September’s Smiling On You
Sep 25, 2024 12:00PM ● By FunTimes Staff
“Bikers in the Hood” by Robert L Jefferson: octobergallery.com
FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of September 23, 2024.
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
-- Oprah Winfrey
There’s plenty of sunshine left over from the summer. Let it shine in September. As the harmony of autumn whispers through the winds of change, let’s go out and enjoy these engaging low-cost or free festivities focusing on ethnic flag raisings, parades, peace poetry projects, and jazz concerts. And please don’t forget: When event-going, take precautions, especially when among groups and while indoors, with the ongoing risk of COVID-19 variants.
City To Proclaim ‘Nigerian Independence Week In Philadelphia’
Wednesday, October 2, 2024. It will be a week of pride and patriotism. FunTimes and its partners will proudly and passionately celebrate “Nigerian Independence Week in Philadelphia,” with a procession and flag-raising ceremony, followed by a reception outside of Philadelphia City Hall. The program will feature performances by masquerade drummers and formal remarks by City officials Amy Eusebio, Director for Immigrant Affairs, Kyra L. Harris, Deputy City Representative, as well as Christopher Chaplin, Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Philadelphia; Funmi Obilana, Senior Pastor, RCCG Living Spring Miracle Center; Jannie Blackwell and Dr. Stanley Straughter, Co-Chairs of the Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs; Jude Ariraje owner of Minuteman Press, and Dr. Eric Nzeribe, publisher of FunTimes Magazine -- the program’s organizer. FunTimes’ multimedia host Lavonne Nichols and Dr. Juliet Njoku, who also will sing the National Anthem, will be the event emcees. In 1960, October 1st officially marked Nigeria’s independence from Great Britain. Nigeria’s first Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa announced Nigeria’s independence in a speech at the former “Race Course,” which is now a national monument. Observances in Africa and worldwide recognize the historical significance. Communities in the Greater Philadelphia area freely wave the vertical bands of green, white, and green annually. Nigeria is considered to be the “Giant of Africa,” with its large population and economy. It’s Africa’s most populous nation and the world’s seventh most populated country. It serves as the home to many world treasures such as the Tarkwa Bay, the Aso Rock, Okoma National Park, Nigeria Victoria Island, and the Third Mainland Bridge, the longest bridge in West Africa. Nigeria is the welcoming home of more than 250 ethnic groups. Free, noon. Flag-raising Ceremony: City Hall/ north side; Reception: City Hall Courtyard, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd. E-mail: [email protected], 215-954-6300 or funtimesmagazine.com.
A Look At Puerto Rico’s Immigration To Pennsylvania
Thursday, September 26, 2024. Take a deep dive into the history of Puerto Rican migration, from the island to Pennsylvania at “From Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania: History, Challenges, and Amor Boricua,” an in-person and online lecture featuring award-winning journalist Juan González. González will focus on its history and the economic, social, and political influences through personal accounts. He will examine Puerto Rico's “complex role within the United States and its effects on migration.” González is an investigative reporter formerly of the New York Daily News and Philadelphia Daily News. The Puerto Rican-born Gonzalez is a two-time George Polk Award winner and co-host of Democracy Now! An accomplished author, his works include Harvest of Empire and News for All the People. He was a civil rights activist, co-founding the Young Lords Party in the late 1960s. The event is hosted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Taller Puertorriqueño. As part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s 200th celebration, it will be presented in conjunction with its exhibit 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories, showing through HSP on Wednesday, October 11, 2024. The exhibit is free and open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, and on Wednesdays, from 1 p.m. EST to 7 PM EST. The lecture “From Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania: History, Challenges, and Amor Boricua:” is $20 in person; and $10 virtual, 6:30 p.m. EST All ticket reservations will include a Zoom link, but only onsite tickets will be honored at the door. Onsite tickets include admission to the talk, a reception afterward, and the exhibit HSP 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories. (Free tickets are available for current secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. E-mail: [email protected].) Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St. 215-732-6200 or https://www.portal.hsp.org/200 or eventbrite.com.
Jazz With Pizzazz
Friday, September 27, 2024. Vibe to some classic soul-stirring jazz featuring the Clay Jackson Quartet at Friday Evening Jazz at Jenices. Enjoy the soulful sounds of live jazz courtesy of the tight unit of bassist Richard Hill, drummer Greg McDonald, keyboardist Christian Smith, and saxophonist Clay Jackson. $20, 6:30 p.m. EST to 9:30 p.m. EST. Jenice’s Event and Conference Center, 301 E Godfrey Ave. 267-713-8455 or eventbrite.com.
The Pride Of Puerto Rico
Sunday, September 29, 2024. Viva Puerto Rico! Enjoy the best in Puerto Rican heritage and culture at the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in Philadelphia. Soak up the sounds of classic Latino music and dance. Be one of the 5,000 expected spectators and get dazzled by the colorful costumes, floats, and pageantry of 1,500 marchers; 96,000 tune in to watch live on 6ABC at 6abc.com. The organizer is El Concilio. Free, noon to 6 p.m. EST. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway: From 18th Street to Eakins Oval and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, at 25th Street. E-mail: [email protected], 215-627-3100 or https://www.elconcilio.net/event/annual-puerto-rican-day-parade/ or [email protected].
Aspiring Journalists: Get The Scoop…
Saturday, September 28, 2024. For students interested in journalism, this workshop may be for you. Get on the ‘write’ track and check out Breaking into the Business of Journalism & Media. Hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists/Philly, get trade tips from seasoned pros who work in local TV, radio, print, and social media. Learn all about exciting careers in news media. Free but pre-register, 1 p.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST. Temple University’s Tuttleman Hall, (Rm. 101), 1809 N. 13th St. E-mail: [email protected], https://nabj-philadelphia.org.
Thursday, September 26, 2024. The gun violence crisis weighs heavily on mental health. Healing Verse Germantown: The Streets Are Talking tackles the subject in Philadelphia through the transformative power of the arts. Creative Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker, and community leaders will take part in the project’s launch at Maplewood Mall. Supported by a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Creative Philadelphia and renowned artists Yolanda Wisher, Trapeta Mason, and Rob Blackson have brought the project to life. At the launch, check out poetry workshops organized by poets and social workers or a weekly 24-hour poetry phone featuring healing poems and mental health assistance. Get a first look at a public art exhibition highlighting 20 poems created by Germantown residents in the workshops and from the phone line. The project also will showcase film screenings, musical performances, and poetry readings to raise awareness and create community bonds. Free but pre-register: Register now, 4 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST Maplewood Mall, Germantown (plaza section, 5600 block of Greene St.). Eventbrite.com or https://www.creativephl.org/oacce-projects/healing-verse-germantown-the-streets-are-talking/.
