Meet the author and illustrator of
“Miles Davis Was His Name – So What” by Louise Rogers & Francis Hsueh, get a signed copy, hear a musical performance of the book, and enjoy an activity!
Tag Archives: Word Up Community Bookshop
CANCELLED – Word Up: GIY Family Mushroom Workshop
Friday, November 15, 2024 – 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Word Up Community Bookshop Librería Comunitaria
2113 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10032
Growing Gourmet Mushrooms at Home with Everyday Items
Join us at Word Up to learn about the diverse fungal life in Uptown Manhattan, the lifecycle of a mushroom, how fungal life impacts our daily lives Uptown, and how to engage with them for a future without food insecurity and chronic disease. This event includes a workshop on growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms from brown rice and coffee grounds in plastic cups and ziploc bags (photos of the process and in-depth explanations). The presentation will be sent out by email for reference afterward.
Freshwater Mycology is a black + trans guided futurist mushroom farm, research repository, and art house committed to understanding and sharing the profound benefits of mycelim and mushroom fruits of all diverse types. Seeking to understand ecosystems as systems of natural collaboration, Freshwater Mycology is dedicated to improving the senses of life, nervine homeostasis in humans, and networking across species to make the world kinder and inhabitable for longer. We believe in nature over everything and plan to continue our medicine making research as far as we can extend. Stay tuned for quantum mechanics, molecular biology, mycelium-derived technology, all alchemized for you into our products, for all our higher goods. Freshwater Mycology is a black, trans-guided mycelium house who stays up, stays studious, stays scientific, and stays Fresh. Learn more at https://freshwater-mycology.square.site/
Word Up: Conversation Circle
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Word Up Community Bookshop / Librería Comunitaria
2113 Amsterdam Ave. & 165th St.
New York, NY 10032
*Después de registrarse, se le dirigirá a un formulario para que nos haga saber más sobre lo que le gustaría obtener de este tipo de evento. // After registering you’ll be led to a form to let us know more about what you’d like to get out of this type of event*
Se invita a los miembros de la comunidad a practicar hablar español y/o inglés. ¡Conozca a otros hablantes de español buscando practicar su inglés y hablantes de inglés buscando practicar su español! Vamos a centrarnos en un tema del día, compartir algún vocabulario, formar grupos pequeños para conversar de manera relajada, y tener la oportunidad de practicar hablando en frente del grupo más grande si le interesa. ¡Únete a nosotros para compartir tus conocimientos y aprender de sus vecinos!
De conformidad con las pautas de seguridad comunitaria de Word Up, se anima a todos los asistentes a usar máscaras cuando estén adentro.
Word Up Community Bookshop está ubicada en 2113 Amsterdam Ave. (y 165th St.) en Washington Heights, NYC. Puede tomar el tren no. 1 hasta 168th St y el tren A/C hasta 163rd o 168th St.
Inwood Hill Park: Uptown Kid Lit
Uptown Kid Lit—Word Up’s mini book festival for kids—is back in 2024 to celebrate music!
Stop by Pat’s Lawn at Inwood Hill Park to meet beloved local authors & musicians with new books, as they lead story times and activities, workshops, and more, all with a musical twist. Along with new books, Word Up will be giving away FREE books and school supplies.
Featured authors & artists:
Adria Quiñones (Mi Tierra)
Angie Cruz (Angélica y la güira)
Chris Raschka (Nothing: John Cage and 4’33”)
Crudo Creates
Demetrius Daniel
Hilda Eunice Burgos (Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect)
Inju Keum
Jackie Azúa Kramer (I Am Salsa, ¡Boogie En El Bronx!)
Janelle Harper (My Block Looks Like)
Jazz WaHi
Jyoti Rajan Gopal (One Sweet Song)
Leadlights Ensemble with Rachael Harrington
Luz Maria Mack (¡Pequeña María descubre su baile! / Little María discovers her dance!)
Megan Madison & Katie Madison (Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race)
Pablo KALAKA (Son de estos mares)
Stacy Davidowitz (Cut Loose!, Camp Rolling Hill series)
Word Up first launched Uptown Kid Lit in 2019 as a one-day festival for the Uptown community. After two years of virtual/hybrid programming in 2020 and 2021, UKL returned in person in 2022 with a focus on comics as part of the three-day Uptown Comics Fest. Each year has gathered a unique and vibrant group of authors, illustrators, educators, publishers, editors, craftspeople, artists, and community organizations—all to support and celebrate our neighborhood’s youngest readers and families. We hope you’ll join us in 2024 for our fourth year of Uptown Kid Lit at Inwood Hill Park!
Spanish interpretation will be provided at the main stage presentations.
This is a free event. Please consider donating so that we can continue creating accessible programming by, with, and for our neighbors.
Word Up: Families Belong Together, Families Demand Repair: Reparations for Child Welfare Teach-In
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Word Up Community Bookshop / Librería Comunitaria
2113 Amsterdam Ave. & 165th St.
New York, NY 10032
Join us at Word Up for a teach-in on learning, reflection, and action toward abolition and reparations. We will confront the violent history of family separation, the ongoing harm of state surveillance, and the necessity of repair through a 5-point reparations framework. Together, we will build collective power, deepen our commitment to liberation, and take concrete steps toward ending systems of harm.
This event is free or a $5 suggested donation to Word Up. Please register in advance.
Word Up Community Bookshop/Libreria Communitaria is located at 2113 Amsterdam Avenue (corner of 165th Street) in Manhattan. Subways: A, C or #1 train to 168th Street (walk south to 165th St, turn left, then walk east to Amsterdam Avenue).
Black Families Love and Unite (BLU) is an organization dedicated to empowering Black and Brown families through education, organizing, and community care.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Imani Worthy is a Bronx native whose family was impacted by the child welfare system in 2019. Following this experience, she pursued advocacy work, holding roles such as Public Speaking Coordinator at Rise Magazine and Family Advocate at the Center for Family Representation. Imani is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Black Families Love and Unite (BLU), an organization dedicated to empowering Black and Brown families and dismantling systems of oppression. She holds an MBA and is deeply committed to holistic and restorative justice practices, including circle keeping and somatic wellness to create meaningful change for our communities.
Nancy Fortunato, Senior Family Organizer, has over 10 years of advocacy and organizing experience as an impacted parent and an expert on systemic racism. She graduated from the Child Welfare Organizing Project and the Institute of Transformative Mentoring at The New School. Nancy has held roles at the East Harlem Community Partnership Program, the Center for Human Development and Family Services, and RISE, where she was promoted to Senior Parent Leader. She is currently a Peer Navigator at Justice For Families.
Cassandra Gonzalez, Family Organizer with two years of advocacy and organizing experience, is an Afro Latine parent of two boys who embraces inclusivity and gender diversity. With a passion for cooking and a commitment to empowerment, Cassandra utilizes their life experiences to support and uplift fellow parents, reflecting their resilience and compassion.