What's Going On
What’s Going On – 2/18
HOT TOPICS
THE NATION: Not only is there a new sheriff aka President Biden, in the White House, there seems to be some new members of the Congressional Democrats brain trust, Congress members Stacey Plaskett and Joseph Neguse, who were among the nine impeachment managers who were tasked with proving to the US Senate that President Donald Trump was guilty of inciting an insurrection by his followers at the US Capitol on January 6 and should be convicted. All 9 impeachment managers are lawyers, many with prosecutorial acumen. Joseph Neguse, from Colorado, is the first Eritrean American Congressman who arrived in 2019. Native New Yorker Stacey Plaskett is the Congressional Rep from the US territory in the Virgin Islands and does not have voting rights. Although the conviction failed, the masterful work by Attorneys Plaskett and Neguse was not lost on US media. Like the other seven impeachment managers, Plaskett and Neguse were handpicked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Congress wants a 911-type commission to investigate the 1/6/21 insurrection at US Capitol.
The twice impeached, never-convicted Trump is not out of the woods of legal entanglements. He faces close encounters with NY legal eagles, AG Letitia James and Manhattan DA Cy Vance, on civil and criminal matters respectively. Fulton County DA, African American Fani Willis has launched a probe into President Trump’s attempt to change Georgia election results, based on a phone call.
INTERNATIONAL: On February 15, the World Trade Organization, WTO, elected Nigeria-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its Director General, making her the first woman and the first African to lead the organization. Her candidacy was supported by most WTO members except Trump, who did not think that she qualified. Last week President Biden’s State Department indicated his support for her. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala holds a PhD from MIT. Her work experience includes stints as Nigerian Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs and 25 years at the World Bank where she became managing director. The WTO deals with rules of trade among its l64 member nations. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said that the global economic recovery from the pandemic is her top priority.
COVID NEW YORK
The Feds CDC is shipping limited quantities of the Moderna COVID 19 vaccine directly to the following pharmacies for seniors who are 65+. West Harlem – Rite Aid 35 West 125 Street and 2170 Frederick Douglass Blvd 117 Street; Walgreens/Duane Reade 3387 Broadway and 320 West 145 Street. East Harlem: Rite Aid 1849 Second Avenue, Walgreens/Duane Reade 1490 Madison Avenue, 135 East 125 Street and 1915 Third Avenue. Other Harlem sites include City Hospitals and Medical clinics. Visit vaccinefinder.nyc.gov to make an appointment.
NY WEEK IN REVIEW
Read the City & State NY Magazine’s 2021 Power 100 List for a look at the state’s political landscape. The Top 10 NY elitists include US Senator Chuck Schumer, 1; Gov. Andrew Cuomo 2; NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, 3; NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, 4; Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, 5; AG Letitia James, 6; Hakeem Jeffries 7, Chair, House Democratic Caucus 7; NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, 8; Brooklyn Boro Prexy Eric Adams, 9; and NYC Chancellor Richard Corranza, 10.
ARTS/CULTURE/POLITICS
Rachel Noerdlinger was named partner, a first for a Black woman, at Mercury, a bipartisan global public strategy firm, where she has been employed since 2015. Noerdlinger dominated news cycle years ago as Rev Al Sharpton’s press secretary and as Chief of Staff for NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray.
The Network Journal, TNJ, is accepting nominations for its Annual “25 Influential Black Women In Business Award until February 26. Nominees must be business owners or senior executives in private or public sectors. TNJ is a quarterly print and online business magazine for Black professionals and small business owners. Write to TNJ.com
BOOKS:Deborah Willis, scholar, author, curator, photographer has just finished a new book “The Black Civil War Soldier: A Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship.” Dr Willis is a member of the NYU Tisch School of the Art faculty who has authored more than 10 books, including “Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs,” “Van DerZee: The Portraits of James VanDerZee” and “POSING BEAUTY: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present.”
NY Times 2/14 Book Bestseller list includes Cicely Tyson’s memoir “JUST AS I AM,” as #1; and the NYT op-ed writer Charles Blow’s book “THE DEVIL WE KNOW,” about reverse Black migration to the South, is #9.
JAZZ: Celebrate BHM at Bill’s Place in Harlem, featuring saxophonist Bill Saxton and the Harlem All Stars Keith Brown, piano; Dezron Douglas, bass; and Darrell Green, drums.
Available for streaming through February 28. To purchase tickets, contact yardbirdent.com/calendar.
FINE ART: The Dorsey Gallery’s new exhibition, IT’S A MIXED BAG, showcases works by some of Brooklyn’s cutting-edge fine artists like Otto Neal, Joseph Bell Bey, Karl McIntosh; Donovan Nelson; DOBA, Emmett Wigglesworth, and Abdul Ahmad and runs through February 28. Show can be viewed online or by appointment at dorseyartgallery.com. Gallery is located at 553 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn.
The feature length documentary “BLACK ART: IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT,” directed by award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard, produced and televised on HBO, which debuted on February 9, is genuine museum quality eye candy. The Pollard film canvas uses a wide brush encompassing two centuries and multiple generations of Black artists like masters Mayhew, Bearden, Catlett, Norman Lewis, Saar and David Driskell and contemporary art luminaries like Kehinde Wiley, Kara Walker and Amy Sheridan. Check for repeat air dates.
CHARITY: OHBM (One Hundred Black Men) hosts its 41st Annual Benefit “DAY OF 100; Day Of Service,” a virtual event, on February 18, honoring NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo; Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg LP; Letitia James, NYS Attorney General: Congressman Ritchie Torres; Joy Reid, MSNBC-TV; Jere Hester, The City editor; Alvin Patrick, CBS News; and Valerie White, LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) NYC Executive Director. To register and make donation, visit Dayoftheonehundred.org or call 212.777.7070
NEWSMAKERS
Birthday shoutouts to Pisceans, Neptune’s children: Michael Henry Adams, Harlem historian; Milton Allimadi, BlackStarNews.com; Flo Anthony, society/gossip maven; Harry Belafonte; Simone Biles, US Olympian; Imhotep Gary Byrd; Charlemagne tha God; Harriette Coles; Loris Crawford; art gallerist Stephen Curry; Investment banker Harold Doley, Jr; Hazel Dukes, NAACP; Lady Pearl Duncan; Cheryl Duncan, PR Publicist; Dr. Irene Elmore; Dr. Jessica Harris, culture writer; Anna Maria Horsford; Daniel Horsford, realtor Vonetta Horsford Jacobs; Professor Myrtle Jones; Quincy Jones; Rev. Al Johnson, PhD; Sylvia Wong Lewis, Narrative Network News; Rosalind McClymont, TNJ editor and author; Trevor Noah; Queen Latifah; Shaq O’Neal; NYS Senator Kevin Parker; Sidney Poitier; RIHANNA; actor Robb Sherman; KJ Sidberry, IT specialist; Arva Rice, NYUL; Hank Willis Thomas, fine artist; US Rep. Ritchie Torres; Jocelyn Valentine; and Andrew Young.
A Harlem based media/branding consultant, Victoria is reachable at victoria.horsford@gmail.com.