The AUDELCO Theater Awards (1980)

The headline on the New York Post of November 17 [1980] forewarned readers that it would "SNOW!" that night. And the snow came. So did the rain and the cold night air that nipped at noses and fingertips. But November 17 was a special night for the black theater community. It was the night of the 8th Annual AUDELCO Black Theatre Awards ceremony in which recognition awards would be given in 16 different categories. And it would take something stronger and more devastating than a cold snap to keep people away.

These were theater people, a dauntless lot. Elegantly dressed in fur coats, evening gowns, and tuxedos, they filled the 750-seat ultra-modern Aaron Davis Hall/Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at City College in Harlem to honor their own. The love and respect they felt was evident in the abundance of smiles, kisses, embraces, and handshakes bestowed on their colleagues before they entered the theater. It was also evident by the thunderous applause and cheers that greeted the announcement of each nominee's name.

The audience may also have been applauding and cheering the fact that November 17, 1980 marked the return to Harlem of  AUDELCO (Audience Development Committee)*, after an absence of two years for lack of adequate space. After all, Harlem has long been the entertainment capital of black America. Many of our most significant black artists grew up and/or launched their careers in this world-famous community. So the awards were more than just a celebration of contemporary black achievement in theater. They were a tribute to Harlem's glorious past, a past which has given us people such as Earle Hyman, one of four recipients of the AUDELCO Outstanding Pioneer Award for 1980.

 Fellow actor Frederick O'Neal worked with Hyman in the American Negro Theatre in the 1940s when Hyman became a member at age 17. Here is what O'Neal said about this remarkable actor who studied the plays of Ibsen and the Norwegian language and has played Othello more times than any other actor, living or dead:

"Earle spent four or five years playing with the Norwegian State Theatre. ...[O]ne of those years Earle won the award for the best artist of the season. ...[O]nly two performers have won it since its inception. And the only other person...was Charlie Chaplin.

"There is bust of Earle," continued O'Neal, "in the State Theatre in Oslo today."

Earle Hyman was not present at the awards ceremony because he was in Norway directing a play. His award was accepted by Owen Dodson, the director, playwright, and poet.

While Debbie Allen and Gregory Hines, the co-hosts, kept the audience in stitches with sight gags and witty comments, the basketball player Earl Monroe, the actress Josephine Premice, and the dancer Judith Jamison were among those presenting the awards to overjoyed recipients.

Amidst all this glitter and gaiety were a few serious moments. Most notably Ossie Davis's short and eloquent speech upon accepting the AUDELCO Board of Directors Award for his wife, Ruby Dee, and himself. This award honored their lifelong contribution to the black theater.

"If we are ever to become Africans again," remarked Davis, "we must do it first through our art."

It was past midnight when the 8th Annual AUDELCO Awards presentation ended. The audience streamed out of the theater and into the lobby where drinks and hors d'oeuvres awaited them. Many people moved through the crowd, eating, drinking, and chatting at the same time. They were having a good time and it seemed as if they didn't want it to end.

*Note: AUDELCO was founded in 1973 by Vivian Robinson (1926-1996). It's aim, says its website, was "to stimulate interest in and support of performing arts in black communities."

The manuscript for this article was recently found in a folder and was written on November 26, 1980. It was presumably written for the New York Amsterdam News. This article has been slightly edited.

A Brief Personal Quiz

The following quiz was posted on Facebook by MikenVal Collins, who linked it to my cousin Sharon's page as an alternative to the gloom and doom that is frequently posted on Facebook. Unfortunately, I had trouble answering the questions on my smartphone because of some technical problem. So I'm doing it here. I will later link this blog post to Facebook. Now visitors to the blog will learn a little more about me than what appears in my profile.

Birth order?  The youngest of four.

Favorite pie?  Apple.

Steak or seafood?  Seafood.

Italian or Chinese [food]?   Italian.

Favorite soda?  Pepsi-Cola. (In my teens, it was Royal Crown Cola.)

How many tattoos?  None.

Netflix or Hulu?  Neither. (I prefer to watch DVDs on my laptop.)

Ever hit a deer? No.

Favorite season?  Summer.

Left country?  Yes. I've been to Tijuana, Mexico.

Dogs or cats?  Cats.

Early morning person? No.

Ever been out of the state? Yes.

Favorite color?  Blue.

Have you ever flown on a plane? Yes. The last time I was on a plane was when I was 10 years old.

Waffles or pancakes?  Pancakes (with plenty of maple syrup).

Smooth or crunchy peanut butter?  Smooth (preferably Skippy).

A Manhattan Bookstore Closes

More than a year ago, Shakespeare & Company's store, on Broadway near 105th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was closed a short time after it opened for business. I learned it was closing from an article in the weekly newspaper, The Spirit. I later went to the store to buy a couple of mystery paperbacks at a significant discount.

I think the store could have been saved if the owners had focused exclusively on LGBTQ books and merchandise (like posters, rainbow flags, key chains, and slogan buttons).

In a city with a sizable LGBTQ population, and no bookstore catering to it, I refuse to believe such a bookstore would not have been able to thrive, even in harsh economic times. LGBTQ bars seem to stay afloat no matter what.

Aside from selling books and LGBTQ-related merchandise, the store could have been used for book readings, book signings, lectures, film screenings, game nights, special events, etc. The store needed owners who could think outside the box and experiment with different ways to attract a loyal clientele.

The location, in a very busy section of town, would have been a perfect refuge for LGBTQ bibliophiles, in an area convenient to public transportation, public parks, restaurants, supermarkets, and smaller shops.

We Need An Interurban Trolley System

There's a very memorable scene in the 1975 historical novel Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015), in which a character, who I think was a Jewish immigrant, traveled 138 miles from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Springfield, Massachusetts. He reached his destination by transferring to various trolley lines. The novel is set in the early years of the 20th century. I don't know if such a transit system existed back then or was just a product of Doctorow's imagination, but I do know that this system is not available today. And that's too bad, because an interurban trolley system would help reduce bumper-to-bumper traffic and polluting car emissions.

Very Apt Descriptions

Here are Google A.I.'s recent descriptions of this blog:

"Urban Book Maven is an online blog and cultural archive authored by writer and cultural critic Charles Michael Smith. The blog focuses on the intersection of LGBTQ+ culture, Black history, literature, and arts, often sharing historical essays, author interviews, and reflections on queer and multicultural heritage. Notable topics frequently discussed on the site include the legacy of Black gay writers (such as Assotto Saint) and historical accounts of nightlife and anti-violence resistance [sic] in communities of color." (accessed May 28, 2026)

In an earlier description, A. I. described the blog as "an active blog featuring literary commentary, personal essays, and reflections with recent content published as of March 2026. The site has been noted in academic contexts regarding queer literature and features posts exploring themes of travel, memory, and literature." (accessed April 24, 2026)

I would say that the above statements are very apt descriptions.

Books Are Tiny Time Machines

Michiko Kakutani (born 1955), the former chief book critic of the New York Times, has given what I think is the best description I've ever read of what books can do. In her 2020 book, Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread (Clarkson Potter), she calls books "[t]hese magical brick-sized objects--made of paper, ink, glue, thread, cardboard, fabric, or leather--[that] are actually tiny time machines that can transport us back to the past to learn the lessons of history, and forward to idealized or dystopian futures. Books can transport us to distant parts of the globe and even more distant  planets and universes. They give us the stories of men and women we will never meet in person, illuminate the discoveries made by great minds, and allow us access to the wisdom of earlier generations."

Harlem Church Tours

I could be wrong, but I believe that the hundreds of tourists visiting Harlem churches every Sunday morning come for the spectacle, the entertainment value of the services rather than for religious reasons.

Author's Note: The church, pictured above, was located on West 123rd Street, near the corner of Lenox Avenue, in Harlem. It was next door to the homophobic, anti-Obama ATLAH Missionary Church. The A.M.E. church is now occupied by a mosque called Masjid Futa Islamic Center Harlem.

Homemade Or Store Made?

I'm always amused whenever I see a restaurant window sign that says the restaurant's food is homemade. It would be safe to bet that the food sold never came out of anyone's home kitchen. Plus, I'm sure the health department wouldn't allow such food to be sold. What restaurant owners should say is that their food is store made or cooked on the premises.

Some Good Astrological Advice

Lately I've taken up the habit of reading Eugenia Last's daily horoscope column in the morning paper called amNew York.

I'm a Gemini, and I have found some very useful advice in the column for those born under my astrological sign. Here are some examples of that advice:

"Concentrate on creating partnerships, learning, and keeping busy. The less time you focus on who and what you don't like, the easier it will be to let go of the past." (May 4, 2026)

"Stop talking and start doing. You'll gain ground if you focus on your achievements. Get serious and committed. Give good advice, and you will make a big difference." (April 29, 2026)

"Do what you can to help those who need it. Share your expertise and your wisdom. A kind word will do wonders for others and make you feel good." (April 22, 2026)

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Todd Boyd in his theroot.com article discussed the demise of Vibe magazine. He called the hip-hop culture publication "the brainchild of Quincy Jones." I have no problem with that but he completely overlooked music journalist Scott Poulson-Bryant, a founding editor of the magazine. Poulson-Bryant, an openly gay man, stated in his book Hung: A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men in America (Doubleday, 2005) that "I named Vibe magazine Vibe." Hip-hop culture is notoriously homophobic and it would have been a good idea to acknowledge that a major publication devoted to it was named by a member of a much-maligned but influential group. Let's give credit where it's due.

Saturday Is Record Store Day

I still cherish the cover art and sound of vinyl records even though it has been many years since I set foot in a store that sold only records and accessories like phonograph needles and spindle adaptors (used to play donut-shaped 45 rpm records). Plus many of the stores in New York that I patronized like Discomat, King Karol, and Colony are long gone. Target is the only store I've been to where I've seen a vinyl record like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On for sale (at double or triple the original price). But no one would consider Target a record store.

That brings me to why I'm writing this blog post. It's to remind you that Saturday, April 18, is Record Store Day. So anyone fortunate to have a record store near them can stop by and buy a vinyl record or more.

Thankfully, I had the good sense to hold on to my LPs and 45s. I'm now able to play them on a portable record player that I bought at a now out-of-business Bed, Bath, & Beyond store in Harlem seven or eight years ago. The record player plays records in all three speeds-- 33, 45, and 78.

A little more than two weeks ago I found on 106th Street, near Columbus Avenue, some discarded records. The albums that interested me the most were the ones by such jazz notables as Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. In that pile of records was a five-disc set called Collector's Classic History of Jazz, as well as Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, one of my favorite classical music compositions. On the record, Stravinsky conducts the orchestra.

Jazz Music's Special Month

Since April is National Jazz Appreciation Month, there are many ways for die-hard jazz lovers  to celebrate this iconic, American-born music's global reach and influence. Among those ways are attending a live performance (in a club or outdoors); financially supporting a jazz radio station like Newark, New Jersey's WBGO; buying a jazz record or CD; watching a jazz-related movie (fictional or documentary); reading a history book on jazz or a biography of a jazz great like Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong; buying a postcard, poster, or artwork with a jazz theme.

Let's help make this month a truly memorable Jazz Appreciation Month.

Don't forget that April 30 is International Jazz Day and is celebrated in various countries around the world. In 2011, that day was declared as such by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

Happy Jazz Appreciation Month!

Spring Is Here!

Today is the first day of spring! Goodbye, winter. Hello, spring. Good to see you again. What took you so long?

Now that you are finally here, I can look forward to sitting on a bench in Central Park (my favorite New York park) or Morningside Park with a good book and something cool and refreshing to drink. Maybe I should put together a Spring Reading List. And a summer one, too.

I Hated High School Gym Class

During my high school days in Southern California (at Centennial High in Compton, to be specific), I was not into sports and lacked athletic ability. In fact, I absolutely hated gym class. For me, spending time in the school library would have been preferable. Whenever it rained I was glad because that meant we didn't have to change into our gym clothes (white T-shirt, blue shorts, white socks, and high-top sneakers). The entire gym period would be spent sitting in the locker room until the next bell rang and we went to our next class. 

Since this was California, it didn't rain much. And on the days when it didn't, I would sometimes decide to skip gym altogether, joining a few other boys walking around the grassy field for an hour until it was time to go to the next class.

If recent storms in California had happened back then, I would have considered those storms a blessing.

"In The Life" 's 40th Anniversary

October of this year will mark the 40th anniversary of In the Life, the groundbreaking black gay anthology edited by Joseph Beam and published by Alyson Books in 1986.

Radio Before The Internet

Back in the day, a radio buff like me could sit up late at night to hear radio stations as far away as San Francisco, Spokane (Washington), and Oklahoma City. Listening to those stations brought me joy although it could be a frustrating experience because of the static and the fading in and out of the radio signals. How clear they sounded depended on the station's distance from my home, which at the time was in Southern California. Stations like KOGO and KFMB in San Diego came in clearer because they were in a city closer to the Los Angeles area.

If the Internet had existed in the 1960s, I would have been able to hear all the disc jockeys I read about in the national music magazines like Teen Life. Among those deejays would have been Jerry Blavat (Philadelphia), Ron Riley (Chicago), Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg (Boston), Johnny Rabbitt (St. Louis), Hal Jackson (Newark, New Jersey), and Murray the K (New York). I would have had a ball.

It's possible now to hear many of these radio personalities via archived airchecks on YouTube and other websites, but it's not the same as hearing them in real time. Unfortunately, many of these deejays are no longer alive.

One of the deejays I was able to hear clearly was Wolfman Jack when he had yet to become a household name. He played R&B (or soul music) on a super powerful Mexican station, XERB. At the time I thought he was black because of his gravelly, down-home way of talking. I later learned he was a white guy whose real name was Bob Smith. That didn't bother me, he became one of my favorite deejays.

Finding Free Books On The Streets Of Manhattan

Among the authors whose books I have found in free book kiosks, on street corners, and in front of apartment buildings are Harper Lee, Richard Wright, Dorothy L. Sayers, Walter Isaacson, Stephen King, James McBride, Isabel Allende, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ed McBain,  Kurt Vonnegut, Sylvia Plath, Percival Everett, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amy Tan, Clive Cussler, John Steinbeck, Renee Rosen, and Michael Eric Dyson.

That would also include a copy of In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology, published in 1986 and edited by Joseph Beam. I was one of its contributors. (New York's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture listed In the Life on its "100 Black Voices Schomburg Centennial Reading List." I know Joe would have been very pleased.) 

Finding free books on the street is one of the many perks of living in otherwise pricey Manhattan.

The Waning Days Of Harlem's Mount Morris Baths

While going through some old manila file folders, I found a handwritten draft of a letter-to-the-editor written on canary yellow paper and dated June 25, 2001. I don't recall what publication prompted me to write it. As far as I know, it was never published. Here's what I wrote (which includes my edits):

Dear Editor:

Re: The increase in HIV infection among black gay men. 

I recently worked part time as a towel attendant in a Harlem bathhouse. During the two months of my employment I witnessed

After working two months as a part-time towel attendant/porter, I can see in a Harlem bathhouse, I can see why there is an increase in HIV infection among young black gay men. During my employment, I found crack vials, poppers, and other evidence of drug abuse as well as carelessly discarded condoms.

On the flipside of the page was another handwritten (and presumably unpublished) undated draft. This is what I wrote:

While the rest of 125th Street [in Harlem] rebuilds or renovates its premises, the Mount Morris Baths remains dirty and rundown. In a 1999 issue of the New York Blade News [a gay newspaper], Walter Fitzer [the straight owner of the bathhouse] claimed that the Health Department had been "busting my chops for the past three years under [then mayor Rudolph] Giuliani." If that is true, it would seem justified.