Mission
Our Mission :: While Baltimore Black Pride (BBP), Inc.
shares in the ideals of the International Federation of Black Prides,
our primary purpose and function is to the community of color in and
around the Baltimore metropolitan area. BBP, Inc. is dedicated to
organizing and promoting unity for diverse people of African descent.
BBP, Inc. will help to build an awareness of pride, and
provide outreach and prevention education on HIV/AIDS awareness and
other health conditions prevalent among same gender loving communities,
as well as social and economic issues. BBP, Inc. will attain these goals
through workshops, outreach, seminars, and other activities such as
entertainment and social justice events.
History
Our History ::
In 2007, our theme "Solidarity...We as One" was really focusing our
attention and efforts on generating more community involvement. Pride
events were held over the weekend of October 5th through 7th, and began
with our Friday night Meet & Greet held at our host Hotel, the
Sheraton Baltimore Center City. On Saturday we held several workshops,
the Teen and Youth Summit, and an Open Mike Town Hall meeting. The goal
of these activities was to obtain an assessment (through evaluations) of
major areas of need within our community, especially as related to
health and well being. We have used the information from this assessment
to create issue-responsive events and activities throughout the year,
with the intent of raising our individual and collective consciousness
and establish responsibility for our community. On Saturday evening we
held our annual Cultural Affair and fundraiser at the Eubie Blake
National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center. During the evening we had
live jazz and a fashion show hosted by Baltimore’s own legendary Travis
Winkey. We also presented our "Icons We Love" awards to deserving
persons and agencies nominated by the community for the work and
contributions they have made to improve the quality of life within our
Black LGBTQ-SGL community. And we wrapped up on Sunday, October 7th with
our Fall Festival and Block Party as our celebration of
"Solidarity...We as One.”
2008 brought a new vision for our country with the election of Barrack Obama, the country’s first African American President. This not only instilled hope for the country, but for a lot of African Americans within our communities. BBP continued to support and address issues from the community. It also worked in conjunction with other gay and allied agencies that support BBP and the Black LGBTQ-SGL community. Our October celebration continued to offer our Friday night kick-off community and BBP Meet-n-Greet; Saturday morning workshops and our annual Saturday evening Cultural Affair and fundraiser, and; the Sunday Fall Festival and Block Party, which remains our most well-attended event over the course of the weekend, annually drawing over 3,000 people.
BBP kept its overall format of the 2009 Pride Weekend the same. We had a great Friday night Meet-n-Greet held at Club Bunns, followed on Saturday evening with the Cultural Affair held at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, and the Sunday Fall Festival and Block Party at Club Bunns with attendance well over 4,000. In 2009, we decided to have fewer workshops on Saturday. Workshop participation continues to be rather low, even with giving the youth component over to some of the up and coming youth leaders in our community to organize and promote. We hope that we will have greater attendance of these important workshops in the coming years.
In 2010 we gathered to Embrace and Celebrate Diversity. We chose this theme with the understanding that we were at a place in our journey where the survival of our organization and the community which we serve must become everyone's responsibility. Our theme helped focus us on addressing some of the hard work of community building (ensuring equity and access to everyone in our community), and some of the rewards (celebrating those achievements that keep us going).
As we approach the 2011 Baltimore Black Pride weekend (October 4 - 11), it is with renewed hope and expectation for greater achievements in equality, freedom, and social justice for our community. Our theme reflects our commitment to creating space for everyone in our community to work for and enjoy the rewards of these gains. I Was Born This Way: X-pression of Yo-self is a call to be who you are, and to acknowledge and respect others for who they are. And to come together as a community with a sense of responsibility for ourselves and each other. This shared responsibility must continue well beyond the Black Pride October weekend. We must be willing to embrace everyone who is a part of, as well as a supporter of, our community. We must be mindful and respectful of the various gifts, talents, and resources that each of us bring to the table, so that there is enough for all of us to be fed.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors :: Baltimore Black Pride is a 501c3 charitable organization registered
in Maryland and guided by a Board of Directors drawn from the community. Our current Board members are:
This section is currently being updated. Please check back soon.
Baltimore Black Pride, Inc. is currently recruiting for new members to the board of directors.
Candidates for the board should have an accredited degree from a community college or four year college, have strong communication skills, ability to raise money or to bring resources from the community. Organizational skills are a strong plus. To be considered for board membership, please submit your resume with a cover letter (attachments in PDF or RTF formats, please) expressing your interest to Carlton Smith by November 4, 2011.