Harlem Mystery Mail (Series) — FINAL UPDATE 6/28
Not on my watch! – Iyanla Vanzant
If it’s one thing I hate, it’s somebody trying to get one over on me. I’m not sure which I dislike more: being lied to, or the liar thinking they can get away with it. So when I opened my post office box and found a mailer that didn’t seem quite right, I investigated. What I found was way, way wilder than I imagined. (It’s like the BKMag thing all over again.)
There are private interests spending a lot of money on my neighborhood state assembly primary. It costs anywhere from $28,000 to $40,000 to send this kind of mail of to every address in the district, and some independent expenditure committees have sent 2-3 rounds when the primary was still a whole month away.
The more I look into who’s funding these groups, the more frustrated I become. And I think we all as Harlemites have a right to know that just because a group has dubbed themselves MOVING HARLEM FORWARD doesn’t mean they live here, support our local businesses, or have any interest in community uplift. The rent is too damn high, my favorite spots are closing, and the library isn’t open on weekends for families to take their children to get books. Plus, we need those fast and free buses like yesterday.
I’ll be posting installments of the Harlem Mystery Mail series on TikTok and Instagram every time I get a new piece of mail. I’ll also post them on this page, so be sure to check back regularly. As far as the candidates go, I’ve interviewed the challenger, Conrad Blackburn and the incumbent Jordan J.G. Wright [as of 6/19]. And don’t be discouraged, this is very much still an ART BLOG, but art is made by people and people are impacted by politics.
Here’s everything I posted:
(FINAL Update: June 30, 2026)
Post-Election Updates
Harlem Mystery Mail: Assembly Seats for Sale SERIES FINALE (posted 6/30)
@blackstar.reviews the series finale. now that the primary has passed, let’s put it to bed. just under $1 million dollars in outside spending in our neighborhood. time to see who was pulling the levers…. #followthemoney #dsa #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #investigate
Harlem Voter Turnout Outpaces The City (posted 6/25)
@blackstar.reviews taking a look at the unofficial results…! had to pull my markers and my calculator out for this one! oh, and we out-voted the city 🤭🤭🤭 #math #greenscreen #harlem #votes #nyc
Candidate Debates: Jordan Wright and Conrad Blackburn
Asking Harlem Assembly Candidates about living in Harlem (posted 6/21)
@blackstar.reviews Tag your Harlem neighbor! I asked both candidates for Harlem’s state assembly seat (Jordan Wright and Conrad Blackburn) WHY they’ve chosen Harlem as their home. Early voting ends SUNDAY. Election Day is Tuesday, June 23. Your vote matters 🫶🏽 #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #localelections #nyc
Asking Harlem Assembly Candidates about billionaire campaign spending (posted 6/20)
@blackstar.reviews Jordan Wright and Conrad Blackburn both respond to WHY billionaires, hedge funds, and mobile gambling apps are spending upwards of $500,000 to see Jordan win. Decide for yourself…. #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #localelections #politics #nyc
Asking Harlem Assembly Candidates about their neighborhood faves (posted 6/20)
@blackstar.reviews HARLEM NEWS: hear from the two candidates in the AD70 race on their fave Harlem brunch, happy hour, church, choir and barbershop – EARLY VOTING ENDS SATURDAY, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY. full interviews are on my YouTube channel. #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #localelections #politics #nyc
Harlem Mystery Mail: Assembly Seats for Sale, Parts 1-3
Harlem Mystery Mail: Assembly Seats for Sale — Moving New York Families Forward (posted 6/11)
Who is funding Moving New York Families Forward?
@blackstar.reviews HARLEM! the mystery mail series is BACK with a new theme song and a new scheme! please share with your neighbors. the primary election is 13 days away! WHO IS MOVING NEW YORK FAMILIES FORWARD? (hint: it’s billionaires) #localpolitics #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #neighborhood #civicduty
Harlem Mystery Mail: Assembly Seats for Sale — New York Future (posted 6/10)
Who is funding New York Future?
@blackstar.reviews idk. i feel like we’re being boosted. harlem mystery mail: assembly seats for sale. WHO IS NEW YORK FUTURE? (hint: it’s billionaires… it’s always billionaires) #harlem #localpolitics #parlay #boosted #vote
Harlem Mystery Mail: Assembly Seats for Sale — Moving Harlem Forward (posted 6/11)
Who is funding Moving Harlem Forward?
@blackstar.reviews the third group…… Harlem mystery mail series, tracking contributors and spending for Moving Harlem Forward up till June 10. Seems to be some missing spends in their ledger…. #harlem #harlemworld🌎 #spenddat #localpolitics #vote
Harlem Mystery Mail, Parts 1-6
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 1 (originally posted on 5/17, reposted on 5/20)
Who sent me this mailer?
@blackstar.reviews [reposted] Harlem Mystery Mail, part 1 — NYC democracy, Black politics, big money, lobbying, and connecting the dots only to find out it’s one big circle. Pam Bondi, Chi Osse, Conrad Blackburn, J.G. Wright #greenscreen #harlem #uptown #harlemworld🌎 #localpolitics
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 2 (originally posted on 5/17, reposted on 5/20)
Did Conrad Blackburn work for Pam Bondi?
@blackstar.reviews [reposted] Harlem mystery mail, Part 2 — harlem politics, dsa power grabs, carpet bagging, affordable housing, free buses, weekend library hours, getting it out the mud, and storytelling: WHY HARLEM? #greenscreen #harlem harlemworld🌎 #localpolitics #uptown
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 3 (posted 5/25)
Topics: Moving New York Families Forward, Michael Bloomberg, Alice Walton, Jim Walton, Frank Ricci
@blackstar.reviews Harlem, we’ve got mail (again…) going deeper on the pink and yellow mailer – the crazy part is we don’t even have Walmart in Harlem 😮💨 #greenscreen #localpolitics #harlemworld🌎 #uptown #harlem (Harlem Mysyery Mail part 3)
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 4 (posted 5/25)
Topics: New York Future, Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Online Gambling
@blackstar.reviews at this point I’m getting 2 per day! arghhhh. what’s the under/over on how many more of these we should expect? 🤔🤔remember to vote on June 23. #localpolitics #harlemworld🌎 #uptown #harlem #greenscreen
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 5 (posted 5/25)
Topics: Moving Harlem Forward, Solidarity PAC, Adeena Rosen, Daniel Lowy, 32BJ American Dream Fund
@blackstar.reviews beginning to wonder how many parts this series will have….we’re still a month out. 🥱 idk how long this one will stay up… and some of yall called this connection out early #greenscreen #localpolitics #harlemworld🌎 #uptown #harlem
Harlem Mystery Mail, Part 6 (posted 6/1)
Topics: Moving New York Families Forward, Michael Bloomberg, Alice Walton, Jim Walton, Frank Ricci
@blackstar.reviews knock, knock! who’s there? ….billionaires. it’s always billionaires. this time we’re following the money trail of a committee that calls themselves “Moving New York Families Forward”. which contributor strikes you as the most family-oriented? #greenscreen #harlem #uptown #localpolitics #billionaires [HARLEM MYSTERY MAIL 6]
No matter where you land on these issues — whether cooperative housing sounds like a dream or a nightmare — please, please remember to vote in the primary. If you live in NYC, the election is on June 23, but you can vote early between June 13 and June 21. Go to https://www.vote.nyc/elections to learn more about the when’s and the where’s.
If you don’t live in NYC, figure out what’s happening in your own local politics. And when you learn something new, don’t keep it to yourself! Tell a friend.
blacklove 🖤 and starlight 🌟
