Say It Loud!

 
It's his first time, so John Campbell is a little bit timid. Jacob Riis Beach stretches out under the crush of over a thousand people, the throngs zipping past him in bursts of uncontained excitement. In the distance ahead of him, famed early-’90s diva CeCe Peniston puts the large and comfortably gracious crowd in the mood. All around him Campbell sees fellow gay minority brothers and sisters, circling curiously or congregating in packs of family members, lovers, friends or all of the above. The sense of community calms him and, under that hot August sun, he swells with confidence: this is what it means to be gay, black and proud.
 
Each August, New York’s black LGBT community gathers for Black Pride, a celebration of culture, community and mutual respect during an extended weekend of parties, film screenings and other activities. For Campbell, one of Gotham’s premier promoters, that first Black Pride left an indelible impression. “They created a series of amazing events and did a phenomenal job,” he says, grinning at the recollection. Indeed thousands of revelers would seem to agree—another blockbuster Black Pride is already underway, with parties taking place at Escuelita, The Gramercy Theater and elsewhere through Sunday, August 8.
 
But in our increasingly changeable society, questions linger not only about the nature of Black Pride and how it will maintain itself, but also about what it will be in the future—if it will be at all, that is. Despite its history in New York City, Black Pride is still a lesser-understood event for many Gothamites. “It’s a time for gay black folks to be ‘black and gay’ together,” says Nathan H. Williams, promoter of Thirst at Roam and Ocean at Splash. “[It’s where we] celebrate both our commonalities with and uniqueness within the larger LGBT community.” Black Pride began as an event called Pride in the City in the early part of the ’00s, under the umbrella of the People of Color in Crisis organization, or POCC. The POCC created PITC as both a cultural celebration and as a method of providing education about HIV/AIDS prevention in minority communities. “HIV awareness, prevention and testing is now and has always been a part of Black Pride,” explains Lee Soulja, a current organizer of the event. “We recognize the statistics and how disproportionately they affect people of color.” The disproportion is striking: as of 2008, blacks comprised 52% of new infections in America. From the beginning, PITC handed out pamphlets and tested as many as 500 people at the event, all while patrons enjoyed live performances by recording stars Deborah Cox and Vivian Green, educational seminars, fashion shows, a family day picnic, and the Jacob Riis Beach party.
 
Still, despite its good intentions, some may wonder why a multicultural city like New York needs a separate Pride celebration for people of color. Soulja likens Black Pride to other subculture celebrations like the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Others look at it as another Pride, another reason for the gay season, calling LGBT-ers to band together to celebrate their collective contributions, struggles and successes.
 
Black Pride organizers think both points of view are correct. “Just because the word ‘black’ is in the title doesn’t exclude any other race from celebrating with us,” says Jahaan Norvell, an organizer of Black Pride in Charlotte, N.C. “Black Pride is an opportunity for all people to come together to celebrate.” It is a point that each of the promoters interviewed for this story emphasize. The mainstream gay community, they insist, is so large that some members inevitably fall through some holes and it’s up to the leaders of those communities to make sure that none of them falls alone. And it’s especially important to capitalize on the moment for blacks of the Obama generation, who are witnessing a groundswell of community and opportunity unseen since the days of Martin Luther King Jr.
 
While Black Pride attempts to emphasize the gay black experience for those marginalized by the Will & Grace’s and Brothers & Sisters of mainstream gay culture, the doors don’t close to everyone else; it’s just up to them to come. “We don’t say anything to those who think Black Pride is self-segregating,” Jahaan adds, “because we have [a] purpose to include all people.” Williams further clarifies, stating that “No one is excluded, but uplifting black LGBT people is the exclusive goal.”
 
Despite the doors opened by President Obama’s election and the successes of the gay-rights movement, Black Pride still struggles for certainty. “We don’t have the funding or backing that we used to,” Campbell says with a sigh. “Black organizations in general have to fight to get the money they need.” When the POCC lost its state funding, Black Pride suffered. When the events offerings died down, so did the overwhelming crowds. It is a problem affecting black organizations across the nation. Norvell echoes Campbell’s sentiments, saying, “This year we were successful at creating partnerships, but we still lack sponsorship.” 
 
Organizers say Black Pride continues to struggle but they are all optimistic that the event will continue to grow as the black LGBT community continues to find its voice. Campbell believes the community is comforted by seeing blacks in local gay magazines and Williams emphasizes how diversity-friendly New York’s mainstream gay bars are. He says the black community needs to embrace itself because all minority groups—including gays—need a little extra self-love. Norvell reminds us that black pride is gay pride, stating, “The most beautiful part of being black and gay is that I am able to love who I love and celebrate everyday just as I am.”
 
Black Pride started out pretty basic. “Our ambition was to simply make a nice weekend,” Soulja says, drifting off into a memory of standing on stage at Riis Beach years ago, looking out into a crowd of over a thousand people dancing. Soulja promises that New York’s Black Pride will be that big again—no, bigger. “There is still a lot of work to be done,” he admits. As he continues building up its resurgence—mentioning the dogged determination of this year’s committee, the fierce loyalty of the patrons and the strong support of organizers in other cities—Soulja makes it clear that the only thing Black Pride really needs to thrive is the one thing it already has: community.    N
 
Black Pride takes root through Aug 8 at various New York locations. Visit NYCBlackPride.com for more info.