HW Pick: The Lonely Guy

When Barack Obama arrived in Washington almost five years ago, the universal assumption was that the young president—who had, after all, won office by exploiting every connective tool of the national social and electoral network—would run his White House in sharp contrast to the bunkered, hunkered-down George W. Bush.

Bert Williams, Harlem

Egbert Austin “Bert” Williams (November 12, 1874 – March 4, 1922) was one of the preeminent entertainers of the Vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. “(Bert Williams was)…central to the development of a global black modernism centered in Harlem’s Renaissance.”

East Harlem’s Louie Lump Lump, Rao’s and Other Histories

On a December night in 2003, at Rao’s, the legendary restaurant on Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem, a man nicknamed Louie Lump Lump (pictured above) shot another patron after reportedly taking issue with his disparaging comment about the female singer’s rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from “Funny Girl.”

Walter’s World: Porgy and Bess

By Walter Rutledge Porgy and Bess triumphantly returned to Broadway on last night; Thursday, January 12, 2012 at the Richard Rogers Theatre with a new streamlined musical version of the beloved American folk opera.

The Raz: How Sports Eased The Pain

By Marc Rasbury There is not a person over the age of 15, who does not remember what they were doing around 8:45 am on the morning of September 11, 2001. That is when a large jumbo jet crashed into the World Trade Center Tower One. About 30 minutes later, a second plane crashed into…

Dining With Miss Lil: Breaking The Fast

By Lil Nickelson Breakfast is the most important meal of your day, yet most Americans don’t eat breakfast at home; we just don’t make the time. Breakfast, helps you break your fast after sleeping five to eight hours each night. If you skip breakfast, you are certainly going to need to eat something before lunchtime.…

Harlemite Sean John Combs

Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Diddy, and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York.

East Harlem

East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is the eastern section of Harlem located in the northeastern extremity of the borough of Manhattan in New York City.