Nerdy Thursdays

Nerdy Thursdays is a signature event that originated in New York City’s historic Seaport District in spring 2017 as a book club and after-work mixer. This series has evolved into a celebrated space for creative entrepreneurial nerds with established elements including a reading room, revolving DJs, curated panels, vibrant hosts, signature cocktails, and soulful bites. These events offer a variety of themes, such as Small Business Night, Cinema Night, Black Chef Night, and Hip Hop x Fashion Night. Join us for our next Nerdy Thursdays.

Black Gotham Experience // 192 Front Street // 5pm – 9pm (( facing the east river, three blocks from Wall St.))

Scroll through to select your Nerdy of choice.

Nerdy Thursdays returns and kicks off the Black Gotham Experience Summer Season 2019. This week we look at how Black hair has been a form of cultural identity, creative expression, and a contested political space. It’s our first ever Black Hair Night. Join the conversation.

@BlackGotham
#BGXnerdythursdays
#insideblackgotham

5:00PM | Mingle x Network
6:30PM | Panel Discussion moderated by William “GoodWill” Ellis @MrWilliamEllis featuring Kafele (@thekingofloc) and Tee Albertini (@ancestralstrands)
7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk (90 minute) / Performance Art by Maurice Thomas (@mothebarber101) + Kafele / Music by Pure Magic’s Jah Medicine (@JahMedicine @PureMagicParty)
9:00PM | Evening concludes
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Nerdy Thursdays is excited to partner with blvck spades for our first Spades Night – a tournament style form of play with 3 rounds. RSVP to play and/or watch. You can sign up and bring your partner or be paired with a partner at the studio.

Round 1: 16 players – 4 games.
Round 2: 8 players – 2 games. T
Round 3: 4 players – 1 game.

5:00PM | Mingle x Network | Register Spades Teams

6:00PM | Panel Discussion on Spades Culture with Tarik Bell, Kei Williams, and Kamau Ware

6:30PM | Spades Tournament Begins

7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk (90 minute) / Music by Pure Magic’s Jah Medicine (@JahMedicine @PureMagicParty)

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Nerdy Thursdays is excited to partner with I Build NY for our first Real Estate Night, hosted by Malik Yoba. This week we lean into a conversation with a legendary storyteller, entrepreneur, actor, and recent real estate developer to highlight the role of space in making culture. Join the conversation.

@BlackGotham
#BGXnerdythursdays
#insideblackgotham

5:00PM | Mingle x Network

6:30PM | Fireside chat with Malik Yoba (@malikyoba) and Kamau Ware (@kamauware) on Black real estate stories

7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk (90 minute) w/ Kamau Ware and Malik Yoba (this walk will be filmed) / Music by Pure Magic (@PureMagicParty)

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Nerdy Thursdays is excited to present our first Drink & Draw. BGX produced our first Drink & Draw in February for the Black Artstory at The Emerson and have been eager to bring this to our studio in the Seaport District.

This event is BYOD (bring your own drawing stuff). The first sitting will take place at 5:30pm, followed by a panel at 6:30pm, then the final sitting at 7:45pm. Of course the “Sarah’s Fire” Walk will take place at 7:30pm. We will be joined by Fantistic Frankey who will help us host the event. RSVP: blackgotham.com/nerdy-thursdays

Please note that next week’s Nerdy Thursdays will take place at the New-York Historical Society (Upper West Side).

5:00PM | Mingle x Network

5:30PM | Drink & Draw set 1

6:30PM | Panel Discussion with Fantastic Frankey (@FrankeyFrankly), Kamau Ware (@kamauware), and William Ellis (@mrwilliamellis).

7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk (90 minute) w/ Kei Williams

7:45PM | Drink & Draw set 2

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Nerdy Thursdays returns to the New-York Historical Society for Revolution Night. We lean into a timely conversation about the ways Black people have been part of revolutionary culture in New York City since the 17th century.

The evening starts with a DJ set by Christina Starr + a drink & draw featuring queer vegan model @kidandfro followed by a fireside chat with NYU Associate Professor of Dramatic Writing, Michael D. Dinwiddie and Kamau Ware in the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. Excerpts from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time will frame the discussion. Afterward, there will be a behind the scenes video screening on the making of the Others Built New York mural at Pier 17, featuring LGBTQ+ pioneers Sylvia Rivera, Alvin Ailey, Ethel Waters, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Keith Haring. The evening concludes with violinist Khetiwe Khumalo.

Exhibitions on view during the event include Stonewall 50 and Highlights from the Herstory Archive.

6:30PM – 7:20PM | DJ set by Xtina Star + Drink & Draw with @kidandfro

7:30PM – 8:30PM | Fireside chat with Michael D. Dinwiddie and Kamau Ware; Others Built New York mural behind the scenes screening

8:30PM – 9:30PM | Violin by Khetiwe Khumalo

Revolution (n) a dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in people’s ideas about it

Nerdy Thursdays welcomes the Black Comic Collective back for our second Comic Book Night. We will host a panel with Black Comic Collective Founder, Deirdre Hollman, comic book artist Grey Williamson, with our very own Kamau Ware and William Ellis. We will also screen from the Little Apple Series created by Riley Wilson. This evening is also the opening of our next exhibition FLY by artist Camo. Come through for a conversation on the new ways visual storytelling is being pushed by Black comic creators.

5:00PM | Mingle x FLY exhibition opening by artist Camo

6:00PM | Little Apple Series screening with creator Riley Wilson

6:30PM | Panel Discussion with Deirdre Hollman, Grey Williamson, Kamau Ware, and William Ellis

7:15PM Art Talk w/ Camo

7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk w/ Kei Williams + Music by Ayannah Heaven

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Nerdy Thursdays is partnering with Kelewele NYC to present our first Africa Night, sponsored by Bed Vyne Brew.

Black Gotham Experience is excited to present our first ever Africa Night, which is deeply connected with our mission to illustrate the impact of the African Diasporas on New York City. This is a timely conversation as the nation responds to The 1619 Project by the New York Times and more people of the Diaspora embrace the Year of Return, both commemorating August 20th 1619 when Africans were brought to the shores of Virginia 400 years ago. Africa is on our minds. We look forward to a conversation and celebration of the impact of Africa and African culture on the world.

5:00PM | Mingle + food by The Cradle NYC (Nigeria)

6:30PM | Panel Discussion with Rotimi Akinnuoye (Bed Vyne Brew), Rachel Laryea (Kelewele NYC), William Ellis, Denice Ochola, and Kamau Ware (Black Gotham Experience)

7:30PM | Sarah’s Fire Walk w/ Kei Williams + Music by Andee (South Africa)

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Our current exhibition FLY by Camo will be on view.

Nerdy Thursdays is partnering with Birthright AFRICA, Magic & Melanin, and GrowHouse NYC to present our first Young World Night. We have learned a lot by listening to the youth as our Origin Stories illustrates, so we wanted to have a Nerdy Thursdays event with a panel of teenagers and young adults to hear what is on their mind. This is a family friendly event that we look forward to doing annually.

5:00PM | Mingle + Games

6:30PM | Panel Discussion with youth participating from our partner organizations Birthright AFRICA, Magic & Melanin, and GrowHouse NYC.

7:30PM |Sarah’s Fire Walk w/ Kei Williams + Music Dany Mane

9:00PM | Evening concludes

Nerdy Thursdays is excited to close out our summer season with Style Night. This evening will be hosted by the stylish Pythagore who is featured in our Sugar Shadow project. Amazing stylist, Naana Badu, will join him on the panel along with William Ellis and Kamau Ware for a conversation on the stories we tell with our clothes. You also want to catch the final Sarah’s Fire walk of the summer with Kei Williams and the music by another style savant, Frei Speech. The evening will be kicked off with a fireside chat with the stars of BlackIssuesISSUES, ReBlacka Finch & GiBson DeCatour. Pull up.

Join us as we close out the summer in style. RSVP: blackgotham.com/nerdy-thursdays | #bgxnerdythursdays #insideblackgotham

5:00PM | Mingle

6:00PM | Fireside chat with ReBlacka Finch & GiBson DeCatour from BlackIssuesISSUES

6:30PM | Panel Discussion with Pythagore @pythagore_hemingway_the_poet, Naana Badu @badubasics, William Ellis @mrwilliamellis, and Kamau Ware @kamauware

7:30PM |Sarah’s Fire Walk w/ Kei Williams @blackboikei + Music by Frei Speech @freispeech

9:00PM | Evening concludes