As the U.S. government takes giant steps into fascism, employing the banning of books as an American necessity, it is imperative that the Sisters Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center remains a vibrant voice in Harlem. The only major Black-owned bookstore in Manhattan has been an influential resource in Harlem for the last 25 years and now needs community support.
July 25 (6 p.m.–10 p.m.) will serve as a 25th anniversary celebration and major fundraiser to help Sisters Uptown, which finds itself struggling in the midst of social media, AI, and distractions that diffuse the importance of reading. Sisters has ignited reading power in the community since its founding in 2000 by Janifer P. Wilson and her daughter Kori Wilson. Their resourceful programs have served as intellectual food to nurture minds, hearts, and souls with the works of African American authors, poets, and masters of the spoken word. It’s the place where such renowned writers as Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan, Felipe Luciano, Sista Souljah, and Herb Boyd choose to have their book signings.
The Wilsons are courageous women, following in the historical tradition of Black-owned Harlem bookstores dating back to George Young’s Exchange Bookstore in 1915; Lewis Michaux opened the National Memorial African Bookstore, also known as the “Home of Proper Propaganda,” in 1937; Una Mulzac’s Liberation Bookstore in 1967; the Tree of Life, also known as University on the Corner of Lenox Avenue (UCLA), founded by Kanya Vashon McGhee in 1969; and, still in business, Grandma’s Place, the toy and children’s book boutique founded in 1999 by Dawn Harris-Martine. Only 152 Black-owned bookstores remain in the U.S.
“Michaux, the Liberation bookstore, and the Tree of Life were key elements that inspired me to start my own bookstore,” explained Janifer during a recent interview. “As we celebrate our 25 years, we are asking the community to help us succeed. How are we going to move forward? If we won’t be here, we will be somewhere else — closing is not an option. We need to figure it out.”
Get ready for an exciting evening among the books with live music, spoken word, food by Chef Ashley, games, and testimonials by supporters and participants like writer/poet Mark Polite, who started at Sisters and has since authored five books. Take time to network and discuss the pertinent question of how Sisters can strive into the future.
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center is at 1942 Amsterdam Avenue (156th Street). Donation is $25. For information, call 212-862-3680 or visit sistersuptownbookstore.com.
The trombonist and composer Dick Griffin has covered a wealth of territory during his distinguished career as an innovative leader, as well as working with the likes of Billy Bang, Charles Tolliver, McCoy Tyner, Abdullah Ibrahim, Brook Benton, and Archie Shepp, although the trombonist says he was greatly influenced as a musician and bandleader during his extended stints with multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and the inventive Sun Ra Arkestra.
On July 24, Griffin brings his big band to the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (58 West 129th Street). In Griffin’s 16-piece big band, every unknown star is a star — no big names, no marquee show-stoppers; just professional jazz musicians creating good music.
“I’m not following the big band repertoire, the music books of Lionel Hampton, Duke, or Count Basie,” said Griffin. “I have my own perception that includes my originals and McCoy Tyner’s music. He is one of my favorite composers. His tune ‘You Taught Me to Sing’ is a beautiful ballad that we have interpreted using flute and piccolos. For this performance, we will also add a mix of Latin music and more ballads.”
The show begins at 7 p.m. For more info, visit jmh.org.
One of the most rewarding tributes in New York City is to have a street named in your honor; that will happen for community activist and educator Annie Mae Calhoun on July 26 (12 noon–12:30 p.m.). Her name will become part of the East Bronx with a street renaming ceremony marking Annie Mae Calhoun Way at the corner of Pearsall and Givan Avenues.
Calhoun was considered more than a mere citizen in the borough of the Bronx where she resided from 1957 until her transition at the age of 96 in 2021. The transplant was described as a community activist, mentor, and resource for young people and adults in the neighborhood. She was, by many accounts, always friendly, warm, and loving. She and her husband Charles Calhoun raised three children; Charles Edwin, Ethel, and William. All three gravitated toward music, the boys both playing drums. Will Calhoun was an original member of the group Living Colour; Charles Edwin led his own group called Funk Masters; and Ethel became a singer and dancer/choreographer, touring with Alvin Ailey.
Calhoun worked at Kings County for 30 years, and while there, earned a master’s degree from NYU. After retirement, she continued to soar. As a longtime member of Eastchester Presbyterian Church, she taught Sunday School and led the nutrition program for the church’s after-school program. She was a pied piper in the Bronx — all of the neighborhood children knew and loved her, along with the adults.
Over the years, Calhoun was acknowledged for her civic-mindedness and community involvement, receiving an abundance of proclamations and awards, but her greatest honor will be this street renaming ceremony. The reception takes place at Eastchester Presbyterian Church (3154 Fish Avenue, the Bronx, N.Y.) from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. with live performances.