AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 8
This issue is about revolution, remembrance, and rebirth. In Dubai, Chef Alexander Smalls is launching a first-of-its-kind food experience celebrating the culinary revolution taking place in Africa. In New York, as fashion week returned, House of Aama launched a collection remembering the elegance of 20th century Black resort towns. In Philadelphia, Chanae Richards is carving out space for rest, relaxation and meditation. And in Los Angeles, our cover star, Jennah Bell, is part of a renaissance of music that is indie, soulful and written from the heart. In this issue we take you to The Deacon hotel designed by Shannon Maldonado. And in our Wellness section, we let you in our own road to rebirth, through the journey with long-haul COVID that has defined our life this past year. In our Reference section we explore new thoughts on the African Diaspora. Looking beyond the history behind the word to explore the idea itself, opening new worlds of possibility as we begin working to understand what the African Diaspora actually is. And we take you inside the importance of the emerging Black art scene heralded by the Obama portraits which, now well into their national tour, made a memorable stop at the Brooklyn Museum.
This issue is about revolution, remembrance, and rebirth. In Dubai, Chef Alexander Smalls is launching a first-of-its-kind food experience celebrating the culinary revolution taking place in Africa. In New York, as fashion week returned, House of Aama launched a collection remembering the elegance of 20th century Black resort towns. In Philadelphia, Chanae Richards is carving out space for rest, relaxation and meditation. And in Los Angeles, our cover star, Jennah Bell, is part of a renaissance of music that is indie, soulful and written from the heart.
In this issue we take you to The Deacon hotel designed by Shannon Maldonado. And in our Wellness section, we let you in our own road to rebirth, through the journey with long-haul COVID that has defined our life this past year.
In our Reference section we explore new thoughts on the African Diaspora. Looking beyond the history behind the word to explore the idea itself, opening new worlds of possibility as we begin working to understand what the African Diaspora actually is. And we take you inside the importance of the emerging Black art scene heralded by the Obama portraits which, now well into their national tour, made a memorable stop at the Brooklyn Museum.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Travel<br />
The former First African Baptist Church, originally built in<br />
1906, had a wall that was falling into the street when Abitbol discovered<br />
it. The church had been a place of refuge for South Philadelphia’s<br />
prominent Black community in the early 1900s. The same community<br />
that W.E.B. DuBois studied and wrote about in The Philadelphia Negro.<br />
After the church closed its doors, moving the congregation into a<br />
bigger space, the historic building had fallen into disrepair. Knowing of<br />
the rich community history of the First African Baptist Church, Abitbol<br />
decided he wanted to restore the building as a “community asset.”<br />
He turned to Philadelphia native Shannon Maldonado, hiring her<br />
as the creative director for what would become a hotel and community<br />
space in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of the city. Maldonado,<br />
the owner of popular Philly boutique, YOWIE, is known for her love of<br />
color, eye for artisanship, and her signature minimalist aesthetic. And<br />
The Deacon offers all of that and more, with a Bauhaus design aesthetic.<br />
In beautifully appointed rooms, guests can interact with history,<br />
as the original stain glass from the church remains part of the architecture.<br />
Or they can gather in the common areas where Maldonado<br />
used color to create an enveloping and cozy experience.<br />
Beyond the rooms, the hotel was designed to honor its roots, and<br />
remain a place for the community to gather. On any given day, guests<br />
and neighborhood residents can find an interesting event to attend.<br />
From self-care slumber parties led by Freedom Apothecary to an<br />
evening of Latin dance, where guests are led through lessons of basic<br />
steps of Salsa by AfroTaino, every month there’s a host of unique gatherings<br />
to take part in.<br />
A place to gather, relax, and enjoy, The Deacon is a unique space<br />
designed for one-of-a-kind experiences and is now the new heart of<br />
Philadelphia’s Graduate Hospital neighborhood. AC<br />
You can book your stay and/or experience at thedeaconphl.com.<br />
78 aphrochic
Change language