Poet Cynthia Cruz gave a reading at the Point of Contact Gallery on Thursday.
As a continuation of the Cruel April series, the Point of Contact hosted California-raised, Brooklyn-based writer Cynthia Cruz yesterday. She read from four of her books with poems that featured themes such as religion, love, and loss. During the Q+A session , the soft-spoken Cruz shared part of her writing and editing process.
Author, educator, photographer and performance artist Josefina Baez came to the Point of Contact Gallery on East Genesee Street on Thursday. She read from her acclaimed collection Dominicanish (with a prologue written by SU professor Silvio Torres-Saillant). The reading alternated between Spanish and English and featured themes such as cultural identity and relationships. I don’t wait to be inspired, I just live, Baez told one of the students.
Winter Tales
Near Westside
Khalil Kain, actor and activist, spoke at the Landmark Theater downtown to say we need to teach empathy to stop gun violence. Khan is a stage actor and is best known for his role in the Hip Hop film noir classic Juice.
Kain, who was the keynote speaker on a stage full of city leaders, talked about how his life was affected by gun violence and the work he’s doing in New York City.
Tamar Smithers sang classics from the soul music songbook as well some contemporary favorites.
Bravo to the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) for breathing some life into Third Thursdays and spicing up things along the Connective Corridor (Midtown section) during their Journey Through Music of the African Diaspora series. The most recent installment of the Journey, which was called a salute to Women in Music, featured local divas Erika Lovette and Tamar Smithers. These sophisticated ladies belted out sweet soul music (from original compositions to spirituals to Lena Horne to Beyonce and Mary J) and worked the capacity crowd like it was the Essence Music Festival.
This was the final installment of the JMAD for the season. The series previously included acts such as Samba Laranja and Akuma Roots.
Erika Lovette gave the crowd just enough divatude during her performance and she also gave a shout out to local musicians Charles “CJack” Jackson and Eddie “EJ” Dowdell.
Cirqovation plays Syracuse (St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Grand Marshal Division)
New signs (designed by Syracuse students) now dot the Connective Corridor Bus Route.
Canoe Tour of Onondaga Creek (near Dorwin Ave)
Georgia Businessmen John Walker (left) and Jason Geter came to Syracuse to participate in the Syracuse City School District’s Black History Program. They are pictured here with organizer and Syracuse Special Education teacher Karen Blue.