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D.C. Black Pride

D.C. (District of Columbia) Black Pride is the first official black gay pride event in the United States and one of two officially recognized festivals for the African-American LGBT community. It is a program of the Center for Black Equity (CBE) and is also affiliated with the Capital Pride Alliance.[1][2] DC Black Pride is held annually on Memorial Day weekend.

D.C. Black Pride
GenreBlack gay pride
FrequencyAnnually on Memorial Day
Location(s)Washington D.C.
FoundersWelmore Cook, Theodore Kirkland, Ernest Hopkins
Attendance40,000 (est.)

History

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Washington, D.C. had long been a popular destination for black LGBT people as a result of its large black LGBT community and progressive reputation.[3][4] Since 1978, DC has been home to the nation's first black LGBT political advocacy group, the DC chapter of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays.[5]

The first DC Black Pride was created by Welmore Cook, Theodore Kirkland, and Ernest Hopkins in collaboration with the DC Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays and the Inner City AIDS Network. Planning was done over about three months.[6] It was held in May 1991 as "Let's All Come Together, Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day".[7][8] The event focused on raising funds for HIV/AIDS organizations serving the local LGBT African-American community.[8] About 800 people attended.[7]

In 1992 the event, now run by the nonprofit "Black Lesbian & Gay Pride Day, Inc." (BLGPD), spanned over multiple days.[7][8] Events included the first Washington screening of Marlon Riggs' film Tongues United.[7]

The success of the event inspired the creation of elaborate annual official black pride events in other major cities across the country.[9] Annually, over 40,000 is expected which establishes it as the second largest black pride festival in the world.[10][11]

In 2018 a documentary about the event's history, DC Black Pride: Answering the Call, was premiered over Memorial Day weekend.[12]

The event was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned in-person in 2022.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "DC Black Pride". Center for Black Equity. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  2. ^ "DC Black Pride". Capital Pride Alliance. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  3. ^ "Rainbow History Project" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Guide to the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Things to do in DC". washington.org. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  5. ^ "DC Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexuals, Inc". Glbt.dc.gov. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  6. ^ Entertain_DC (20 June 2018). "DCN Presents DC Black Pride: Answering the Call". YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "DC Black Pride History | DC Black Pride 2017". dcblackpride.org. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  8. ^ a b c "Pride Month 2020: How the Black Pride of 1991 evolved into a safe space for queer people of color". MEAWW. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  9. ^ "DC Black Pride presented by the Center for Black Equity". Dcblackpride.org. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  10. ^ "DC Black Pride". Washington.org. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  11. ^ "More Than 40,000 Are Expected to Attend the 29th Annual DC Black Pride "Our Truths in Harmony" in Washington, DC Memorial Day Weekend".
  12. ^ "Local filmmaker answers the call to document history of DC Black Pride". TheDCLine.org. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  13. ^ Reberkenny, Joseph (2022-05-19). "Everything You Need To Know About DC Black Pride 2022". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
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