[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15970-15971]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN CELEBRATION OF THE HARLEM ARTS ALLIANCE ADVOCACY WEEK 2012 ``HARLEM 
    AT THE CROSSROADS: SUSTAINING OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 29, 2012

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Harlem Arts 
Alliance, Inc. as they celebrated their Sixth Annual Arts Advocacy Week 
2012 at The City College of New York Aaron Davis Hall, The Schomburg 
Center for Research in Black Culture, The Manhattan Neighborhood 
Network's El Barrio Firehouse Community Center, The Studio Museum in 
Harlem, The ImageNation and The Dwyer Cultural Center. From Monday, 
October 1 through Sunday, October 7, the Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) 
presented a seven day series of mostly free events, designed to elevate 
the platform for Harlem's illustrious arts and cultural scene and to 
renew enthusiasm and support for its great cultural institutions and 
artists. HAA recognizes the correlation between a community's vitality 
and economic health and its vibrant cultural life and is committed to 
fostering the development of Harlem's artists, arts institutions and 
cultural organizations for the benefit of artists, residents, local 
businesses and tourists alike.
  The Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) is a not-for-profit arts service 
organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth, capacity, and 
development of artists and arts organizations based primarily in Harlem 
and the greater Harlem communities. With a membership of over 750 
individual artists and arts organizations, HAA plays an essential role 
by helping to build the resources, network, and capacity of its richly 
diverse association. HAA also maintains strong partnerships with 
numerous arts organization and institutions throughout New York State, 
the region, and the nation to maintain vital collaborative efforts to 
promote the arts in communities.
  This year's theme ``Harlem at the Crossroads: Sustaining Our Arts and 
Cultural Resources,'' highlights the need to maintain and preserve some 
of the city's most stellar arts organizations, artists, individuals and 
entities and to help them to secure and sustain the critical resources 
needed to continue their missions. HAA Chairman Voza Rivers and 
Executive Director Michael Unthink have billed this year's advocacy 
week as the Harlem Arts Summit. The undertaking involves the 
collaboration of key Harlem arts institutions, artists and arts leaders 
creating an exciting array of events showcasing the Uptown arts 
landscape.
  On Monday, October 1, the Harlem Arts Summit honored three 
extraordinary cultural icons who have contributed greatly to African 
American Arts and Culture, the Village of Harlem and our great nation: 
activist and actor Danny Glover, legendary theatrical producer Vy 
Higginsen and pioneering arts producer and consultant Mikki Shepard.
  Danny Lebern Glover was born in San Francisco, California, the son of 
Carrie (nee Hunley) and James Glover. His parents, postal workers, were 
active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People (NAACP), working to advance equal rights. Glover's mother, 
daughter of a midwife, was born in Louisville, Georgia and graduated 
from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Danny Glover grew up with a 
love for sports, like his father. As a teenager and a young adult, he 
suffered from epilepsy, but he claims to have ``developed a way of 
concentrating so that seizures wouldn't happen.'' Using this technique, 
which he describes as ``a type of self-hypnosis'', Glover says he has 
not suffered a seizure since age 34. Danny Lebern Glover is an American 
actor, film director and political activist. He is well known for his 
roles as Mr. Albert Johnson in The Color Purple, as Michael Harrigan in 
Predator 2, as corrupt cop James McFee in Witness, as Detective Roger 
Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise (where he coined the 
catchphrase ``I'm too old for this shit''), as Detective David Tapp in 
Saw, and as George Knox in Angels in the Outfield. He has also appeared 
in many other movies, television shows, and theatrical productions. He 
is an active supporter of various humanitarian and political causes.
  Danny began his activist career while attending San Francisco State 
University, as a member of the Black Students Union, which, along with 
the Third World Liberation Front and the American Federation of 
Teachers, collaborated in a five-month student-led strike to establish 
a Department of Black Studies. The strike was the longest student 
walkout in United States history and it helped to established not only 
the first Department of Black Studies, but also the first School of 
Ethnic Studies in the nation. Danny's long history of union activism 
includes support for the United Farm Workers, Unite Here, and numerous 
service unions across the nation. He challenged former President George 
W. Bush, when he was Governor of Texas for leading a penitentiary 
system that executed more people than any other state, people who were 
predominately African Americans and Hispanics. His activism continues 
today as an outspoken critic of the War in Iraq; and as a humanitarian 
for the arts, the Jazz Foundation of America and board member of the 
TransAfrica Forum. Danny Lebern Glover was the recipient of the Harlem 
Arts Summit/Harlem Arts Advocacy Week 2012 Humanitarian Award.
  Vy Higginsen's accomplishments are vast and her impact on the media 
and culture in New York City is immense. This Harlem native, who was 
born and raised on 126th Street, is a noted author, playwright, radio, 
and TV personality. Vy has a remarkable reputation as a trailblazer. 
Her list of pioneering achievements include first African-American 
female radio personality in the prime time New York City market on 
WBLS; first woman to host a morning show on New York radio at WWRL; 
first woman in advertising sales at Ebony magazine; first African-
American woman to produce a drama on Broadway with Joe Turner's Come 
and Gone by August Wilson; and first African-American female writer, 
producer, director of the longest-running, Off-Broadway musical in the 
history of American theatre with Mama, I Want to Sing, which had an 
unprecedented 2,200 performances over

[[Page 15971]]

eight years from 1983 at Heckscher Theatre in East Harlem. It was also 
a national and international hit with performances across the United 
States, Japan and Europe, including a six-month run in London's 
fashionable West End.
  Vy has won numerous honors for providing excellent products and 
services to African-American audiences. In addition to her success 
behind the microphone at several major New York stations, notably WBLS-
FM, WWRL-AM and WRKS-FM, she's also excelled in publishing. Always the 
visionary, one of her first publications was a 1970s magazine providing 
opportunities for black photographers, graphic designers and media 
salespeople to hone their crafts. Unique NY Magazine, which she 
published and edited, was a lifestyles magazine designed for African-
Americans and tourists. Another of her successful publishing ventures 
was ``This Is My Song: To pass the legacy of gospel music on,'' an 
illustrated book for children. In 1996, Vy Higginsen founded Mama 
Foundation for the Arts as a conduit for her philanthropic work. The 
non-profit is dedicated to nurturing talented black singers, musicians, 
and arts administrators. As the Foundation's executive director, she's 
the primary force behind its programs including the acclaimed, Gospel 
for Teens. Product spokesperson, public relations professional, keynote 
speaker, and ordained Interfaith Minister, the list of Vy Higginsen's 
credits go on. Vy Higginsen was the recipient of the Harlem Arts 
Summit/Harlem Arts Advocacy Week 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.
  Arts Producer and Consultant Mikki Shepard is the current Executive 
Producer for the world famous Apollo Theater. In this capacity, Mikki 
is part of the senior executive staff and creates institutional 
policies and oversees programming, marketing and development. Her past 
consultant work in the arts focused on organizational development, 
institutional program development and assessment, strategic planning 
and implementation. Mikki's clients included: The Ford Foundation, 
Heinz Endowments, Media Democracy Fund, New Jersey Performing Arts 
Center, Jacob's Pillow, Opera America, Future of Music Coalition, and 
the National Black Arts Festival.
  Mikki was the Director for the Arts and Humanities at the Rockefeller 
Foundation and Artistic Director/Executive Producer of 651ARTS. As 
Producer, Mikki Shepard presentations includes 100 Years of Jazz and 
Blues Festival, Women In Jazz, Lost Jazz Shrines and an international 
new works program, Africa Exchange. She also produced and created for 
the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) over 25 major performing arts 
events, such as DanceAfrica, Steps In Time, a Tap Dance Festival, 
DanceBlack America, a festival and PBS special celebrating 300 years of 
black dance in America. Mikki also currently serves as the Chair of the 
Boards of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation; and on the Boards of the 
Brooklyn Community Foundation, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the 
Creative Capital Fund and the Association of Performing Arts 
Presenters. Mikki Shepard was the recipient of the Harlem Arts Summit/
Harlem Arts Advocacy Week 2012 Arts Leadership Award.
  I would also like to congratulate and recognize Mr. Fred Powell, who 
was the recipient of the Harlem Arts Summit/Harlem Arts Advocacy Week 
2012 Business Award. Fred was honored for his contributions and 
business collaboration with local arts groups over the years.
  The Festivities continued into the evening with the Harlem Arts 
Summit 2012's opening reception kick off and panel discussion entitled 
``A Conversation with Harlem Arts leaders:
  Today's Challenge, Tomorrow's Promise,'' introduced by accomplished 
actress, director, producer and Harlem resident, Tamara Tunie (Law and 
Order SVU) and moderated by multimedia journalist, Katti Gray at Aaron 
Davis Hall.
  In a unified effort to continue building Harlem's legacy as a 
cultural Mecca, Harlem Arts Summit 2012 is presented by the HARLEM Arts 
Alliance in collaboration with key Harlem organizations including 
Columbia University, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, 125th Street 
Business Improvement District, Studio Museum in Harlem, Aaron Davis 
Hall/City College of New York, The Schomburg Center for Research in 
Black Culture, Harlem Business Alliance, Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse, 
Caribbean Cultural Center, Harlem Community Development Corporation, 
New Heritage Theatre Group, MIST Cinemas and Manhattan Neighborhood 
Network (MNN)--El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center.
  Major support for the Summit is provided by the Upper Manhattan 
Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, New York City Department of 
Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts and The National 
Endowment for the Arts. Let me take this opportunity to thank all of 
our Harlem Arts Advocacy Week community sponsors, supporters and 
collaborators as we celebrated ``Harlem at the Crossroads: Sustaining 
Our Arts and Cultural Resources'' during the Sixth Annual Harlem Arts 
Advocacy Week 2012.
  Mr. Speaker, the Harlem Arts Alliance under the great leadership of 
Chairman Voza Rivers and Executive Director Michael Unthink has 
contributed daily to the survival and enhancement of Harlem's beloved 
cultural artist and arts organizations. During these economically 
challenging times for our arts and cultural organizations, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in supporting the Harlem Arts Alliance as they 
continue their advocacy for the arts on behalf of the Village of Harlem 
and a very grateful nation.

                          ____________________