General which turned into a mini-scandal when Koop agreed that sexually explicit AIDS education and gay-positive materials should be federally funded for schools. You cannot be an efficient health officer with integrity if you let other things get in the way of health messages, Koop told the Village Voice. Koop was slammed by the Moral Majoritys Rev. Jerry Falwell and other anti-gay evangelicals.

But perhaps one most egregious examples of the Reagan administrations homophobic callousness towards people with AIDS came from the persistent laughter emanating from the podium of White House Deputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes.

On Oct. 15, 1982, less than four weeks after Reps. Henry Waxman and Phillip Burton introduced a bill to allocate funds to the CDC for surveillance and the NIH for AIDS research, reporter Lester Kinsolving asked Speakes about the new disease called A.I.D.S..

Kinsolving: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?

SPEAKES: Whats AIDS?

Kinsolving: Over a third of them have died. Its known as gay plague. (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean its a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?

SPEAKES: I dont have it. Do you? (Laughter.)

Kinsolving: You dont have it. Well, Im relieved to hear that, Larry. (Laughter.) Im delighted.

SPEAKES: Do you?

Kinsolving: No, I dont.In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?

SPEAKES: No, I dont know anything about it, Lester. What

Kinsolving: Does the President, does anybody in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?

SPEAKES: I dont think so. I dont think theres been any

Kinsolving: Nobody knows?

SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.

The exchange goes on like that. For another two years.On World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2015, Vanity Fairdebuted a 7:43 documentary directed and produced by Scott Calonicoabout that 1982 exchange between Kinsolving and Speakes. But Calonico also found audio of similar exchanges in 1983 and 1984 for his film, When AIDS Was Funny.

Karen Ocamb is the Director of Media Relations for Public Justice,a national nonprofit legal organization that advocates and litigates in the public interest. The former News Editor of the Los Angeles Blade, Ocamb is a longtime chronicler of the lives of the LGBTQ community in Southern California.

This is Part 4 of a series of 5 articles on AIDS @40.

Excerpt from:

AIDS @40: The White House laughs as gays try to save themselves - Los Angeles Blade

Juneteenth, the 19th day of June that celebrates the end of slavery, is now a national holiday, after President Joe Biden signed bill S. 475 into law Thursday.

This means federal employees will observe Juneteenth on Friday as June 19th falls on a Saturday this year. Even though Mayor Bill de Blasio recognized Juneteenth as a city holiday last year, city employees do not have a paid day off on Friday this year and students will have to wait until next June to celebrate the day. Companies are also starting to incorporate Juneteenth as a holiday in their calendars

Across the city, a long list of celebrations and events are being held on Saturday the 19th,which marks the 156th anniversary of the day that Black Texans were informed of their freedom, more than two and a half years after emancipation.

The city's parades, musical performances, and educational events are thus billed as opportunities to both celebrate Black joy and excellence, and as moments for all New Yorkers to reflect on the ongoing effort to fight racism here and across the country.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of Juneteenth events happening this weekend:

Official Juneteenth NYC in Prospect Park

Friday, June 18th Sunday, June 20th

Join for community service on Friday at 5:00 p.m., a cookout on the Long Meadow on Saturday at noon, and skate night at the LeFrak Center at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Some events require paid tickets.

RSVP here.

12th Annual Juneteenth NYC Festival

Friday, June 18thSunday, June 20th

A mix of virtual and in-person events are taking place at Herbert Von King Park and Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration. There's an online health and wellness event on Saturday; a festival with music, dance, poetry, skits, vendors, and more on Saturday, at Herbert Von King Park; and a presentation from young people who have gone through a social entrepreneurial program .

Free, register here.

Drums in the Garden: a Juneteenth Celebration of Black Joy and Freedom

People's Garden, 1237-1241 Greene Avenue

Saturday, June 19th

5:00 p..m. 9:00 p.m.

Live drummers, dancing, and an artist cypher are on the bill for the People's Garden's 2nd annual Juneteenth celebration.

RSVP here.

Juneteenth: A Black Parade

Saturday, June 19th

11:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Families are encouraged to gather at 95 Prospect Park SW for a parade, along with music, painting and other activities for children, and tournament-style games.

RSVP here.

Honoring Juneteenth at the Brooklyn Museum

Saturday, June 19th

11 a.m., and 7:00 8:00 p.m.

In the morning, hear local community leaders speak before the Good Company Bike Club leads a daylong Freedom Ride tour of historic Brooklyn locations and landmarks relevant to the Black community. At night, the museum is hosting live music, food vendors, and mindfulness at sunset. All events are free.

RSVP here.

A Juneteenth Freedom Fest Block Party In Harlem

Saturday, June 19th

12 p.m.6 p.m.

Music, live performances, food, vendors, games, face painting, bounce houses, and more will fill 129th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Harlem. The festival's partners include NYC's Community Affairs Unit, NYCHA, and Harlem Children's Zone for a family-friendly event.

Free, register here.

Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth

Saturday, June 19th

12 p.m.1:30 p.m.

A 90-minute musical performance, with cast members from shows including Girl from the North Country, The Lion King, Moulin Rouge,The Phantom of the Opera,Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,and Thoughts of a Colored Man, and special appearances from Lillias White and Ben Vereen, will be held in Times Square on Broadway between 43rd and 44th Streets.

Free, more details here.

Juneteenth In the Park

Saturday, June 19th

12 p.m.7 p.m.

Guided meditation, live music, performances, and more will be held at the 135th Street lawn in St. Nicholas Park.Free, more details here.

Black Joy Is Revolutionary

Saturday, June 19th

Riverbank State Park

12 p.m.10 p.m.

Music, vendors, and more are promised at The Strategy for Black Lives' event; they say, "[W]e will be unapologetically Black; providing the community a vibe free of cost! This is our way of giving back and promoting Black excellence and joy. Come one, come all, for an experience you wont forget!"

Free, more details here.

A Juneteenth Celebration With Joe's Pub

Astor Place

Saturday, June 19th

4:30 p.m.

See free musical performances by Celisse, ChBuford and mal sounds, and theJuneteenth Legacy Project.

More info here.

I Dream a Dream That Dreams Back at Me:A Juneteenth Celebration

Lincoln Center

7 p.m.

A site-specific work, conceived and curated by poet Carl Hanock Rux, with music by Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryxand lyrics by Lynn Nottage, will move across Lincoln Center's campus. According to the press release, "The performers wear paper dress creations crafted by designer Dianne Smith while standing in the Paul Milstein Pool, symbolizing the river journey taken by abolitionist Harriet Tubman while leading enslaved Americans to freedom." Tickets have been distributed already, but there is a stand-by line.

Stand-by details here.

Open Call: Troy Anthony

The Shed

Saturday, June 19th

8:00 p.m.

The Revival: It Is Our Duty, is a musical event "performed through ritual to activate individual and collective liberation in celebration of Juneteenth." Tickets are free; the event will also stream live online.

RSVP here.

Juneteenth Family Day at Pelham Bay Park

Saturday, June 19th

12:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

Free activities include face painting, yoga, zumba, live performances, poetry, and more.

RSVP here.

Juneteenth Walk/Run Barbecue at High Bridge Park

Saturday, June 19th

12:00 pm. 6:00 p.m.

Join for a solidarity run/walk 5K through Highbridge, Jackie Robinson, Saint. Nicholas, and Morningside Parks from The Heights to Harlem.

Register here.

Juneteenth Day of Love at Joyce Kilmer Park

Saturday, June 19th

12:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

The group No Voice Unheard is organizing guest speakers and families to come together to commemorate youth lost to gun, gang, and street violence.

RSVP here.

Juneteenth Celebration at Alice Austen House

Saturday, June 19th

1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.

Poets Pamela Sneed and andriniki mattis, musical group OJ in The Yams, and singer-songwriter Chanese Elif, will all perform in a free show outdoors, with social distancing guidelines in place.

RSVP here.

Juneteenth Freedom Festival at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden

Saturday, June 19th

11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

More than 50 Staten Island-based organizations are coming together for a free outdoor festival that will include historical reenactments of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, musical performances, health and wellness screenings, personal empowerment workshops, and more.

Register here.

Juneteenth In Queens 2021 at Roy Wilkins Park

Saturday, June 19th

10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, who introduced the bill that led to Juneteenth being recognized as a state holiday, is hosting a full day of events in the park.

Register here.

Juneteenth Celebration in St. Alban's Park

Saturday, June 19th

12:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

The all-day event will feature a DJ, an open mic, a luxury car show, and a variety of vendors.

Original post:

A Guide To New York City's Juneteenth Events And Celebrations - Gothamist