SPRING 2022 IN AMERICA
NYS: Governor Kathy Hochul names Congressman Antonio Delgado, 45, lieutenant governor, replacing Brian Benjamin who recently resigned. Delgado’s name will be on the June 23 primary ballot on the lieutenant governor’s line. Hochul asked Albany lawmakers to create a bill to amend election law. The TV news said Rep. Delgado was black Hispanic. A member of Congress since 2019, Delgado is a Rhodes Scholar, a graduate of Colgate University and a graduate of Harvard Law School, he has been a lawyer and a member of Congress since 2019. His ancestry is African American and Cape Verdean.
New York’s electorate and elected officials are in limbo, not knowing what the Senate and congressional districts will look like. Courts have thrown out New York’s redistricting maps, ruling them unconstitutional, with a strong Democratic twist. There will be a primary on August 23 for Congress and senators.
NYC: Last week, Mayor Eric Adams presented his $100 billion budget plan. It compares to no other as we have never encountered multiple crises generated by the coronavirus. It will be the first budget in two years without federal stimulus funds. His priorities are public safety, jobs, housing, streets with fewer vehicles…….and income flow. The economic recovery is slow! The city council must approve the budget. Its members want more money for homelessness, sanitation and youth programs.
THE NATION
Politico dropped the May 2 bombshell. The United States Supreme Court wrote an opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 law legalizing abortion nationwide. Hours later, the US Supreme Court did not deny the request, only said the project was not final. Who runs the nation? The Supreme Court? This action backed by conservative Republicans inside and outside government could affect the November election. More than 70% of Americans support the law. This midterm will be just as important as the 2020 US election.
With the nation divided and lawmakers holding congressional majorities by one or two seats, who made the US Supreme Court the new conservative arbiter of the US government? Well, the Conservatives won. Democrats must retain their majority in the House and Senate. Moreover, the Supreme Court must be enlarged. The John Roberts Court will be remembered for dismantling key civil rights laws like the right to vote and the right to abortion. When states began enacting voting restriction laws in 2021, the Supreme Court made it clear that it would not hear cases opposing the new restrictive election laws. Americans must stop this sharp turn to the right if we are to work toward a more perfect nation.
The Supreme Court could win major Democratic victories, in Congress and in the Statehouses, this year after overturning Roe v. Wade.
COMMERCIAL MATTERS
Congratulations to Guy Wood, Sharene Wood, Guy Wood Jr, Louis Johnson, Ashley Muhammed and Kells Barnett, founders of upscale haberdashery Harlem, located at 245 Lenox Avenue, which celebrates its 10th anniversary there on May 7. Harlem Mercerie is the studio/boutique of 5001 Flavors, a black-owned bespoke clothing company that has created looks for celebrities, recording artists and sports personalities such as Jay-Z, LeBron James, Fat Joe and Will Smith. Fashionistas from many professions shop at Harlem Mercerie, for everything from ready-to-wear to high fashion.
The Black News Channel, a Tallahassee-based cable television platform aimed at African Americans, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a $50 million debt. The bankruptcy judge allowed BNC to borrow $1.5 million to avoid a total shutdown while paying off some creditors and cutting airtime while looking for a buyer.
EDUCATION
The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools has restored full accreditation to MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE, an HBCU, based in Atlanta, after it was revoked 20 years ago. Founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE is eligible for federal educational grants.
Eleven New York high schools are on the US News and World Report list of the nation’s top 100 schools, including Kew Gardens HS, 11; Queens HS for the sciences; Stuyvesant HS; Bronx HS of Science; Brooklyn Tech, 46; Staten Island Technique; HS of American Studies at Lehman Studies; Brooklyn Latin School, 79; HS for dual language and Asian studies; and the Baccalaureate School for Global Education. More New York schools will make the top 100 once New York Chancellor David Banks expands the Gifted and Talented program.
Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of Apollo Theater, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Howard University at its 154th launch ceremony on May 7.
ART/CULTURE
FINE ART: Skoto Gallery’s new exhibition, George Afedze Hughes, ‘Moments In Time: Tangents’, 23 works that highlight ‘parallels between the violence of colonialism and contemporary global encounters’, opens from May 5 to June 11, with an opening reception. A quality performance artist born in Ghana, Hughes is a professor at Buffalo State University, NY. Located in the fine arts district of Chelsea, SKOTO is located at 529 West 20 Street, Manhattan. Call 212 352 8058 or visit skotogallery.com
Dorsey Gallery’s next exhibition, OTTO NEALS: Inspirational Moment, opens May 15. The gallery is located at 533 Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn. Call 718.771.3803
The Metropolitan Black Bar Association, NY is hosting its 38th Annual Awards Gala, “Leap into Excellence: The Return of the Black Bar,” on Friday, May 20, at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, Manhattan. The gala recipients are distinguished attorneys, including Cynthia Bookhart Adams, Jefferies LLC; Shannon J. Hales, Citigroup Global Markets; Edwina G. Mendelsohn, New York State Unified Court Systems; Tracy Richelle High, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP; and Alvin Braggs, New York County District Attorney. Award-winning television presenter, Cheryl Wills of NY1 (In Focus and NY1 Live at Ten) will host the Black-tie Benefit.
NEWS
ENGAGEMENT: Congratulations to NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, former City Council member who received a proposal from her colleague of a few years Bobby Didi Olisa, on the Met Gala red carpet. A vision in white and gold down, Cumbo agreed.
RIP: André Leon Talley’s funeral was held at the Abyssinian Baptist Church on April 29. I don’t know if the service has spread to the black community. The NY Post published photos of the attendees, including Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Marc Jacobs, Gayle King, Martha Stewart, Kimora Lee Simmons and Diane Von Furstenberg.
Media consultant based in Harlem, Victoria can be reached at victoria.horsford@gmail.com
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