Old Skool Cafe’s Rousing Harlem Renaissance Gala
Photos by Ando Caulfield for Drew Altizer Photography
August 22
Old Skool Cafe, a jazzy, youth-run supper club in Hunters Point, held its Harlem Renaissance Gala on August 22, where 200 guests, on-theme in festive 1920s garb, raised more than $300,000 to continue the cafe’s admirable mission of giving 16- to 22-year-olds who’ve been affected by poverty and incarceration a second chance through steady employment.
The festivities kicked off with a cocktail reception at the cafe’s classic digs, followed by a heart-soaring program at the nearby Bay View Opera House.
A roster of inspired attendees included Hooman Khalili, radio host about town; Mike Krieger, Instagram co-founder, who now runs the Future Justice Fund with his wife, Kaitlyn, who was also in attendance; Teresa Goines, aka Momma T., Old Skool’s dynamic and beloved founder; and Jay Jay Jackson, Hunters Point hometown hero, who was the evening’s honoree alongside Chris Wilson, author of The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose.
