Schondra Aytch is a Buffalo, NY-based Freelance Writer who covers all things Music + Culture

Buffalo Magazine •

Crafting statement makers: DAME’s handcrafted leather wares

His interest piqued by experimenting with different materials, the skilled craftsman then began recycling old leather clothes from family and friends to create keepsake wallets. With over a decade of experience in design and a growing passion for leather work, Dame started making custom bags and purses—an effort first initiated by his own need for a camera bag when he had to pick up an additional job during the pandemic.

“I had to travel, and I was doing sports marketing and content creation. I
Buffalo Magazine •

Spinning the status quo: Colored Girls Bike Too

The creator of Colored Girls Bike Too, a grassroots organization turned nonprofit, Hill integrates her passion for wellness and efforts as an activist to challenge the status quo in Buffalo.

With a focus on supporting Black women who ride across the city, CGBT has become a resource to support and aid Buffalo’s underserved communities.

“I see the bike as a cool way to … gain access to mental wellness, find a sisterhood that I didn’t have at that time, but then also to disrupt systems,” Hill say
Buffalo Magazine •

Providing everyday needs & hands-on education

Within the first month of her new job as a business teacher at PS 198 International Preparatory in Lower West Buffalo, Rachel Kent prepared a personal care drive for her students. A few months later, she helped give away free turkeys to families during Thanksgiving. And by December, Kent had partnered with Colvin Cleaners and National Grid to give free coats, gloves and hats to the high schoolers.

A former small business owner with over 17 years of teaching under her belt, Kent put her organizi
buffalospree.com •

Beau Fleuve returns to Central Terminal

When most Buffalonians hear beau fleuve—French for “beautiful river”—they recall the urban myth of French voyagers coming to their city in the mid-1700s and conferring this descriptor on the Niagara River. But in the past few years, the name has taken on new meaning, thanks to Lindsey Taylor.

Creator of the Beau Fleuve Music and Arts Celebration (Sunday, August 28 at The Buffalo Central Terminal), Taylor plays on the name to highlight the diversity, richness, and resurgence of Buffalo’s musical
Buffalo Magazine •

Supporting positive sexual health

Since the mid-1990s, MOCHA Buffalo has been a program for Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities to socialize and get access to sexual healthcare. An acronym of its original name—the Men of Color Health Awareness Project—MOCHA has redefined itself over the years to be more inclusive and provide expanded resources. Joining Evergreen Health last spring, the hub’s recent reworking is all for the cause to further support their community.

Burnell, who’s been visiting the MOCHA Center since he was 15 and
buffalospree.com •

In the cut with Neph B. Chilli

Her initial failure helped Ivory Vasquez strengthen her purpose. A dedicated fan and participant in Buffalo’s 2010s-era hip-hop scene, Vasquez, popularly known as Neph, was ready to curate her first show. Naming the event the Spotlight Series, the aspiring organizer put her ideas in motion and set the debut event for mid-spring 2013. To her surprise, only half of her artist roster showed up to perform. “I was a little discouraged,” the organizer recalls. “I knew I had the support, but I was disc
Buffalo Magazine •

Motherdear’s Jamaican cuisine from the soul

Many people know her as Hyacinth Morris, but to me she’s Motherdear. A close family friend, and matriarch, Motherdear has been cooking her Jamaican cuisine for my family since I was 5 years old.

Whether we were eating her savory, slide-off-the-bone oxtails, hearty brown stew or steamy curry goat, Motherdear’s dinners always felt like more than just food. I only understand now that I was experiencing the essence of her rich life in every bite.

“I love the food in Jamaica because most of the foo
The Challenger News Buffalo •

Afrotecture (Re)Collection Exhibit Heather Hart Combines Black Experience and Architecture With New Installation at UB CFA Gallery – The Challenger Community News

Pulling inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement, Brooklyn – based artist Heather Hart’s Afrotecture (Re)Collection explores the concepts of translation and space.

The exhibition, which is currently on view at University At Buffalo’s CFA Gallery highlights a recreation of the railing at the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis, Tennessee where Martin Luther King was assassinated. Activated by viewers, the sculpture will be accompanied by musical performances, discussions, and organization visits to dee
Buffalo Magazine •

Cee Gee: A Man Of Many Beats

Picture this: You’re sitting on a comfy couch watching public access television and it’s snowing outside. Jimmie Green of the weekly “Buffalo Talent Showcase” appears on your screen, inviting you to stay tuned for riveting musical talents.

Clips of local Black musicians spanning genres brighten your screen—along with rising creatives, fellow programmers and a short, fun segment of the dancing Green Beret Kids that brings the show into a commercial break. Occasionally, the camera cuts to a hand-sized sculpture of a white buffalo that Jimmie made back in his Air Force days.
The Challenger News Buffalo •

Jillian Hanesworth: Buffalo’s First Poet Laureate Lights the Way – The Challenger Community News

Jillian Hanesworth has been doing the work. An organizer, activist and poet, the 28-year old has used her voice to support underserved neighborhoods in Buffalo for the last 5 years, but her new role as poet laureate is bridging the gap between the local government and the community. Historically appointed on March 16, 2021 by Buffalo’s city council members, Hanesworth’s obligation as the city’s first poet laureate is to share her poems for events and special occasions, but she plans to use the p