This weekend marks the start of the annual Boston Black Pride festival, a weeklong celebration dedicated to QTBIPOC culture and community.
Organized by the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation, the festival features a diverse array of events, including a pride parade, a music and arts festival, an R&B brunch, and even a fitness class.
The concept for Boston Black Pride emerged during the pandemic when many social engagement spaces were shut down, leaving a significant gap in representation for Black and brown members of the LGBTQ community.
Eilakeisha Spencer, deputy executive director of the celebration and co-founder of the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation, shared her insights on the event’s inception.
“A lot of our social engagement spaces were closing down, and there wasn’t a lot of representation of our Black and brown community members in the other LGBTQ spaces that were available,” Spencer stated.
She emphasized the need to create a distinctive gathering to uplift Black pride within the city of Boston.
As the festival enters its sixth year and its fifth year hosting in-person events, it has seen substantial growth.
Last year’s music and arts festival attracted nearly 2,000 attendees, with festivalgoers traveling from various states like New York, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Chicago, and California.
This year’s program includes innovative features, such as a paint night aimed at honoring community elders for their contributions, and the return of the Black Pride Parade, initially introduced in the previous year.
The parade welcomes individuals, nonprofits, and organizations to participate.
A noteworthy performer at the festival is Boston-based artist YaMainRegret, who has been taking the stage at the music and arts festival for four consecutive years.
Starting her journey as a poet, she has expanded her art nearly seamlessly.
“There’s so many pride events that go on every year, and I feel like I personally never got recognized at these events,” YaMainRegret mentioned.
She continues to appreciate the community-focused nature of Boston Black Pride.
This year, YaMainRegret will be part of a powerful lineup, joining headliner Dej Loaf, along with hosts C’Evan and Amanda Shea, and DJs Jackie Mason and Nojokez at the music and arts festival.
Set within the picturesque Shattuck Grove Picnic Area in Franklin Park, the festival will be free for all attendees on Sunday, July 6, running from noon to 8 p.m.
Prior to the festival, the Black Pride Parade will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Boston Black Pride runs from June 29 to July 6, with the complete schedule of activities available on the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation website.
Spencer highlights that the festival aims to uplift the entire community, offering programming geared towards youth and older generations alike.
In a broader context where many pride events prioritize aesthetics over meaningful change, she is hopeful that genuine connections will flourish throughout the week.
“Oftentimes we are the ones that are left out,” Spencer noted.
“We are the marginalized community within a marginalized community, so it is super important for us to curate a space in the city of Boston to lift up our community members and to bring them a sense of joy.”
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