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iBrain’s All Glam NYFW Show

By RENEE MINUS WHITE Fashion & Beauty Editor

Kicking off New York Fashion Week (NYFW), iBrain presented their first annual I CAN Do Anything fundraising fashion show at NYC’s Gotham Hall for students with brain injuries. The show highlighted uniquely designed clothing and costumes by Charles Henry Joseph. When you see these beautiful young models with individual assistants coming down the runway posing, smiling, and dancing to Katy Perry’s “Firebird,” it gives you hope! Proceeds from the event will go to support research for special education and related services for students with brain injury and brain disorders.

The show was extraordinary. I really didn't know what to expect, but it was one of the most moving fashion shows to date. The children were so happy to be on the runway while the audience called out their names as they each received applause. Master Burgess pushed Jonna Burgess, his sister, down the runway in her wheelchair, with their father and grandmother looking on from the audience. It was a beautiful family moment.

“Our children are uniquely different and gifts to all of us,” said Linda Cohen, whose son Marco participated in the show. “At iBrain,” she continued, “our kids are not only educated, but they are also celebrated, and that was clearly evident at the show for all the world to see. I could not be prouder of Marco and the entire iBRAIN organization.”

Back in 2007, Patrick Donahue, founder and chairman of iBrain, was inspired to establish the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, named after his daughter who was also in the show. Donohue created a non-profit law firm, Brain Injury Rights Group, to provide national civil rights advocacy for the brain injury community. “Tonight’s show was a spectacular one. Creative fashion, educated compassion, and creativity of our students came together for a priceless evening. This event was more than entertainment; it was essential in allowing us to continue our passionate, detailed, and specialized work in brain injury research and student support,” he shared. iBRAIN is one of the largest brain injury special education programs in the United States. Located on the Upper East Side and in Brooklyn, it aims to ensure children with disabilities have a free appropriate education (FAPE). They serve children from ages 3-21 years of age. Based on a child’s individual needs, tailored programs are provided.

Photo from iBRAIN’s I CAN Do Anything show (Renee Minus White/A Time To Style photo)

Celebrating Coltrane

Bill Saxton, T.K. Blue (Bill Moore photos)

New York State Sen. Cordell Cleare recently partnered with Jazzmobile’s Robin Bell-Stevens and the New Amsterdam Musical Association for the first annual John Coltrane Festival in Marcus Garvey Park. More than 10 acts performed at the well attended inaugural festival.

Robin Bell-Stevens with Sen. Cordell Cleare

Omar Edward Sweet Lee Odem Sista Zock Modeste

Slutty Vegan offers more than just a ‘One Night Stand’ in BK

(Brenika Banks photos)

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Brooklyn has officially been “Sluttified,” a term that means one has experienced at least one burger from Slutty Vegan, the Black-owned vegan burger chain founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The provocatively named establishment had its grand opening in Brooklyn, N.Y. earlier this month. The Atlanta business, now worth $100 million, is owned by Pinky Cole who started this vegan fast-food spot on Aug. 6, 2018.

“One Night Stand” is the name of a popular burger served by the restaurant, which uses fresh Beyond Beef and Impossible Beef patties.

“My wildest dreams have come true,” Cole said, holding back tears as the crowd cheered her on. Cole, 34, is a Maryland-born, Jamaican descendant who loves food. She was inspired to create Slutty Vegan based on her own vegan junk food cravings. Her plant-based burger business started from food trucks before she was able to open her first physical restaurant in January 2019. Cole once had a restaurant in NYC called Pinky’s Jamaican and American restaurant. The business was successful with, “lines down the block” Cole once said. She lost this food place to a grease fire in 2015.

“I lost everything,” Cole said about her first official food business. “Although it hurt to get stung by the bee, that was time for me, for the universe, to provide me with a barrel of prosperity,” she said at the Brooklyn location. Slutty Vegan Brooklyn’s grand opening in Fort Greene helps provide healthier options in the neighborhood. The spot was previously occupied by The Broccoli Bar, another vegan food establishment. This new Brooklyn location is Cole’s seventh restaurant, with five in Georgia and one in Birmingham, Alabama which opened in early September 2022.

According to www1.nyc.gov and nycfuture. org, the Black community currently makes up 22% of New York City's population, yet only 3.5% of NYC businesses are owned by Black entrepreneurs. Cole is contributing to the growth of Black-owned vegan options in communities.

During the recent ribbon-cutting, Councilwoman Farah Louis was present on behalf of the mayor’s office to proclaim Sept. 18, 2022 as “Slutty Vegan Brooklyn Day in the city of New York.” During Cole’s speech, she expressed the full circle moment she was having with the opening of this Brooklyn location.

Cole spoke to the large crowd of supporters and onlookers about her gratitude for all ethnicities supporting her establishment. Cole dedicated the Brooklyn location to her employees, who she credited as the ones who helped take her business to the next level during the past two years.

Long-Island native Nyola Marsh, 26, is appreciative of Slutty Vegan because it shows the positive representation of a Black woman in business. “We need more representation of the Black woman and not even just entrepreneurship or restaurant business, but just out here in business regardless,” Marsh said.

Marsh described the eye-catching on the corner of Fulton Street and S. Portland Avenue as a perfect representation of Black culture in Brooklyn. As a non-vegan eater, Marsh is willing to expand her taste palate with healthier food choices as she has cut back on eating meat.

Black communities continue to struggle from environmental racism, including unhealthy food options. These unhealthy food options led many Black Americans to deal with health issues such as hypertension, cholesterol, and obesity. As of March 2022, heart. org reported that about 55% Black Americans have hypertension. As of February 2022, verywellheath.com reported that 44.8% of Black men and 42.1% of Black women have high or borderline high cholesterol levels. And, CDC reported non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest rate of obesity at 49.9%. Slutty Vegan is now added to the list of Black-owned vegan restaurants in the city, including Seasoned Vegan and Greedi Kitchen, according to onegreenplanet.org.

“I’m about to get Sluttified,” food photographer Andrew Scrivani said before experiencing his first taste of a Slutty Vegan burger. “It’s delicious, it’s fresh and light,” Scrivani said about their One Night Stand burger. The food photographer, who shoots for The New York Times, foresees the business doing well and points out how hard-working and accommodating the staff were despite being very busy. “That staff in there is energetic and wonderful,” he said. “Between the people and the food, you can’t lose.”

It was his first-time taking photos of Slutty Vegan and meeting Cole today. “She’s an inspiration, I feel inspired today. I’ve been around food my entire career, and this is one of the more exciting things I’ve done in terms of covering an opening/community event.” Scrivani strongly believes celebrating

Black excellence should be embraced more in Brooklyn. “This kind of achievement is a modeling behavior, modeling for everybody else around possibilities and hope.” This type of possibility provides Cole with the chance to not only expand her business, but to create more Black-owned vegan businesses in NYC. Actress and singer Naturi Naughton was present to support Cole. The actress was involved with a social media marketing advertisement for Slutty Vegan’s Brooklyn arrival. Hip hop pioneer Doug E. Fresh came later in the evening and performed for the crowd and customers Outside of Slutty Vegan on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022 afternoon who waited in line for up to five hours to get their hands on one of the popular burgers. According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, they sold out their food around 7 p.m. Slutty Vegan employees exhibited high energy and were very attentive as well as entertaining for the duration of the Brooklyn opening day. There were countless moments of her crew dancing and having a fun time while working. Cole’s team of 30 plus staff included her Slutty Vegan restaurant staff she brought with her from Atlanta. “Now we’re back, bigger and better and we’re here to take over,” said Nakita Simon, an Atlanta native and Slutty Vegan employee. “We here, we lit, we live and we’re going to do it the slutty way,” Simon said with her energetic and fun vibes present in the 80degree sunny weather. Most of Cole’s team wore “Spread love, it’s the SLUTTY way!” shirts to pay homage to legendary Brooklyn rapper the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way” mantra. We can expect the next Slutty Vegan location in St. Louis, Missouri by the end of September according to their official Instagram page. A second New York City Slutty Vegan location will open in Harlem sometime this fall according to one of her Slutty Vegan staff members at the Brooklyn opening. Visit www.sluttyveganatl.com/brooklyn for more info.

Pinky Cole in between interviews Andrew Scrivani with his “One Night Stand” burger Slutty Vegan staff at merchandise stand with Brooklyn supporter

Literary society honors wedding of Anna Murray and Frederick Douglass

(Bill Moore photos)

To honor Anna Murray Douglass who helped Frederick (then Bailey) escape from slavery, and continued to support his abolitionist work for the rest of her life, The Literary Society, a New York City book discussion group based in Harlem, presented “The Wedding Reception,” a public celebration of Frederick and Anna’s marriage on September 15, 1838 and what event creator Lana Turner calls “an artful re-creation honoring the wedding, featuring an idea of Anna’s stunning plum silk wedding dress created by artist, maker and designer Cassandra Brumfeld.”

The Wedding Reception will include a procession of Literary Society members and friends carrying bouquets of white flowers and a string quartet to celebrate and call attention to, 184 years later, Douglass’ flight to freedom with the complicit aid of Murray. The Wedding Reception took place at 4 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the original site of their nuptials, now 36 Lispenard St. in Tribeca.

Frederick Douglass, who would become the most renowned and influential Black leader of the 20th century as orator, abolitionist, writer and statesman, escaped slavery leaving Baltimore, Maryland to arrive in lower Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 4, 1838. After two days without money, food or shelter, Douglass was offered assistance and introduced to Black abolitionist David Ruggles who harbored the fugitive for a little more than a week until Douglass’ fiancée Anna Murray, a free woman, (whom he met in Baltimore) arrived.

Frederick and Anna married on Sept. 15, 1838. With the streets of New York rife with slave-catchers, the Douglass’s (using the name ‘Johnson’ in New York, which was changed to ‘Douglass’ in Massachusetts) immediately departed for New Bedford, Massachusetts following their vows.

The Literary Society’s co-founder Lana Turner conceived of the event. Turner, a Harlem native, is a reader, writer, thinker and researcher with a keen interest in the elements of art and style in Black culture who also works as a real estate professional, archivist, and producer of chamber music salons and literary events.

The Literary Society is a New York City book discussion group based in Harlem. Organized in January 1982, the society is a membership of 60 men and women whose interests revolve around literature—both fiction and non-fiction—primarily by authors of the African diaspora. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Society elected to make the life and work of Frederick Douglass a centerpiece of its discussions this year.

Further, on the 25th of September, the society will discuss Pulitzer-prize historian, David Blight’s, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” dedicated to Walter and Linda Evans.

For more information on The Literary Society, contact summertea@aol.com