VICTORIA HORSFORD 

ELECTION 2012

The GOP  Tampa Convention was trumped by natural phenomenon,  Hurricane Isaac….not Hurricane Obama.   Alas, much of GOP Convention entertainment - bitter invective and Obama bashing – which was planned for tv audiences were washed away by a storm. It seems like  the Convention loses a second day, owing to Isaac’s devastation. Is this an omen?

FALL ARTS/ CULTURE PREVIEW

September 22, 2012 is the 150^th Anniversary of President Lincoln’s executive order ending slavery.  And the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Schomburg will host “The First Step To Freedom,” an exhibit featuring the original handwritten draft by President Lincoln as well as the final document, from  September 21/24. The Schomburg Center is located at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, Harlem.

MUSIC:    When Uptown goes Downtown, what do you get?  The “Sing Harlem Sing, the new Gospel and R&B  Revue and brunch at 54 Below, the new downtown cellar cabaret, the new “it club” located at 254 West 54 Street, home to Studio 54. Created by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydrow, the same creative team who wrote and produced the music classic ” Mama, I Want To Sing.“ The brunch/show  celebrates African- American music, urban radio and Harlem, world renown culture destination.   The Saturday Playdates September 8, 15 and 22 at 1 pm. For discounted $20 cover charge with a $25 food and beverage minimum,  call 646.476.3551 and use code Harlem20. Visit www.mamafoundation.org.

Brooklyn native son,  HIPHOP mogul , J-Zee, performs in concert  “JAY-Z Brooklyn” at the much hyped Barclay’s Center, on 9/28, 9/29 and 9/30., 10/3, 10/4. Ticket price points are  $77 to $8970.  The J-Zee concert series is official launch of  the Barclay’s Center, a sports and entertainment complex and the new home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets   

FILM:   Yvonne Stafford’S  Natural Institute hosts the  HEALTH  IS WEALTH Film Festival at Maysles, located at 343 Lenox Avenue (127 Street) from 9/6 to 9/9.  A documentary film festival which includes titles like  “Hungry For Change;”  “Simply Raw, Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days;” “Stress: Portrait of a Killer;” and “Healing Cancer from Inside Out;”   Stafford wrote the book FROM FAST FOODS TO SLOW FOODS, HOW TO WAKE UP LAUGHING.  For Festival schedule, visit  mayslesinstitute.org/cinema/calendar.html.

Feature Film calendar:  Denzel Washington in   FLIGHT which opens 11/2.  Viola Davis in WON’T BACK DOWN, which opens 9/28.  Tyler Perry  stars in ALEX CROSS, a psychological thriller, a non TP film which opens on 10/19. ALEX CROSS is the name of the Morgan Freeman character in “Kiss The Girls.”…..Halle Berry and Tom Hanks in CLOUD ATLAS which opens 10/26.                 

FINE ART:  The Kentler International Drawing Space hosts TO BE YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK IN THE AGE OF OBAMA,  an exhibit from 9/7  to 10/21.  Exhibit will showcase the works of visual artists Alonzo Edward, Duron Jackson, Yashua Klos, Jasmine Murrell, James Richmond-Edwards, Senghor Reid, Alexandria Smith and Matthew Thomas. Curated by Camille Ann Brewer, the Exhibit will be held at the Kentler Space located at 353 Van Brunt Street, RED HOOK, Brooklyn.  For more info about exhibit and curator’s talk, email info@kentlergallery.org or visit kentlergallery.org

NEWSMAKERS

RIP.  Lynnette Velasco, 61, a renaissance woman, a local treasure, and  chief of staff to Councilwoman’s Inez Dickens, died. A Hampton University graduate, Ms. Velasco was a poet, author/journalist. A behind-the-scenes politico, she worked with NYS Assembly members Geraldine Daniels and Cynthia Jenkins and with NYC Councilmembers Juanita Watkins and James Sanders.  Harlem residents know her as the “go-to” person in Councilwoman Inez Dickens’ office.  Widely published, one of her best known works is  her children’s book “Zinzi”  is about family values.  In  announcing Lynette’s death, Councilwoman Dickens references Lynette as “ my chief of staff, confidant and friend .”

RIP:  Calvin Copeland, 87, Harlem entrepreneur/icon,  originally from Virginia, died.   He founded Copeland’s Restaurant  in 1958 which was eventually headquartered at 547 West 145 Street. The upscale soul food restaurant also had a sibling next door,  Reliable the name of its budget conscious food line and its catering service. Copeland’s Restaurant closed in 2007.

AUG/SEPT TIME OUT