Charles Rangel, one of the longest-continually-serving congressmen in American history anda Purple Heart Veteran, died on Memorial Day, May 26, at age 94. “A towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunity, Congressman Rangel dedicated over four decades of his life to public service,” his …
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The inaugural Harlem Festival of Culture, which was set to take place this weekend with performances from A$AP Fern, Teyana Taylor, Wyclef and more, has been canceled due to the threat of extreme heat. Festival organizers announced the decision on Instagram Friday, July 28, citing President Joe Biden’s warning yesterday …
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When a local promoter and New York City Parks department employee named Tony Lawrence first began the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1967, he hardly could have imagined that, 55 years later, his music festival would be recognized by the United States Senate. Yesterday, the Senate agreed by “unanimous consent” on …
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Questlove’s Summer of Soul, the Oscar-winning documentary about the long-forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival, has inspired organizers to plan a new fest at the site of that 1969 event. Scheduled for the summer of 2023, the Harlem Festival of Culture will center around a multi-day event at the now-Marcus Garvey Park; …
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“It’s a new chapter in my life as a storyteller,” says Questlove, fresh from reinventing the concert movie with Summer of Soul. His directorial debut, which embedded much-needed Black-history lessons inside jaw-dropping, long-buried performances from Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, B.B. King, and many others, was one of 2021’s …
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