Weekly NYC Events Calendar: Feb. 20 to Feb. 26
The Indypendent’s curated events calendar comes out every Wednesday online and once a month in print. Sign-up for our regular e-newsletter and you won’t miss a thing. If there is an event you want others to learn about let us know.
THUR FEB 20
6PM–8PM • FREE
TALK: After the Gig: How the Sharing Economy Got Hijacked and How to Win it Back
When the “sharing economy” launched a decade ago, proponents claimed that it would transform the experience of work—giving earners flexibility, autonomy, and decent incomes. It was touted as a cure for social isolation and rampant ecological degradation. But this novel form of gig work soon sprouted a dark side: exploited Uber drivers, neighborhoods ruined by Airbnb, racial discrimination and rising carbon emissions. Several of the most prominent platforms are now faced with existential crises as they prioritize growth over fairness and long term viability. Based on nearly a decade of research, this lecture by Sociology professor Juliet Schor will analyze what went wrong and discuss ways forward.
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center
6 E. 16th St., Mnhtn
THUR FEB 20
6:30PM–8PM • FREE
TALK: Budget Justice Town Hall
New York is the 3rd richest state in the country. One hundred and twelve billionaires live here and the wealth they control is triple the state’s annual budget. Much of that wealth is woefully un- or under-taxed. At the same time property taxes squeeze Long Island homeowners dry, teachers still buy school supplies for their students and Medicaid cuts loom. It doesn’t have to be like this. Speakers Ricky Silver of Empire State Indivisible, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, and Mike Kink of Strong Economy for All explore the promises, plans, and pitfalls of Budget Justice. Bring questions!
Lenox Health Greenwich Village
30 Seventh Ave., Mnhtn
THUR FEB 20
7PM–9:30PM • FREE
BOOK RELAUNCH: The Romance of American Communism with Vivian Gornick
Writer and critic Vivian Gornick’s long-unavailable classic explores how left politics gave depth and meaning to American life. A landmark work of new journalism, it profiles American Communist Party members and fellow travelers as they joined the party, lived within its orbit, and left in disillusionment and disappointment as Stalin’s crimes became public.
McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers and Cafe
52 Prince St., Mnhtn
THUR FEB 20
8PM–11PM • $35–$55
MUSIC: Kamasi Washington
Incorporating elements of hip-hop, classical and R&B music, this young saxophonist and bandleader exceeds all notions of what “jazz” music is.
Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Ave., Bklyn
FRI FEB 21
10AM–5PM • FREE
EXHIBITION: Malcolm X Remembered
Curated from archives, this pop-up exhibition will feature handwritten notes, rarely seen photos, and historic papers from the civil rights leader. Attendees are invited to take part in our oral history project, which includes sharing how Malcolm X’s words have made an impact on their life.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd., Mnhtn
FRI FEB 21
6PM–8:30PM • FREE
FILM: Rojava Film Commune: Forms of Freedom
The Rojava Film Commune, a collective of filmmakers founded in 2015 and based in the autonomous region of Rojava (which means “West” and refers to the western part of Kurdistan in contemporary northern Syria), inaugurate their first exhibition in an art institution in the U.S. For Forms of Freedom, curator iLiana Fokianaki and the Commune drew from the Commune’s vast archive of collectively and individually produced films to arrive at a selection reflecting the methodologies, thinking process, and radical imaginations of the collective.
e-flux
311 E. Broadway, Mnhtn
FRI FEB 21
6:30PM–9PM • FREE
PERFORMANCE: Open Mic
An Open Mic poetry, performance and reading event focussing on our current environmental crisis. People who wish to read are invited to perform a piece that relates to the prompt environment, extinction and nature — whatever these terms mean to you.
Village Zendo — True Expression Temple
588 Broadway Suite 1108, Mnhtn
FRI FEB 21
7PM–9:30PM • FREE
SCREENING: The First Rainbow Coalition
Join the DSA’s AfroSocialist and Socialists of Color Caucus to view the new documentary The First Rainbow Coaliton. The film tells the story of when the Chicago Black Panther Party, led by the charismatic Fred Hampton, began to form alliances across lines of race and ethnicity with the Young Lords Organization and the working-class young southern whites of the Young Patriots. Everyone is welcome.
The People’s Forum
320 W. 37th St., Mnhtn
SAT FEB 22
11:30AM–9PM • FREE
MUSIC: Experiential Music Hackathon
This non-competitive hackathon will include talks, performances, and workshops featuring open source tools. Explore new ways of interacting with music, beyond the auditory. Music we can taste, smell, touch and see. Free with RSVP, but capacity is limited!! Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Weav.io
141 Flushing Ave., Building 77, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Bklyn
SAT FEB 22
12PM–3PM • FREE
HISTORY: New York Day of Remembrance 2020
Mark the unjust roundup and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. The Day of Remembrance is held every year to keep the memories of the incarceration alive and to prevent such actions from occurring again.
Japanese American United Church (JAUC)
255 7th Ave, Mnhtn
SAT FEB 22
2PM–4PM • FREE
PRESENTATION: Paul Robeson and Vito Marcantonio.
A multimedia look at two of McCarthyism’s most compelling martyrs.
Mulberry Street Library
10 Jersey St., Mnhtn
SAT FEB 22
8PM–10:30PM • $20 suggested donation
MUSIC: Clare Horgan
In one song, Clare Horgan will draw you into the world of pre-Christian Ireland. In the next, you will find yourself laughing, hearing her admonish a misbehaving man in a raunchy blues number. Then, before you know it, you have stepped into a dimly-lit jazz club in 1940s New York, sharing in the heartache of lost love. Don’t miss this rare U.S. appearance.
Peoples’ Voice Cafe at the Community Church of NY
40 E. 35th St., Mnhtn
TUES FEB 25
8PM • $15, 21+
MUSIC: Ross James’ Gotta Serve Somebody: A Celebration of Dylan & The Dead
A Mardi Gras party in grateful tribute to Bob Dylan, featuring Nicki Bluhm, Grahame Lesh, Scott Law and Alex Koford.
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave., Bklyn
WED FEB 26
8PM • $15–$17
MUSIC: Daniel Romano
An indie rocker and masterful songwriter.
The Sultan Room
234 Starr St., Bklyn