Culture

Free Women’s History Month & Earth Day Events at National Museum of the American Indian

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is hosting some free, in-person events in March and April to celebrate Women’s History Month and Earth Day.   Women’s History Month: Bountiful Baskets Saturday and Sunday, March 18–19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn about the art of weaving from Indigenous women as they share the beauty of Native basketry and the significance of keeping this tradition alive through the different weaving traditions, materials, and stories and inspirations that go into making a basket. Join us and hear directly from Corine Pearce (Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo), Ronni-leigh Goeman (Onondaga), Iva


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Gibson Hails Bronx “Borough of Opportunities” in First State of the Borough Address

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  The following is an extended version of the story which appears in our latest print edition.   Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, the borough’s 14th president, delivered her first State of the Borough address in sparkling attire at Manhattan College on Wednesday, March 1, outlining the accomplishments of her administration during 2022 and unveiling her strategic agenda for 2023.   With the college celebrating its 100th year this year, its president, Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, said college officials were honored to host the event. “We recognize that The Bronx is a special place and look forward to partnering


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Lehman Center Presents “Songs We Love: A Journey Through the First 50 Years of Jazz!”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts will present Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Songs We Love,” a celebration of the history of American Jazz, spotlighting next-generation jazz stars and iconic songs from the 1920s to 1950s, on Saturday, March 11, at 4 p.m.   “Songs We Love” was first presented as the 2016 season opener at “Jazz at Lincoln Center” in Manhattan, according to the event promoters. True to its mission “to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy,” Jazz at Lincoln Center provides a wide range of concert presenters an opportunity to


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The Bronx Celebrates Dominican Heritage Month; Borough Leaders Honored in Santa Domingo

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson held her annual Dominican Heritage Month celebration on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Grand Slam Banquet Hall, 478 East Tremont Avenue in Tremont, with live entertainment by Folkloric Dance Group/Folklorico and DJ Lex, with special greetings by consulate general of the Dominican Republic, Eligio Jaquez.   Gibson honored various community leaders, including president of the New York State Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association and owner of Mon Amour Coffee & Wine, Jeffrey Garcia; winner of the Best Animated Short Film at Bridge Fest and children’s book author, Luz Maria Mack; president of Dominicanos USA, Eddie Cuesta.   The recipient of the youth


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Ischia Bravo Sworn in as First Woman and First Latina to Serve as Bronx County Clerk

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
At a ceremony attended by many local elected officials, judicial dignitaries, and well-wishers, Ischia Bravo, former district manager of Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), was sworn in as the first woman and first Latina to hold the position of Bronx County clerk and commissioner of jurors on Feb. 9. The ceremony took place at Gould Memorial Library on the campus of Bronx Community College in University Heights, with Bravo sworn in by Rolando T. Acosta, presiding justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department.   Among those in attendance for the occasion were NYS Attorney General


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Sean Ebony Coleman Leads the Way Serving the Bronx’s LGBTQ Community

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  To mark Black History Month, we’re spotlighting the history and contribution of members of the Black community in The Bronx who are positively impacting the lives of others.   In the early 1980s, Sean Ebony Coleman didn’t see much empathy for a community that was being ravaged by AIDS. “A lot of my friends were victims of the HIV-AIDS epidemic, so we were watching a bunch of our friends die [and we were] trying to figure out what we could do better,” Coleman said in an interview with Norwood News. Over time, the epidemic hit very close to home. 


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St. Barnabas High School Choir Performing at Cargenie Hall, Sunday, Feb. 19, at 7.30 p.m.

By SÍLE MOLONEY
It all started last summer when student, Gabrielle Cruz, a member of the St. Barnabas High School (SBHS) choir who also plays the piano, spotted a brochure about a program called “Voices in the Hall” on the desk of SBHS teacher and co-choir director, Sharon Traditi. “We should do this!” Gabrielle excitedly said. “What an experience to perform at Carnegie Hall!”   And so, the idea began taking shape with more students in September getting excited about the possibility of taking to the stage of Manhattan’s iconic performance venue. A phone call to executive director, Steve Petrunak, of the “Voices


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Book Review: “Begin Again, James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own,” by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

By JIM FAIRBANKS
  Glaude’s title of “Begin Again” [Crown Publishing, 2020] calls us to renewed action for racial justice. He gives hopeful examples of past Black rights gained, such as the civil rights laws during Reconstruction after the Civil War, and during the Black Power movement of the 1960s. Yet, he writes that each effort was followed by White backlash Baldwin calls the “After Times.”   We are again living in the “After Times” now! This book is not a hopeful story of change; this is a sobering book. Glaude Jr. quotes American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-African civil rights activist, W.E.B.


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World-Renowned, Award-Winning Musicians to Perform for South Bronx Elementary Students  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Zeta South Bronx Elementary School K-2nd grade students and staff are in for a treat on Monday, Feb. 13, when the South Bronx school will host a special musical performance by Liang Wang, principal oboist for the New York Philharmonic, and Junko Ichikawa, an award-winning pianist.   According to representatives of Zeta South Bronx Elementary School, located at 425 Westchester Avenue, part of the charter school’s whole-child education approach and its commitment to reversing the quality gap, includes providing students with a robust specialty curriculum and programming through which students can explore and discover their own unique interests and passions.


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