Black History Month Festival (which AARP sponsors) and the "Big Apple"

[Bapopik]

AARP is a sponsor of the Black History Month Festival (Sponsors – ASALH – The Founders of Black History Month), and I need to speak to people associated with this.

...

Dr. Gerald Cohen and I solved why New York City is called the "Big Apple." It was the 1920s catch phrase of New York (NY) Morning Telegraph track writer John J. Fitz Gerald (1892-1963), and it meant the "big time" of New York's "big money" race tracks. In a column, "Around the Big Apple with John J. Fitz Gerald," on February 18, 1924 (100 years ago), he wrote:

...

"The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York."

...

Fitz Gerald then admitted for the first time (he would state this again on December 1, 1926) that he picked up his "Big Apple" term from "dusky" (black) stablehands at the Fair Grounds race track in New Orleans. These stablehands have still never been honored, and I would like this information made a part of the Black History Month Festival. Everyone should know this! Please help, AARP!

...

Anyone can contact me, see my website with this information, www.barrypopik.com.

...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7914753/Historian-traces-origin-New-York-Citys-nickname-Big...

...

Big Apple - Wikipedia

[Bapopik]

 In 1934, sportsmen opened a "Big Apple" nightclub/restaurant in Harlem. It's now a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, with not even a photo or a plaque to show what the place had been. Harlem's black jazz musicians in the 1930s would popularize "Big Apple." Again, I would like to share all this information with the Black History Month Festival, which AARP sponsors. Could anyone help?

...

https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-US/noartistknown/night-club-the-big-apple-a-harlem-new-york-city-...

...

https://harlembespoke.blogspot.com/2020/11/remember-big-apple-jazz-club-circa-1941.html#more

...

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/nyregion/08apple.html?em

...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mateox/3238119474

[AARPJanelleM]

@Bapopik Please try emailing that office: DCAARP@aarp.org

[Bapopik]

(1) Barry Popik on X: "@AARPDC Help me, AARP! It is the 100th anniversary of the "Around the Big App...

...

I told them (@AARPDC) on X/Twitter. They know about this. There has been no reply! I will try email, but I'm disappointed so far!

[Bapopik]

There has been no response to my tweet to @dcaarp, and no response to my email to DCAARP@aarp.org. Not even a "no, we're not going to help you honor black lives for Black History Month." No response! I'm not happy!

...

Again, it's the 100th anniversary of the "Around the Big Apple with John J. Fitz Gerald" column of February 18, 1924, where the Morning Telegraph track writer admitted that his "Big Apple" catch phrase came from "dusky" (black) stablehands at the Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans. That Fair Grounds encounter probably occurred in January 1920. See this January 2020 article, from WNYC and Gothamist.

...

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/big-apple-nickname-origin-nyc-history

...

Oh, that "Big Apple Corner" street sign that I dedicated in 1997, where John J. Fitz Gerald last lived? It was stolen in 2021 and still hasn't been replaced, three years later. Most honorary street signs are replaced within just five days.

...

Anyone want to help? Contact New York City's mayor to honor the "Big Apple" stablehands during Black History Month. There's a form at nyc.gov. No one responds!

...

https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/contact-the-mayor.page

...

Contact New York City's cultural commissioner, also at nyc.gov. No one responds, but maybe someone will respond to you, or AARP.

...

https://www.nyc.gov/site/dcla/about/email-the-commissioner.page

[Bapopik]

"BIG APPLE" UPDATE: On February 1st, Fox 5 (New York, NY) did a "Big Apple" story and used my work! It was completely unexpected! 

...

I'd still like to talk to the Black History Month Festival and AARP (which sponsors the festival) about the 100th anniversary of the "Around the Big Apple" column of February 18, 1924, but it's nice to see other people interested.

...

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/why-is-nyc-called-the-big-apple?taid=65bb36f0d0209000013623ed&utm_campai...