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What’s Going On – 11/17

Post Midterm America headlines read. “The US avoided the dreaded Republican red tsunami at the polls on November 8;” “Russians responsible for missile blast in Poland, a US NATO ally; ” and “Trump announced a 2024 Presidential run.” PS. A missile blast was an accident caused by Ukraine. The Democrats held their US Senate majority and fared well in gubernatorial races. High voter turnout rejected most candidates who were 2020 election deniers who ran on other Trump toxicities. Voter rights and abortion rights were the American electorate’s top concerns. Moreover, the Pew Research Center revealed that the Black electorate is one of the largest blocs nationally, outperforming Latinx and Asian Americans. The future of a House majority remains uncertain.

Congrats to Rhodes Scholar, Army combat veteran, and Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore, who is Maryland Governor-elect, the first for an African American. Congrats to US Senate Democratic victories for incumbents Mark Kelly, Arizona, Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada, and John Fetterman, Pennsylvania. Georgia’s US Senate hopefuls, Democrat incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, meet in December 6 runoff.

Maxwell Alejandro Frost

Note Some notable victories for African Americans include the re-elected Stephen Horsford; no, we are not related. He is Trinidadian American. He is the designated head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Chicago’s Jonathan Jackson, son of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, was elected to Congress. Attorney Summer Lee is the first Pennsylvania Black woman elected to Congress. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Florida, 25, is the first GenZer and first Afro-Cuban who is Congress bound.

MIDTERMS/NY. New York, arguably the bluest state in America, showed its inclinations toward a drift to red on November 8. While Democrats still control majorities in the Assembly and the Senate, they no longer boast supermajorities. Kathy Hochul, the first woman to be elected NY governor, won by a 5% margin. Letitia James was re-elected Attorney General, and DiNapoli was re-elected, Comptroller. Republicans were able to flip Congressional seats, performing well in NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, heretofore solid Democratic spheres of influence. Many New Yorkers are disgruntled about Democratic losses.

Hakeem Jeffries

Congressman Ritchie Torres observed. “New York went from the bluest state in the country to the reddest.” Most downstate Representatives like Jerry Nadler, Jamaal Bowman, Ritchie Torres, Adriano Espaillat, Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez were re-elected. Democrats and the Working Families Party hold Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs responsible for their five-seat Congressional loss. They want him out, something that Governor Hochul is averse to. I hope that NY Democratic Congressional loss is not responsible for the Democrat’s House of Reps loss.

BUSINESS MATTERS
The BLACK PANTHER Sequel, WAKANDA FOREVER, the 2018 superhero feature film phenom “WAKANDA FOREVER,” grossed more than $330 million in weekend worldwide box office revenues.

Entertainment mogul Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs joins one of America’s fastest-growing industries, the Cannabis industry, with his acquisition of operations, including retail locations and production facilities, in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts, from Cresco Labs Inc. and Columbia Care Inc. Deal, is valued at $185 million.

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The October issue of the Real Deal magazine, a NY-based real estate trade publication, includes a graphic cover that warns, “There will be Blood. Once a Mighty Unicorn, COMPASS slashed costs as its stock tumbles” The illustration is a photo of African American Compass founder/CEO Robert Reffkin standing with hands crossed and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, Compass’ most prominent investor, sitting near a blood-drenched unicorn. WGO reported earlier that African American billionaire Robert Smith (financier of Morehouse Class of 2019 scholarships) was interested in a COMPASS rescue, which could not be confirmed.

Dennis Dillon

New York’s Rev. Dennis Dillon, Christian Times newspaper founder, and partners, will host the reSURGEnce Black Business Conference on November 17/18 at 399 Sands Street, Brooklyn Navy Yard. A marquis list of NY business leaders will participate, including NYC Mayor Eric Adams; Lloyd Williams, GHCC; Reuben McDaniel, Dormitory Authority of State of NY; Dr. Patricia Adams, Medgar EversCollege; and Lindsay Green, Brooklyn Navy Yard. Visit reSURGEnce2022.com to register and review the full Conference agenda or call 718.638.6397.

Bill Gates

Teresa Clarke’s Africa.com hosts “Innovating for Food Security and Climate Change in Africa with Bill Gates, ” the Microsoft chief, a hybrid event that will be live streamed from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, November 17, 10 am EST/US. Register at AFRICA.COM.

ARTS AND CULTURE
THEATER: The 50th Vivian Robinson New York-based Audelco Awards, honoring Blacks for excellence in the theater arts, known to most as the Black TONYs, will be held on November 28 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. In addition to the coveted theater awards ceremony, “Audelco 50” will present achievement awards to 20 veteran supporters, including Jeanne Parnell, WHCR-FM; Assemblywoman Inez Dickens; Don Thomas, NY Beacon Entertainment Editor; Marcia Pendelton, theater producer/journalist, and Rome Neal, actor/writer. Visit audelco.org

W-A-N-T-E-D: The Adrian Graham Mitchell’s AGM Theater Company is looking for writers of short stories, poems, and monologues for its “Holiday In Harlem” show, a multicultural – Xmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa – a celebration of the season. November 30 is the submission deadline. Call 917.268.2590.

FINE ARTS: The Peg Alston Gallery held an open house on November 13, including works priced to sell by familiar and fine artists. The gallery is available by appointment from November 15 to December 21. Contact mia@pegalston.com

The Harlem Fine Arts Show, HFAS, returns to New York City, celebrating its 15th Anniversary and Black History Month, on February 24-26, 2023. Visit HFAS.org
A Harlem-based business management consultant, Victoria, can be reached at victoria.horsford@gmail.com.

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