Shiny Shoes

Shiny Shoes

​By Claudie Benjamin Shoe stores, shoe repair shops, and shoe shine boys are part of the urban lore of the Great Depression and the decades following. Shoes are a necessity of daily living and walking on pavement. A serious shine on one’s shoes (unless...
Birds, Cages, and Care

Birds, Cages, and Care

​By Claudie Benjamin A recent online chat reads: “My house feels so empty and boring without Charlie and Lilly!  I am going overseas to a family wedding and had to take them to the vets for boarding yesterday. I know they will be well...
Hero in Troubled Times

Hero in Troubled Times

​By Claudie Benjamin Remarkable? Yes. Sadie Stewart Hobday was a public health pioneer who took the goal of doing good to heart. From what is known about her life, this Black woman from the South was undeterred by race-related barriers and ever-present...
Renewed hope for Metro Theater

Renewed hope for Metro Theater

Broadway2624-2626 OMH 2006-12 nynyma_rec0040_1_01871_0022 2626_Bway_a (DA 5.25.22)   By LANDMARK WEST! The Metro Theater’s recent acquisition signals the long-awaited revival of an UWS staple. But little is known about how long renovations will take to...
How US Military Brought Latin to Jazz

How US Military Brought Latin to Jazz

​By Claudie Benjamin Latin Music and its infusion into early Jazz arrived in New York City by design rather than by chance. Several well-documented migrations of Puerto Ricans to the Upper West Side’s San Juan Hill, and other blocks mainly occurred...
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