Global Black Pride comes to Atlanta

Global Black Pride will make its U.S. debut in Atlanta from August 27 to September 2. The week-long festival aims to highlight and celebrate the progress made by the Black LGBTQ+ community in the fight for equal rights over the past 60 years.

Global Black Pride coincides with Atlanta’s annual Black Pride celebration, followed by Atlanta Pride festivities on October 12-13.

“We are honored and excited to bring Global Black Pride to the United States for the first time, choosing Atlanta as our host city,” said Michael Ighodaro, co-founder and president of the organization, in a press release . “Known for its deep roots in civil rights history and vibrant sense of community, Atlanta is the perfect place to celebrate our diversity, resilience and the ongoing fight for equality and justice. »

What later became the Global Black Pride movement was originally a 12-hour virtual conference held in the summer of 2020 titled “The First Global Black Gay Pride Is a Riot”, founded by Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC ). The event’s panelists included activists and allies from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe and the United States. GBGMC partnered with gay dating app Grindr for this self-described “happy riot” in 2020, which took place just a month after protests against police brutality surrounding the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“2020 Pride came not only in the midst of a global pandemic, but also as the United States witnessed nationwide protests against racism and police brutality,” wrote Alex Black, creative director at Grindr. “Our focus quickly shifted from the typical hallmarks of Pride – parades, parties and protests – to how we could help people celebrate safely from home while supporting queer artists, activists and performers whose means livelihoods were affected by the pandemic. .” This is how “The first (virtual) global black gay pride is a riot” was born.

If you’re aware of queer history, there’s no doubt that the first-ever Global Black Gay Pride was riot. It happened 55 years ago in a gay bar in New York. In fact, Pride Month wouldn’t be celebrated nationwide in June without the iconic Marsha P. Johnson, a black drag queen who led a series of protests after police raided the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969.

So this is the reason – if you’ve ever been to a queer pride parade here in the United States – why the festivities usually take place in June. Atlanta Pride, which coincides with National Coming Out Day on October 11, was also originally held in June, but was pushed back to the fall after Piedmont Park closed in 2008 due to damage by the storm. The organizers decided to keep it in October.

However, there are even some events in Atlanta during National Pride Month, like the annual Atlanta Pride Run and 5K on June 2. Be sure to check AtlantaPride.org to see all the events happening in June and beyond.