Author: october

Cruising down Oak Avenue into the historic borough of Lawnside, it didn’t take long to spot the sign. 141st Still Family Reunion: An American First Family. Can’t argue with the first-family part. The Still family tree may have had its roots in slavery, but has managed to produce quintessential American achievers – abolitionists, preachers, doctors, …

Continue reading “Annette John-Hall: Still family celebrates 141st reunion in Lawnside Read more”

(CNN) — Legs covered in skin-toned stockings, her skirt crisp to the knee, Patty Davis slips on the black heels she has shined for the day. “Got to look good in the Lord’s house,” she says as she spritzes her neck with White Diamonds perfume and exits her black Lincoln Town Car. Davis, 46, of …

Continue reading “Does the black church keep black women single?”

By Edward E. Curtis IV Like Gettysburg, the National Mall, and other historic sites, Ground Zero is a place whose symbolic importance extends well beyond local zoning disputes and real estate deals. The recent controversy over a proposal to build a Muslim community center two blocks away from the former World Trade Center shows it …

Continue reading “Struggling for the American Soul at Ground Zero”

Hale A. Woodruff 1900-1980 Located in the: Detroit Institute of Arts The General Motors Center for African American Art 5200 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202 Main Line: 313.833.7900 Date 1950/1951 Medium Oil on canvas Dimensions Canvas: 23 x 21 in. (58.4 x 53.3 cm) Framed: 29 1/2 x 27 9/16 x 2 9/16 in. ( …

Continue reading “The Art of the Negro: (Study) – Hale Woodruff”

Demographically, Oz was a multicultural society, with creatures of various kinds living in harmony. Like Dorothy, visitors to the exhibition “Over the Rainbow I and II,” whose title was inspired by the song from the 1939 musical “The Wizard of Oz,” at the Sungkok Art Museum in Jongno District, central Seoul, are invited to explore …

Continue reading “Whimsical art teaches multiculturalism in the land of Oz”

They had a trolley good time. Forget the double-decker buses that wind through the crowded streets of midtown. The best way to sightsee in one of the city’s most culturally rich neighborhoods Saturday afternoon was via the ArtCrawl Harlem trolley. About 100 people ignored the lure of the beach, the park or a casino, opting …

Continue reading “Forget the Beaches, Trolley Tour Allows Art Lovers to do the Harlem Shuffle”

Washington – Iraqi-American Anas ‘Andy’ Shallal’s inspiration for uniting communities started when he moved to Washington as an illegal immigrant at age 10. He left the Arab world during a time of revolution and upheaval – he witnessed the televised killing of his president and the Baath regime takeover – only to enter a country …

Continue reading “Iraqi-American Unites Washington with Poetry, Food, Art”

Since I first went vegan in 1995, I’ve witnessed a sea change. What once felt like fringe is now creeping into the global collective consciousness. This has not been an accident, of course. Dedicated activists and green entrepreneurs have been tirelessly toiling to promote plant-based living. One such advocate is Stephanie Redcross, a dedicated vegan …

Continue reading “Stephanie Redcross Brings Vegan to the Mainstream Since”

Naomi Campbell’s testimony at the Special Court for Sierra Leone was the culmination of a decade-long exercise in vulgarity. How the British supermodel ended up in the trial of Charles Taylor, a warlord accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, troubles me for a plethora of reasons. This is not about …

Continue reading “Naomi Campbell, Nelson Mandela and War Criminals”

Having shined a White House spotlight on Broadway over the last year, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are turning their attentions to theater closer to home. Arena Stage, the 60-year-old theatrical company in Washington, announced Thursday that the Obamas would be the honorary chairpeople for its inaugural 2010-11 season at its new home, …

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SALEM — Doggone it! Works of art displayed at a dog-friendly park last week were vandalized or stolen. Salem State College art professor Ken Reker reported the crimes to police yesterday. Police are still investigating. Budding artists created the works of art, following a week long intensive art course, specifically for Leslie’s Retreat Park, a …

Continue reading “Cops aim to sniff out art vandals”