MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 6, 2005

From Baltimore Out Loud

Baltimore Black Pride: As Powerful as Ever

By Matthew Streib

For the fourth annual Baltimore Black Gay Pride celebration, dubbed "The Power of Black Pride," taking place October 7-9, a wide array of festivities is planned for the thousands of expected attendees. Not only are there block parties and special theme nights at local bars and nightclubs, but also educational workshops, spiritual gatherings, and social.

A big change this year is the position of executive director. "One of the things we're planning to do is to run Black Pride as a business," said Carlton Smith, who stepped down in July as the president of the board for the Health Education Resource Organization and is now paid full-time by Baltimore Black Gay Pride (BBGP). Up until this year, BBGP was an all-volunteer organization.

BBGP is trying to take on a larger scope this year than in previous years. "We're looking to really get out there and let people know that we are more than a fundraiser and block party," Keith Rumph, vice chair of Baltimore Black Pride told OUTloud in May. "Right now, when people think of Black Pride, they think 'October.' We want to let them know we're out there throughout the year, 24/7." Such is part of the reasoning behind having a paid, full-time employee who can work year-round for the cause and not have another occupation to work around, as a volunteer would.

This year, the coordinators of Black Pride are looking to educate and galvanize the community, and to help unify the services of the many organizations that serve the community. They hope to make the community aware of the many agencies that are available to assist them regarding mental health, women's health, HIV/AIDS, and socioeconomic issues. "We want to do more collaboration with other organizations, both local as well as national," said Smith, citing Equality Maryland, the National Black Justice Coalition, and CEOs of local organizations as examples.

To help make the community aware of contemporary issues and resources, BBGP is hosting educational and cultural workshops at the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, October 8. Free to the public, the main attraction of the convention is a town hall meeting entitled "Trapped in the Closet: Beyond the Down Low." A collaboration among BBGP, Equality Maryland, and the Portal, Baltimore's black lgbt resource center, the meeting will be a tongue-in-cheek discussion of the issues and misconceptions involved in black homophobia. "It's about everything that keeps us from being who we are in the community," said Smith. As of press time, the other workshops were still being drawn together, and a final schedule was unavailable.

That evening, at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Center, BBGP will present a Red Carpet Presentation Cultural Affair hosted by Shawnna Alexander. The event will feature such entertainment as a fashion show by Travis Winkey, a performance by Positive Voices, and guest speaker Alexander Robinson, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition.

This year's Icon Award, which is given yearly to someone who has demonstrated commitment to furthering the cause for lgbt individuals in Baltimore City, will also be presented at the Cultural Affair. This year, the recipient is Meredith Moise, field organizer for Equality Maryland. She is given the award for tireless in her quest for lgbt rights in Maryland, supporting equal civil marriage rights, inclusive health education in high schools, religious inclusiveness, and many other important issues. "I'm honored and utterly surprised I'm thankful to be recognized by my colleagues, but this is definitely not a one-woman show; this is a culmination of work by a lot of people," she told Baltimore OUTloud. Although she was somewhat sure of the identity of her nominator, she refused to relinquish it.

Listed here are only a few of the many events that Baltimore Black Gay Pride has to offer this year. For a complete list of all BBGP events, visit them on the web at www.bmoreblackgaypride.org.