2/8/26 O&A NY SUPERBOWL LIX: Nipplegate-Janet Jackson And Justin Timberlake – Superbowl Scandal

Janet Jackson set off a 2004 Super Bowl firestorm when her right breast was bared during her nationally televised  halftime show.  The incident became known as Nipplegate and had a severe effect on Jackson while her partner Justin Timberlake tried to distance himself from the “wardrobe malfunction” .  Continue reading

2/4/26 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Big Ben – Lady Sings The Blues

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Lady Sings The Blues is the story of jazz singer Billie Holiday and is loosely based on her 1956 autobiography. The name of the film was taken from one of Holiday’s most popular songs.

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2/1/26 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Dottie Peoples & The Peoples Choice Chorale – He’s An On Time God and more


Dottie Peoples has been a star in the gospel music industry for more than 30 years, since she was nine years old. Called The Songbird Of The South by Atlanta WAOK radio announcer Brother Esmond Patterson, Peoples won the top four honors at the 1995 Stellar Awards with her album, On Time God. Continue reading

1/30/26 O&A NYC DANCE BY WALTER RUTLEDGE: Unity Through Community – Jamel Gaines and MAAFA: The Capture

By Walter Rutledge

Dance Theatre of. Harlem founder Arthur Mitchell told me, “It’s easy to choreograph on professionals try choreographing on regular people”. He was implying that the dance maker must rely more on creativity than on established steps and patterns. Jamel Gaines has accepted this challenge. Instead of using members of the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theater, he has constructed a large intergenerational cast of church constituents.

On Sunday February 1st the Creative Outlet founder/artistic director will present his staging and choreography in MAAFA: The Capture. The Brainchild of Bishop, Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, the 9am free performance at Mt. Piscah Baptist Church, located at 167-10 137th Ave in Jamaica, Queens, will herald in Black History Month. MAAFA: The Capture is a twenty-minute dance theatre vignette depicting the African American experience.

O&A NYC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Walter Rutledge attended recent rehearsals and watched Gaines put his neophyte cast through the paces. These rehearsals were equal parts inspiration and perspiration. A true old school director Gaines rehearsals are both exacting and exhausting. And Gaines high energy and cajoling demeanor effortlessly brings out the movement shapes and dramatic artistry. Don’t take my word here’s a sneak peek into the rehearsal process.

MAAFA: The Capture rehearsal

 The black church has always been the source of not only inspiration but the hallmark for information and education. MAAFA: The Capture captures African American history in an entertaining and enlightening dance theater group endeavor. Unity through community.

 

 

 

1/29/26 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: The Roots – Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody


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The Roots perform Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around from the  2014 soundtrack of the film For A Revolution. In this clip, which juxtaposes black and white footage of 20th-century Civil Rights protests with color footage of the band performing in a recording studio. Continue reading

1/28/26 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Good Times – Black Jesus -The Evans Family’s Lucky Charm

J.J. (Jimmie Walker) has painted a portrait of Black Jesus and it turns out it brings a lot of good luck to the family (Esther Rolle, John Amos, BernNadette Stanis and Ralph Carter). However, Florida is not a big fan of him. Continue reading

1/27/26 O&A NYC HAIL TO THE KING: Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks ( Act IV The Assassin)

Martin Act IV Assassination

The Fourth Act of Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks starring John Jones as Dr. King, Sheila Rohan as Rosa Park and James E. Murphy as the Assassin.

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1/27/26 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Martin Luther King Jr. – No Human Is Illegal

This short speech reframes immigration as America’s greatest source of strength — not a threat. Inspired by the moral cadence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it challenges the fear, division, and political noise surrounding immigration today. It’s clear the voices of oppression have not been silenced. The chorus of hate, fear, greed and politics remain synonyms for discrimination and bigotry. Whether you’re living the immigrant journey or witnessing it in your community, this message is for every outsider who refused to stay outside. Continue reading

1/20/26 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: IAM AFRICA : Hymn to the Motherland

“A continent too often diminished, wounded, or forgotten, yet still rising, still loving, still giving. Africa is the source. The first heartbeat of the world. The flame beneath the ashes, the stardust in our blood.” – Le Pacte de Cendres Continue reading

1/19/26 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY HOLIDAY ISSUE: King In The Wilderness: The Last Years of MLK Jr.’s Life

King In The Wilderness is a HBO Documentary that chronicles the final years of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, from 1965 to 1968. Directed by Peter Kunhardt, the film premiered in 2018 to mark the 58th anniversary of King’s assassination. Continue reading