Juilliard Trained, South Bronx Made: How Zulaika Velazquez Is Transforming Uptown Kids Through the Arts | Uptown Voices

The Incumbent’s Crucible: Congressman Adriano Espaillat on Rents, AIPAC Cash, and the War in Iran

Today, in the Black and Blanco edition of Uptown Voices we present a definitive, wide-ranging interview with New York’s 13th Congressional District Representative, Adriano Espaillat. From a childhood overstaying a tourist visa to ascending to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Espaillat’s 40-year climb up the political ladder is a cornerstone of Upper Manhattan's modern history. But in 2026, the neighborhood faces an acute economic squeeze, shifting voting demographics, and immense global pressure. Hosts Octavio Blanco and Led Black push past the regular talking points, pressing the Congressman on the issues hitting the community hardest: $4,000 average rents, localized safe-injection site saturation, campaign contributions from AIPAC, and the unfolding military escalation abroad. It is a raw, essential conversation tracing the fault lines between the old guard and a fierce new generation of uptown voters. ⏱️ Official Chapter Time Codes 00:00 — Cold Open: The War in Iran & "Block the Bombs" 00:49 — Introduction: The Voice of Uptown 02:33 — Forty Years on the Frontlines: The Crack Epidemic 04:10 — Going Viral & Disrupting the DNC Establishment 06:06 — Grassroots Ties: The Battle of Cooper Street 11:37 — The Power of the Purse: Inside the House Appropriations Committee 15:18 — Legacy Wins: In-State Tuition for Undocumented Youth 17:13 — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus & Pushing Back on Trump 20:18 — The Rent Crisis: Real Estate Donors and Affordability 24:40 — Safe Injection Sites and the "Redlining" of Washington Heights 30:23 — Protecting the Undocumented & The Push to Abolish ICE 32:38 — Gaza, Apartheid, and the Fight for a Two-State Solution 35:53 — Campaign Finance: AIPAC Money and Dark Slush Funds 39:03 — Personal History: The Vietnam Draft and Anti-Interventionism 41:52 — Caribbean Sovereignty: The Cuban Embargo & Arms Sales 43:54 — Closing Argument: A Message to the 22-Year-Old Voter 47:21 — Unfinished Business: Preventing the Third Wave of Gentrification 48:30 — Outro & Supporting Hyperlocal Media 💸 Defend Hyperlocal Journalism: Support Uptown Voices Uptown Voices is entirely viewer-supported and operates as a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Your contributions are 100% tax-deductible and ensure our independent newsroom can continue bringing you uncovered, high-stakes local political coverage. Support Our Mission (Donate Safely Here): https://bit.ly/4eddiWT Subscribe to the Channel: Head over to the Uptown Collective YouTube Channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode. Follow Us Everywhere Else We Stream: Instagram: @uptowncollectiv Facebook: Uptown Collective Page

How Uptown Manhattan's Arts Community Is Thriving in Uncertain Times: Happy Defiance

One year ago, Uptown Voices launched their first episode  with NOMAA. Now, for their anniversary, Led Black and Octavio Blanco  return — this time live inside the breathtaking Sorolla Gallery at the  Hispanic Society Museum in Washington Heights. Joined by NOMAA Executive Director Niria Leyva Gutiérrez and Uptown Art  Stroll Director Martin Collins, this is a deep, joyful, urgent conversation  about art, community, resilience, and what it means to build something  beautiful when so much feels uncertain. The Uptown Art Stroll's 24th year. And it has never felt more necessary. 🎨 UPTOWN ART STROLL 2026 — ALL OF JUNE 40 exhibitions. Open studios. Monday concerts. Walking tours. Free events.  Community buy-in from local businesses across West Harlem, Washington  Heights & Inwood. A 72-page printed guide with QR code linking to the  full online calendar. 🖼️ AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL? — JUNE 5TH NOMAA's new exhibition opens Friday, June 5th, 6–8 PM at 176th & Broadway. 46 artists. 35% brand new to NOMAA. Art that asks: Where are we? Who are we? What is this grand experiment called America? 🎵 MONDAY EVENING CONCERTS June 1st — Opening at Audubon Terrace | Langston Hughes Quartet June 8th — Et A Aguilar & the String Beans at Dyckman Farmhouse June 15th — Berta Marino quintet at Cabrini Shrine Lawn June 22nd — Kumba Karey at Montefiore Square Park, 137th & Broadway June 29th — FINALE: Reg Wins at Jackie Robinson Park Band Shell 🏆 2026 NOMAA HONOREES Michael Palma | Joyce Adewumi | Morris-Jumel Mansion | Myra Lenaris |  Ronaldo Garcia Pantaleon 🎟️ OPENING RECEPTION — JUNE 1ST, 6–8:30 PM Hispanic Society Museum & Academy of Arts and Letters, Audubon Terrace. FREE. Open to the public. Rain or shine. 💙 NOMAA MEMBERSHIP — $50, TAX DEDUCTIBLE Access to all programs, NOMAA Labs (free with membership), studio rentals, grants, and special events. Join at nomaanyc.org 📌 nomaanyc.org | @nomaanyc on Instagram & Facebook ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 "Happy Defiance" — Arts in a Time of Uncertainty 00:59 Welcome: One-Year Anniversary in the Sorolla Gallery 01:37 Octavio on the Hispanic Society — Uptown's Hidden Gem 03:00 Niria's Journey: From Graduate Student to NOMAA Director 05:46 Martin's Story: Born & Raised, 24 Art Strolls Deep 07:27 The Audubon Terrace — Open Every Day 07:58 A Night at the Palace: NOMAA's Annual Gala 10:21 Arts Funding in the Current Political Climate 11:36 Community Buy-In: Local Businesses Are Showing Up 12:47 From 24 Pages to 72: The Growth of the Stroll Guide 13:15 What to Expect at the 24th Uptown Art Stroll 15:15 Renewal, Purpose & Why This Moment Feels Critical 17:46 America the Beautiful? — The Exhibition & the Question Mark 20:16 Multi-Generational Artists at NOMAA 22:20 Marta Blair: First Two-Time Grand Prize Poster Winner 24:07 "Happy Defiance" — Why NOMAA Wasn't Afraid to Make a Statement 27:31 Planning the Stroll: Starting in August for the Following Year 31:06 Monday Evening Concerts: Full Schedule 32:12 The Uptown Art Scene — What Makes It Different 35:12 The Urgency: Grant Requests 4x More Than Available Funds 37:34 How Artists Sell Their Work During the Stroll 40:29 The Origin Story: As Grassroots as It Gets 41:45 NOMAA as the Engine, Not the Driver 45:46 46 Artists at America the Beautiful? | June 5th Opening 47:10 Life Flourishing in the GWB Bus Terminal 49:14 Hamilton Grange, Dyckman Farmhouse & More 50:12 The 72-Page Guide: Why Print Still Matters 51:57 Fireworks Over Yankee Stadium: A Founding Memory 56:08 The 2026 Honorees 58:25 How to Find NOMAA & Show Up June 1st 59:13 The Origin of Uptown Voices: Two Guys Arguing on a Sidewalk 01:01:53 NOMAA Membership: $50, Tax Deductible, Open to All 01:03:22 NOMAA Studios: Four Spaces, All Disciplines 01:05:24 Tom Sanford's Installation at the Hispanic Society 01:06:38 Closing: Support Uptown Voices & Spread Love 🎙️ The Uptown Collective documents the culture, community, and voices  that make Northern Manhattan one of the most extraordinary places  in the world. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/@uptowncollective?si=68xPv3IIxHrhJ2BQ 🔔 Hit the bell. Like. Share. It costs nothing and means everything. ❤️ SUPPORT UPTOWN VOICES — TAX DEDUCTIBLE The Uptown Collective Podcast is a fiscally sponsored project of the  Maysles Documentary Center — your contribution is 100% tax-deductible. 👉 Donate: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBmbtE4yILFqSWCJtf2Day6NBwHp2FYkU Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 💙

Juilliard Trained, South Bronx Made: How Zulaika Velazquez Is Transforming Uptown Kids Through the Arts | Uptown Voices

What does it look like when someone takes everything life threw at them  — homelessness, single motherhood at 19, a stage two cancer diagnosis  — and turns it into fuel to transform an entire community? Meet Zulaika Velazquez. In this episode of Uptown Voices, Led Black and Octavio  Blanco sit down with one of Northern Manhattan's most extraordinary  educators, directors, and community builders. Zulaika is a South Bronx  native, Juilliard-trained, and the woman who produced In the Heights at  George Washington High School — with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon M. Chu, and  Warner Brothers in the audience. But this conversation goes far deeper  than theater. 🎭 DISTRICT 6 SHOWCASE — MAY 29TH AT UNITED PALACE 750 students, K–12, from 37 schools. Free, open to the public. Art  exhibit from 4 PM, performances 5–7 PM. The only district-wide production  of its kind in the country. 🏫 THERE ARE NO BAD KIDS Why labeling schools and students ignores the real story — underfunded  classrooms, overcrowded schools, and kids reacting to their circumstances.  Change the resources, change the outcomes. 🌎 ARTS AS LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Kids who didn't speak a word of English performed a full two-hour  production in English at United Palace by year's end. The method works. 🎬 IN THE HEIGHTS AT GW While on chemo, Zulaika produced In the Heights at GW with a 250-person  waiting list. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon M. Chu, and Bette Midler's team  were in the house. It made Oprah Magazine. 🎓 GETTING UPTOWN KIDS INTO SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS Why performing arts schools are harder to get into than Stuyvesant —  and how to level the playing field. 🤖 ARTS IN THE AGE OF AI Why humanities, critical thinking, and storytelling are the skills  AI can't replace. 🗳️ CIVIC EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM How Zulaika navigates politics with students — research the platforms,  register to vote, understand why local elections matter most. 📌 zulaika@spanglishvoces.com ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 There Are No Bad Kids — Opening Statement 01:08 Welcome & Subscribe Reminder 02:06 Introducing Zulaika Velazquez 04:12 District 6 Showcase at United Palace 05:27 750 Students K–12: The Scale of It 06:19 Respecting Every Artist's Work 07:41 The Jukebox Musical Format Explained 08:12 The Only Production of Its Kind Nationwide 09:05 How It Started in 2017 10:46 Free & Open to the Public — May 29th Details 12:10 From South Bronx to Juilliard 14:12 Opera, Word Painting & Why She Left Classical 17:38 Vagina Monologues in Spanish & Arts as Activism 18:05 Language Acquisition Through Musical Theater 19:01 Full English Musical With Non-English Speakers 20:06 Getting Uptown Kids Into Specialized High Schools 22:01 Theater as Community Space at GW 22:20 In the Heights at George Washington High School 35:08 Stage Two Cancer & the Kids Who Showed Up 37:00 Warner Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jon M. Chu 39:35 Oprah Magazine & Breaking the Internet 40:57 Latin Grammy Foundation & $40K in Instruments 42:50 LaGuardia vs. GW: The Real Competition 46:20 Arts in the Age of AI 47:07 Saving Lives: Newly Arrived Students & Changed Trajectories 48:09 When the System Fails Newly Arrived Students 52:28 Student Strikes, Civic Power & Social Activism 56:28 How to Get Teenagers to Listen 58:00 The NYC Subway Metaphor for Life 01:02:20 Students, Trump, Andrew Tate & Open Conversations 01:05:51 Research the Platforms, Register to Vote 01:08:54 The Student Who Was Homeless & Became Pro-Trump 01:09:31 Making Better Human Beings Through Art 01:10:29 How to Reach Zulaika & May 29th Details 🎙️ The Uptown Collective documents the culture, community, and voices  that make Northern Manhattan one of the most extraordinary places  in the world. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/@uptowncollective?si=68xPv3IIxHrhJ2BQ 🔔 Hit the bell. Like. Share. It costs nothing and means everything. ❤️ SUPPORT UPTOWN VOICES — TAX DEDUCTIBLE The Uptown Collective Podcast is a fiscally sponsored project of the  Maysles Documentary Center — your contribution is 100% tax-deductible. 👉 Donate: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBmbtE4yILFqSWCJtf2Day6NBwHp2FYkU Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 💙

From the First Latino Blog in 1997 to the Future of the Creator Economy: George Torres, Urban Jibaro

What does it take to build a 30-year career in tech, media, and social media before anyone else in your community even knew those were careers? Ask George Torres — the Urban Jibaro. In this episode of Black & Blanco Uptown Voices, Led Black and Octavio Blanco sit down with George Torres, a true Latino pioneer in the digital space. George created the first Latino blog on the internet in 1997 — before social media, before smartphones, before most people had a computer at home. Three decades later, he's still ahead of everyone. This conversation is essential listening for creators, entrepreneurs, podcasters, and anyone building a personal brand in the digital age. 🖥️ THE FIRST LATINO BLOG (1997) — George built Sofrito for Your Soul on GeoCities and grew it into an international audience before most people had internet at home. 🏷️ PERSONAL BRANDING — He's worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda, HBO, Disney, CNN, JetBlue, Fat Joe, Angie Martinez, John Leguizamo, Hot 97, and Univision. Most people don't know it. He breaks down why staying humble is leaving money on the table. 📱 THE FUTURE OF THE CREATOR ECONOMY — Big corporations are outsourcing. Individual creators are filling the gap. George explains what that means for anyone building right now. 💰 KNOW YOUR WORTH — The story of running a Twitter campaign for Top Five and discovering he was charging 10 times less than the actual budget. 🏥 THE HOSPITAL BED CAMPAIGN — Hired as a COVID spokesperson, George tested positive before launch. He ran the campaign from a hospital bed, brought in Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Angie Martinez & Led Black — and won a Telly Award in eight weeks. 🧠 MENTAL HEALTH IS YOUR BUSINESS PLAN — Siembra Connect puts mental health, community, and mutual aid at the center of the creator economy. 📌 siembraconnect.com | @siembraconnect on Instagram and Threads ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Mental Health, Creator Burnout & Siembra Connect Intro 01:15 Welcome: George Torres, the Urban Jibaro 02:02 How Octavio, Led & George Have Always Moved Together 03:34 The Howard Beach Bias Incident of 1986 05:50 Meeting Richie Perez & the Young Lords 06:56 What Is a Jibaro? Brooklyn Meets Puerto Rican Roots 08:23 The First Latino Blog on the Internet (1997) 10:12 GeoCities, Sofrito for Your Soul & Going International 12:29 The Nassau County Museum of Art & Latino Masters Expo 13:58 How George Started Building Websites to Keep the Lights On 15:16 MiGente.com & the Rise of Latino Social Media 34:02 What's Next for Social Media & the Creator Economy 36:09 Why Uptown Collective's Framework Could Work Anywhere 37:29 The Top Five Twitter Party & the $500 vs $5,000 Lesson 40:20 Speed, Reputation & Being the A-Team of Social Media 41:35 Running a Telly Award Campaign From a COVID Hospital Bed 44:05 Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Angie Martinez & Latinos Out Loud 45:06 Claiming Your Genius: Stop Letting Others Hold Your Awards 47:37 Personal Branding, Latino Identity & the Politics of Self 48:33 The Projects Nobody Knows: UN, HBO, Disney, JetBlue & More 51:27 The Charlamagne Lesson: Don't Lose Your Community Chasing Bigger 53:08 LinkedIn, Photo Ops & Why You Have to Talk About Yourself 55:00 Brands, Politics & Why Your Business Is Not a Megaphone 59:39 The My Pillow Warning: When Politics Destroys a Brand 01:04:18 COVID Backlash, Remdesivir & Speaking Up Anyway 01:06:52 Respecting Your Community With Real Health Information 01:09:42 Creator Isolation & How Siembra Connect Breaks Through It 01:10:33 The Convite: A Community Gathering for Creators 01:13:49 Siembra Connect: Teaching From Experience, Not From a Guru 01:14:35 George's Offer: A Fireside Chat in Washington Heights 01:15:11 How to Find George Torres & Siembra Connect 01:15:35 Closing: Community Is More Than Business 🎙️ The Uptown Collective documents the culture, community, and voices that make Northern Manhattan one of the most extraordinary places in the world. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/@uptowncollective?si=68xPv3IIxHrhJ2BQ 🔔 Hit the bell. Like. Share. It costs nothing and means everything. ❤️ SUPPORT UPTOWN VOICES — TAX DEDUCTIBLE The Uptown Collective Podcast is a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center — your contribution is 100% tax-deductible. 👉 Donate: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/CJ5HJSZ2JF97S Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 💙

The Rent Is Too Damn High & What You Can Do About It | Uptown Arts, Quality of Life & Community Power | Black & Blanco

Another Sunday, another dose of real talk from Uptown. In this episode  of Black & Blanco Uptown Voices, Led Black and Octavio Blanco cover  everything happening on the ground in Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem,  and the South Bronx — from the fight to keep rents frozen, to the arts  events you need to know about, to the quality of life battles playing out  on the streets of Northern Manhattan. This is what community media looks like. Unfiltered. Hyper-local. And  always Uptown. 🏠 THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH — ACT NOW The NYC Rent Guidelines Board is holding public hearings and a rent freeze  is on the table. Register to testify or volunteer to canvass your neighbors. 👉 rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us | organize.nyc.gov 🎨 UPTOWN ARTS STROLL KICKOFF — JUNE 1ST Led and Octavio recap their live anniversary episode from inside the Sorolla  Gallery at the Hispanic Society. The Uptown Arts Stroll kicks off June 1st  at the Audubon Terrace — plus their second annual unofficial after party  at Hilltop Ale House. 🖼️ NOMA & THE ARTS ECOSYSTEM Adrian Miranda's screenwriting & acting workshops at NOMA Studios, the  Emmett Cohen jazz event at Harlem School of the Arts, the America the  Beautiful exhibition opening June 5th, and Art in the Garden at the Ring  Garden on Dyckman (submissions close May 31st). 📸 FREE HEADSHOTS — INVEST IN YOUR BRAND West Harlem Arts Alliance, NOMA, OLA & Corazón are offering pro headshot  sessions June 13th at NOMA Studios for $50. A game changer for any creator  or entrepreneur. 💰 WEST HARLEM DC GRANTS — $5K TO $30K Community Benefits Grants available for 501(c)(3) organizations serving  West Harlem. Deadline: June 5th. 👉 westharlemdc.org 🚮 QUALITY OF LIFE: GARBAGE, POOP & THE DRUG CRISIS Led and Octavio get real about the open air drug corridor in the 180s,  the need for more trash cans, and why this needs a multi-agency response. 🌉 TRANS-MANHATTAN EXPRESSWAY: CONCRETE IS FALLING A dash cam video went viral after concrete fell from the ceiling of the  expressway. An infrastructure alarm that needs urgent attention. 🏀 KNICKS CONFERENCE FINALS The Knicks are in it and Led is fired up. Shoutout to Baka Backpages  pop-up at 147 Orchard Street for the merch. 🏘️ COMMUNITY BOARD 12 & THE DOLPHIN PARK VICTORY How community organizing pushed the Port Authority to finally reopen  Dolphin Park after a decade of it sitting locked and empty. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The Rent Is Too Damn High — Register Now 01:12 Welcome & Summer Vibes in the Heights 02:05 Street Life, Safety & the Coming Summer 03:17 Trans-Manhattan Expressway: Concrete Is Falling 05:28 Fort Washington Corridor & the Drug Crisis 08:32 Live at the Hispanic Society: Anniversary Episode Recap 10:12 Inside the Sorolla Gallery — What Makes It Special 13:10 The History of the Hispanic Society & Samuel Huntington 15:08 Uptown Arts Stroll Kickoff June 1st & the After Party 16:11 Support Uptown Voices: Tax-Deductible Contributions 18:50 Why This Work Matters: Community, Connection & Growth 19:03 NOMA: The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Deep Dive 22:36 Emmett Cohen Jazz & Harlem School of the Arts 23:19 Art in the Garden — Submissions Open Until May 31st 25:01 Think Globally, Act Locally: The Uptown Philosophy 27:35 The Battle for Uptown — Why Hyper-Local Media Matters 29:21 West Harlem Arts Alliance: Headshots, Walking Tours & More 32:13 Free Walking Tours of West Harlem with John Reddick 33:29 Rent Guidelines Board: How to Make Your Voice Heard 36:33 How to Register & Testify at the Public Hearings 42:14 West Harlem DC Grants ($5K–$30K) — Apply by June 5th 44:06 Pick Up Your Dog Poop — A Community Call to Action 45:06 City Council's Trash Bag Bill & the Garbage Crisis 47:25 Accountability: Us AND the City Need to Do Better 50:12 The Drug Corridor, Blight & a Multi-Agency Response 51:35 Carmen De La Rosa & the Uptown People's Project 52:30 Community Board 12 & the Dolphin Park Victory 58:16 Why the Community Board Is Your Most Underrated Tool 59:24 Knicks Conference Finals & Baka Backpages Pop-Up 01:01:00 Shoutouts & Closing 🎙️ The Uptown Collective documents the culture, community, and voices  that make Northern Manhattan one of the most extraordinary places in  the world. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/@uptowncollective?si=68xPv3IIxHrhJ2BQ 🔔 Hit the bell. Like. Share. It costs nothing and means everything. ❤️ SUPPORT UPTOWN VOICES — TAX DEDUCTIBLE The Uptown Collective Podcast is a fiscally sponsored project of the  Maysles Documentary Center — your contribution is 100% tax-deductible. 👉 Donate: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 💙