Rochester Black Pride 2019 will be held from Wednesday
September 4 to Sunday, September 8, and includes the annual festival and
cookout, a fashion show, programming for youth, the Summer Nights concert
featuring NYC native Cakes Da Killa, a fashion show,
dance party, and more. The theme for 2019 is “retro,” the meaning of which goes
beyond fashion and music to include a commemoration of Stonewall’s
50th anniversary, just as Pride celebrations across the country have this year.
This year’s
event will also feature the first Trans Day of Excellence, which was formerly
known as the Trans Brunch. During the event, three scholarships and grants will
be awarded to trans community members, while still
honoring the work and contributions of the black trans community with awards
and acknowledgements. The event’s keynote speaker is Elle Hearns,
founder and executive director of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an
organization that protects and defends the black trans
community.
While Black
Pride is a celebration of identity and community, organizers also want to send
a message of inclusion to allies, says co-organizer Shani Wilson. While
Rochester Black Pride is meant to create a safe space for black, brown, and Latinx people to celebrate who they are, everyone is
welcome to come to every event, no matter how you identify, she says.
“Standing in solidarity and showing
your support would mean the world to the people that are actively engaged,
working day-to-day to make sure that these voices are heard,” Wilson says.
These events
are crucial in providing a platform for the words, names, and faces of those
who are struggling the most in the community, Wilson says.
She says
that organizers want allies — both white allies and heteronormative brown and
Latinx people — to not only feel welcome but also to understand that allyship means attending, mingling with the community, and
supporting these endeavors financially.
“It’s one
thing to share a post, but it’s another thing to also show up,” she says.
Wilson works
as a physician’s assistant at Trillium, and specifically focuses on supports
for the black trans community, and she says she
witnesses the impact that violence and the lack of resources has on vulnerable
community members.
“We already
know nationally that this is an emergency, and we need to be actually creating
spaces for people to feel safe and also for people to raise money for people to
be in a safe space. And also to have spaces where we can celebrate each other. If
one specific group of the population is struggling, we all are. Please come,
because it’s about standing with your neighbors who are having a difficult
time.”
ROCHESTER
BLACK PRIDE 2019
Wednesday, September 4
6-10 p.m. Opening Reception & Jam Session at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre (780 Joseph Avenue). $7, all
ages. Hosted by singer-songwriter and BET’s Next Big Thing contestant Durand Bernarr, as well as Created 2 Inspire duo She-Rise and Ty
Burrs. Also featuring Champagne, Charles Emanuel, She-Rise & The Aliens. Followed by an open mic and jam session with
tunes from The Aliens as the house band for the evening.
Thursday, September 5
6-9 p.m. Free To Be Me Fashion Show at The Avenue Blackbox
Theatre (780 Joseph Avenue) $10, all ages. Featuring a diverse and inclusive
cast of models, hosted and curated by Created 2 Inspire.
8 p.m.-2 a.m. The Get Down: Old School Party at Lux (666
South Avenue). Free, 21+. Featuring tunes from funk to soul, disco, and
everything in between.
10 p.m.-2 a.m. Free To Be Afty at
Tin Roof (1155 South Plymouth Avenue). $7, 21+. Fashion after-party with food
and beverage for purchase.
Friday, September 6
3-4:30
p.m. Vogue Master Class with Paris Milan at The Hochstein School (50 Plymouth Avenue). Free to high schoolers with ID, $5 to general public, 13+. Learn the five
elements of vogue.
5-8
p.m. Day of Excellence at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Square Park lodge (353
Court Street). Free, all ages. Keynote by Elle Hearns,
founder and executive director of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. Awarding three
scholarships/grants to individuals in the community.
9:30
p.m.-2 a.m. Vogue Rochester: 5 Year Anniversary at Avalon (470 State Street).
$15, 18+. Compete in different categories for cash prizes. Featuring two DJs, a
commentator, musical performances, and special guests.
Saturday, September 7
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Youth Workshops at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Square Park Lodge (353 Court Street). Free, 13+. Interactive and educational
workshops for black queer or trans-identified youth.
2-7 p.m. Black Pride Festival at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Square Park (353 Court Street). Free, all ages. Family-friendly event celebrating
the history and creativity that is Black Queer Rochester. Featuring local
merchants and performers, food, games, community organizations, and voter
registration.
9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Summer Nights: Celebrity Concert feat. Cakes
Da Killa & Miss Shalae at
Anthology (336 East Avenue). $25, 18+. Also featuring local drag performers,
musicians, and dancers.
Sunday, September 8
2-7 p.m. The Cookout Vol. V at Genesee Valley Park Field
House (1316 Genesee Street). Free, all ages. Family friendly. Food, games, and
community.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2019.
