Against the backdrop of the Whitestone Bridge and stunning water front views, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI) celebrated trailblazers and contributors working to raise, revitalize, and restore the community of Harlem.
Held at Marina del Rey on May 3, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr., Esq. gave the keynote speech. A son of Harlem, the former state and federal prosecutor has spent more than two decades fighting to make the community safer and the criminal justice system more equitable.
Honorees included HCCI Founding Board Member and St. John’s Baptist Church Pastor Emeritus Dr. John L. Scott, Co-Founder and President of Benchmark Title Agency Thomas N. Decaro, Medgar Evers College President Dr. Patricia Ramsey, Mount Sinai Health Chair of Urology Dr. Ash Tewari, and Founder/CEO of Balm in Gilead Dr. Pernessa Seele; each with the heart and soul of a humanitarian, uniquely chartered their own paths creating new roads for countless others to follow.
Highlights of the evening included the Community Builder Award presentation to St. Luke Baptist Church in recognition of its service as a beacon of light, hope, and strength in the community. Special musical performances by singer-songwriter Brian Owens—hailed by Rolling Stone as a “vibrant soul singer” who “bridges a racial and generational divide,” and saxophonist and jazz, R&B, and hip-hop ingénue singer-songwriter Ashley Keiko kept the party going well into the night.
Folks who lived in the NYC area during the 80’s & 90’s remember Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics heard on then Black-owned WBLS-FM. Many of us looked forward to hearing classic...
Titled “Harlem EatUp!,” the Luminary Awards Dinner truly lived up to its name. At the renowned Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, guests dined on an array of culinary delights. Launched in...
Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation & Cultural Affairs officially broke ground on renovations to Oval Park, a historic...
Chika climbs in through the store window first and then holds the shutter as the woman climbs in after her. The store looks as if it was deserted long before...