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Women Of Harlem
of Harlem
by Antigany Hawkins

 

"A public Arts Project of Community Works" , displayed an exhibit which honored eight remarkable women who have dedicated their time and efforts to the Harlem community. It was held at Aaron Davis Hall, at City College University, located on West 132nd Convent Ave. Harlem, New York.

This visual arts exhibition displayed photos and brief descriptions of the women and their contributions to their communities. It was named " Harlem Women Making A Difference".

Harlem Women" Making A Difference" exhibition was dedicated to the memory of Kerris Wolsky, who was a former president / director of the Harlem Textile works, which was at that time the only independent design studio in Harlem. Her love for young people yielded a new generation of many talented artists.Kerris was also very concerned with the way the cultural organizations of Harlem viewed their future with the arrival of the new millennium.

The eight young women from the Countee Cullen Community Center Nichol Burgess, Ebony Logan, Kyishea Stewart, Ebony Willis, Patricia Miller, Shawntay Johnson, Angela Whitted, Shakema Proudfoot mentored eight Harlem women who they felt where making a difference in their community. These girls dedicated their time and effort for a year to establish the exhibition. The girls participated in workshops with the mentors. The exhibition let the girls recognize that there are positive role models in their community*.

The Countee Cullen Community Center mentoring program is a year long series of afterschool workshops held on 135th Lenox Ave. This mentoring program had students work on stories about people who inspired them and who they felt should be honored because of their efforts in making a difference in not only their communities but in their lives.

These eight young teenagers have dedicated a year of their time and effort to creating this exhibit. The Countee Cullen Community Center mentoring program is a year long series of afterschool workshops held on 135th Lenox Ave. This mentoring program had students work on stories about people who inspired them and who they felt should be honored because of their efforts in making a difference in not only their communities but in their lives. These eight young teenagers have dedicated a year of their time and effort to creating this exhibit.Finally after a year of hard work the exhibition was completed with poems, beautiful black and white pictures and stories filled with self respect, dedication, positivity, wisdom and an insightfulness towards favorable future for the young black youth.

One of the young women from Countee Cullen Community Center named Nichol Burgess feels " I had a lot of fun just working with my friends, talking with positive black women and just getting in touch with how I basically feel about myself; This project has helped me learn more about self respect". The young woman were happy to participate and complete the project with these woman.

This exhibit honors eight remarkable women who gave their all to the Harlem community. The honorees included some of the finest black woman in our community, for example :

Aziza who is a choreographer, teacher, and a performer. She is the founder / director of the Def Dance Jam Workshop; African American hard-of hearing teenagers get a chance to communicate with each other through the arts.

Claudette Faison is the executive director of the organization ,"New York At Risk Inc.", It is a community base corporation ,geared to help teenagers see life in a positive perspective.

Sylvia Woods who is known in Harlem as the "mother of soul food ", owner of "Sylvia's Restaurant". was also an honoree amongst many other fascinating woman , who included :

Marian Miller,coordinator and educator regarding life skills classes at Countee Cullen. She is loved and highly respected by the children who go there.

Pernessa Seele , is the Founder of the organization "Balm In Gilead" which is geared to helping people who are coping with HIV/AIDS or have a family member who is infected.

Malika Lee Whitney ,Artistic director of the "Pickney Productions" a theater group who specialize in telling folklore stories and hold theatrical performances.

Kids Of The Future

Madaha Kinsey-Lamp is an Educator who founded a community based arts program, for youth in the Bronx " The Mind-Builders" enable students to share traditions,and the art's , that will travel through generations to come. Making a difference is a monitoring program created to honor artist , Teachers,proprietors,and people in our community who are making a true difference. You don't have to be popular or rich to make a difference in the lives of New York City's communities and youth.

 

 

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