He launched the careers of fellow Black leaders and was a force on the New York City Council for decades, focusing on his home turf. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Black People”
Frederick Weston, Outsider Artist Who Was Finally Let In, Dies at 73
By Gotham Rex on November 18, 2020
For decades he made his art in dingy Manhattan hotel rooms, living hand-to-mouth, hoping for his big break. It finally arrived, just a few years before his death. Source: New York Times
Two Museums Tried to Sell Art. Only One Caught Grief About it.
By Gotham Rex on October 30, 2020
The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum both planned on selling works last Wednesday at auction, but Baltimore paused the sale after much criticism. Source: New York Times
The Pandemic’s Real Toll? 300,000 Deaths, and It’s Not Just From the Coronavirus
By Gotham Rex on October 20, 2020
A C.D.C. analysis finds that overall death rates have risen, particularly among young adults and people of color. Source: New York Times
N.Y. Judge Mark Grisanti Pushes Buffalo Police Officer
By Gotham Rex on October 15, 2020
The white New York State judge invoked his friendship with the mayor and ties to the police, raising questions about whether his status and race were factors. Source: New York Times
Ray McGuire, Wall Street Executive, Enters N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race
By Gotham Rex on October 15, 2020
Business leaders encouraged Mr. McGuire to seek the Democratic nomination, saying his background would help the city and its economy recover from the pandemic. Source: New York Times
Amy Cooper Made 2nd 911 Call to Falsely Accuse Black Bird-Watcher
By Gotham Rex on October 14, 2020
Prosecutors said Ms. Cooper called the police twice, first falsely reporting she had been threatened by a man in Central Park who had asked her to leash her dog, then later claiming he had assaulted her. Source: New York Times
Maya Wiley Enters N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race: ‘I Am Not a Conventional Candidate’
By Gotham Rex on October 7, 2020
Ms. Wiley, a former analyst for MSNBC, wants to distance herself from Mayor Bill de Blasio and cast herself as an outsider who looks different from past mayors. Source: New York Times
Should N.J. Legalize Marijuana? The Voters Will Decide
By Gotham Rex on October 5, 2020
A question on November’s ballot asks residents if they support changing the state Constitution to allow recreational use of the drug. Source: New York Times
New York City Center to Revive a Pair of Musicals About Black Lives
By Gotham Rex on September 18, 2020
“The Life” and “The Tap Dance Kid,” which focus on people of color in Manhattan, are planned for the 2020-2021 season of Encores!, the center’s popular series. Source: New York Times
Steve Carter, Playwright in a Black Theater World, Dies at 90
By Gotham Rex on September 17, 2020
He emerged from the Black Arts movement and the famed Negro Ensemble Company, writing dramas and satires about the Black and Caribbean-American experiences. Source: New York Times
The Whitney Canceled Their Exhibition. Now Those Artists Want Reform.
By Gotham Rex on September 17, 2020
Last month, the museum acquired works from 80 artists, often through discounted sales. A new letter signed by more than half of the artists asks for substantive changes in the Whitney’s policies. Source: New York Times
50 Years Ago, They Did Something Rare in Gospel: Tied Music to Protest
By Gotham Rex on September 13, 2020
The Voices of East Harlem went from community stages to the Isle of Wight Festival, blending the soul-cleansing power of Christian songs with R&B, funk and rock on “Right On Be Free.” Source: New York Times
James Gordon Bennett Medal Is Renamed by F.D.N.Y.
By Gotham Rex on September 10, 2020
The James Gordon Bennett Medal will now be named for Chief Peter J. Ganci, who was killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Source: New York Times
Daniel Prude Case: Grand Jury Will Be Set Up in Rochester Death
By Gotham Rex on September 5, 2020
The decision by New York’s attorney general comes more than five months after Daniel Prude died of suffocation after officers in Rochester, N.Y., placed a hood over his head. Source: New York Times