South Carolina’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender of color community will be out and proud when SC Black Pride celebrate its fifth anniversary on June 24-27.
According to Sheila R. Hudson SC Black Pride Assistant Pride Director & Program Coordinator, the theme, “Nothing But Love” is very appropriate.
‘The broad motivation for this year’s South Carolina Black Pride is summed up by our theme, “Nothing But Love,” she said. “Despite those who claim Black LGBT citizens are ‘not natural,’ we stand up for and are driven by ‘nothing but love’ in all that we do. We deserve ‘nothing but love’ for being who we are and for the enormous contributions we make to South Carolina and American society.”
“Today is a life that we as a people have awakened to a new century, new ideas, new hope and new beginnings,” said Niece Brooks, SC Black Pride Vice President & Pride Director.
This year brings new faces to the SC Black Pride Board as well as new ideas to unite the community, including fundraisers, a film festival, and a family fun day.
The Family Fun Day, to be held on June 12th at Woodland Park, is a new idea that addresses the needs of an under served segment of South Carolina’s lgbt of color community - same gender loving households with children.
According to a report co-created by the National Black Justice Coalition and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force:
• many African-American same-sex couples are raising children, including biological and nonbiological children,
• black female same-sex households are as likely as black married opposite-sex households to live with a least one child of an adult parent, and
• Sumter, SC is one of the top 10 cities in the country for black same-sex households raising children.
Organizers feel that the Family Fun Day is crucial to show support to these families.
Pride Week in June will culminate with a Community Expo at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and this will be a kind of a return to home for SC Black Pride because the organization held its first expo at the convention center. There will be food and entertainment, including a special observance of the late author E. Lynn Harris. Harris, who passed away last year, was the best selling author of many book dealing with the lives of the lgbt community of color, including
Invisible Life,
Just As I Am, and
This Too Will Pass.
“Our purpose is to celebrate the often subjugated creativity, beauty, dignity, and brilliance of South Carolina’s Black LGBT community,” says Dr. Todd Shaw, Chair, of the SC Black Pride Committee. “The double whammies of racism and homophobia attack we same-gender loving sisters and brothers. And now’s the time the Black community understand how much we contribute to the larger freedom struggle and the larger society understand how much we contribute as loving mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, and young leaders.”
Organizers anticipate a record 5,000 attendees to this year’s events.
All are welcomed and SC Black Pride is looking for more volunteers. To learn more about this Pride’s many empowering events (including becoming a vendor or a volunteer and advertising in the Pride Guide), refer to:
South Carolina Black Pride
P.O. Box 8191
Columbia, SC 29202
or contact info@southcarolinablackpride.com
or Niece Brooks at (803) 608-5652
2010 SC Black Pride Events
(All events are in Columbia, South Carolina and are subject to change)
*** Pre-Pride Events ***
Saturday, April 24
A Sexy Evening of Elegance: For the Ladies and Their Friends,
$10 Admission
Clarion Hotel Downtown, 1615 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC, 29201; Music by D.J. Kelley-Kel, cash bar and Hor d’ourves, among many other surprises! 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.; $10 at the door.
Saturday, May 22nd
Young, Gifted, and Black: A Mini Film Festival 7 - 9 pm.,
Free Admission
University of South Carolina Campus, room 112, Sloan College, 911 Pickens Street, 29201, Free Admission but donations accepted.
Saturday, June 5th
“A Beautiful People Party (Co-Ed), 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.,
$10 admission
Club H2O, 220 State Street, West Columbia, SC, 29619; Music by D.J. Kelley-Kel; 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.; $10 at the door.
Saturday, June 12th
Play Day at the Park, 11 a.m.
Woodland Park, 6500 Olde Knight Parkway, Columbia, SC, 29209; Free Food, Family Fun, Games, & Sports; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Free Admission
*** Pride Week ***
Thursday, June 24th
Welcome Reception, Free Admission
2000 Watermark Place, Columbia, SC 29210; cash bar and live entertainment; 7-9 p.m.;
Free Admission.
Friday, June 25th
MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) HIV Prevention Institute
"Evidence That Demands Action", Banquet and Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC , 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 pm,
$25 registration includes meals and materials but scholarships available. Please make checks or Postal Money Order payable to AID Upstate and mail to the attention of: Matt Jenkins S.C. DHEC, STD/HIV Division 1751 Calhoun St. Columbia, SC 29201 For additional information please contact Ra’Shawn Flournoy at 1-888-232-2310 or Matt Jenkins at (803) 898-0898
5th Anniversary Town Hall Dialogue - “Looking Back to Move Forward: Progress and the Black LGBT Community in South Carolina
University of South Carolina, Law School Auditorium, 701 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29208; short film/presentation and panel discussion; 6 – 8:30 p.m.; Free Admission.
Saturday, June 26th
Community Expo! Free Admission
Vendors, Entertainment, Door Prizes
Columbia Metropolitan Community Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St
Presidential Ballroom, Family entertainment, food, vendors; 11 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Free Admission.
(Featuring an observance of the 55th Birthday of E.Lynn Harris by Terreance Dean, Stanley Bennett Clay, and James Earl Hardy, co-authors of Visible Lives: Three Short Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris. Panel moderated by Clarence Nero, author of The Temptation of Desire)
Sunday, June 27th
Community Worship Service, Free Admission, 3 p.m.
Presided by
Pastor Rashawn Flournoy, Freedom Worship Church of Columbia in conjunction with other affirming congregations of South Carolina. 7900 Nell Street, Columbia, SC, 29223 (Iglesia Luterana Manantial De); Free Admission.
Those wanting information on vendor rates at the Expo as well as ad rates for the 2010 Pride Guide can go here to the 2010_SC Black Pride Sponsorship package
