Famous actor appears at first black film fest

Published January 5, 2020 Celebrities , Local people Leave a Comment

From left to right: Johntrae Williams, Michael K. Williams and Dominic Dupont. Photo by Leon Laing.

On Dec. 27, the Sankofa African American Theatre Company, Sankofa 21 Institute — and an Emmy-nominator actor hosted the first Sankofa Film Festival.

Taking place at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, the festival offered showings of Raised in the System and The Hate U Give, two films about the criminal justice system and race relations. Continue reading ‘Famous actor appears at first black film fest’

Bridging the gap

Published December 20, 2019 Celebrities , Local people Leave a Comment

From left to right: Jordan Hill, Garry Gilliam, Corey Dupree and Dezwaan Dubois. Photo by Leon Laing.

In order to market themselves, The Bridge held three events this week.

On Dec. 17, The Bridge held a mixer in Philadelphia. Then on Dec. 19, the organization held a press conference at the former Bishop McDevitt school. Later that evening, The Bridge and Chris “Handles” Franklin held a holiday party at the Edgemont Fire Hall. Continue reading ‘Bridging the gap’

Move the Crowd

Published December 14, 2019 Celebrities , Events , Local people Leave a Comment

Rakim. Photo by Leon Laing.

It’s been a decade since I covered Rakim in Harrisburg. On Dec. 19, 2009, Ra performed at Dragonfly. On Dec. 7, The God Mc returned to a packed house at HMAC, a venue that will be renamed Pantheon in the future. Continue reading ‘Move the Crowd’

O.D.B. in Harrisburg

Published November 27, 2019 Celebrities Leave a Comment

O.D.B. speaks to fans outside of the Dragonfly nightclub. Photo by Leon Laing.

I’m unlocking my vault to display another never-before-seen photo. I’m also posting the image in honor of Wu-Tang: An American Saga. I photographed the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 13, 2004. He performed at the Dragonfly nightclub, a venue that closed its doors in 2012. O.D.B. would’ve turned 51 on Nov. 15. Continue reading ‘O.D.B. in Harrisburg’

Advocacy Day

Published September 27, 2019 Celebrities , Local people Leave a Comment

 

Van Jones (wearing the purple tie) and others at Advocacy Day. Photo by Leon Laing.

On Sept. 24, activists and lawmakers assembled at Pennsylvanians for Probation Reform Advocacy Day. The event took place at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. Participants supported House Bill 1555 and Senate Bill 14 and shared personal stories about the criminal justice system. Continue reading ‘Advocacy Day’

Day Service

Published August 23, 2019 Events , Local people Leave a Comment

Local rapper drewtyrell chills at Day Service. Photo by Leon Laing.

Day Service, a rooftop party held at 1500 N. Sixth St., took place on Aug. 10. Villa sponsored the event. The organizers are planning their next event already, so stay tuned for details.

Meek Mill x Reform

Published August 13, 2019 Celebrities Leave a Comment

The Reform Alliance team assists a client (wearing a blue T-shirt). Photo by Leon Laing.

While Meek Mill waits to see if a 2008 gun conviction will be tossed out, a new judge (Judge Leon Tucker) presided over a brief hearing on Aug. 6. Tucker replaces Judge Genece Brinkley. Also on Aug. 6, Meek made an appearance during the Free Meek Gathering held at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in Philadelphia. The hearing will resume Aug. 27. Continue reading ‘Meek Mill x Reform’

Give the drummer some

Published August 9, 2019 Celebrities , Events , Local people Leave a Comment

Sheila E. Photo by Leon Laing.

The legendary Sheila E. justified why she has decades of experience in the music industry. Continue reading ‘Give the drummer some’

Chris has a handle on events

Published August 3, 2019 Celebrities , Events , Local people Leave a Comment

Talent Da Comedian.

As one the Harlem Globetrotters, Chris “Handles” Franklin dominates the basketball court. Now he’s showing he can make a slam dunk with events, too. Continue reading ‘Chris has a handle on events’

In da club

Published July 26, 2019 Celebrities , Events , Local people Leave a Comment

DJ Envy. Photo by Leon Laing.

With a diverse crowd, Deeee-J Envy played a variety of songs ranging from hip-hop to R&B to reggae to Spanish music at a Harrisburg-based venue. Continue reading ‘In da club’