LA Mayor Shines at GLAAACC Economic Awards Dinner

EventsLGBTQ+

four members of event in professional evening attire

Mayor Karen Bass delivered an inspiring keynote address at the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) 29th Economic Awards Dinner. The annual gala honors individuals, small businesses and corporations who have contributed to the economic growth and development of the African American small business community.
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Mayor of Long Beach Rex Richardson, Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)

Bass spoke about her first 100 days in office, particularly the progress made on her homeless initiative. Actions initiated by Mayor Bass account for roughly 1,000 Angelenos being housed so far.

“It was an honor to have the City of Los Angeles’ first female and second African American mayor as our keynote speaker for the evening,” GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale said. “She is a shining example of what we can all aspire to be. She is meeting the challenge and is literally changing the face of Los Angeles in the process. As someone on her transition team, I couldn’t be prouder.”

California State Controller and prior GLAAACC award recipient Malia Cohen was a special guest, presenting the Corporation of the Year Award to T-Mobile Vice President, Policy & Advocacy Clint Odom. T-Mobile was recognized for their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as their investment in education through the Magenta Scholars program, which has grown to $3 million in scholarships and programs.

Cohen applauded GLAAACC for its efforts to continue expanding job development, securing subcontracting opportunities, supporting mentorship and providing student scholarships. GLAAACC has distributed close to one million dollars in scholarships to local students from underserved communities in Los Angeles for more than 20 years.

Utility Company of the Year was presented to Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) CEO Scott Drury. Over the past two years, SoCalGas increased its supplier expenditures with African American-owned businesses by more than 50%.

GLAAACC photo gallery
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Clint Odom of T-Mobile, California State Controller Malia Cohen and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)

GLAAACC photo gallery
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Tunua Thrash-Ntuk of The Center by Lendistry and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)

GLAAACC photo gallery
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Scott Drury of SoCalGas and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson received the Public Service Award. Richardson became the youngest person in history elected to the Long Beach City Council in 2014. In 2016, he was elected to a two-year term as Vice Mayor, also the youngest in city history.

The President’s Award was presented to Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, president and CEO, The Center by Lendistry. Thrash-Ntuk is responsible for scaling the nonprofit’s local footprint and expanding access to capital initiatives for underserved small business owners, leading economic development strategies and developing affordable housing finance products at the national level.

“Each year we gather to recognize those that have made a difference in the success of Black businesses in greater Los Angeles,” Hale said. “We are proud to recognize these exceptional businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond in providing resources, assistance and a pathway to prosperity for small Black-owned businesses.

For more information on GLAAACC and a complete list of GLAAACC 29th Economic Awards honorees, visit glaaacc.org.

Where to Celebrate Pride Month During the Month of June

LGBTQ+

diverse group of people celebrating in Pride colors

“Pride,” or “Gay Pride,” as it is also known, has transformed from a “day,” or a “weekend,” or a “month” of celebration to Pride 365!

For those who ask, when is Pride Month? It’s typically considered to be in June (the first Pride Parade took place in New York City on June 28, 1970).

Below is the full spectrum of events for 2023.

JUNE 2023

Pittsburgh Pride, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: June 2 – 4

Pittsburgh Pride 2023 will be the first Pride in Pittsburgh thrown in collaboration between LGBTQ+ organizations across Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region.

One Magical Weekend, Orlando, Florida: June 1 – 5

The first weekend of June each year – for the 30th year – thousands of LGBTQIA travelers from around the world will descend on Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resorts for One Magical Weekend.

RIPTIDE, at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark | Friday, June 2, 2023

WeHo Pride, West Hollywood, California: June 2 – 4

This Pride weekend features a free Street Fair, the WeHo Pride Parade, the annual Dyke March, the Women’s Freedom Festival, and the OUTLOUD Music Festival.

Provincetown Pride, Provincetown, Massachusetts: June 3 – 5

The third annual Pride celebration highlights what Provincetown has always been known for LGBTQ+ awareness, empowerment, and diversity.

Circuit Asia Weekend, Pattaya, Thailand: June 3 – 5

Following the success of its premiere in June 2018, the world’s biggest international gay event will return to Pattaya, Thailand featuring top international DJs, sexy go-go dancers, and the hottest men in Asia.

Annapolis Pride Parade & Festival, Annapolis: June 4

Now in its second year, welcoming and embracing diversity while bringing together locals and business communities.

Paris Tournament, Paris, France: June 4 – 6

Promoting a respectful and humanistic practice of sport, this event is open to all and brings together more than 2,300 athletes from all over the world each year.

Middletown Pride, Middletown, Connecticut: June 4

Middletown Pride has planned two socially distant Middletown Pride Showcases which will feature drag queens, show choirs, dancers, and other special guests.

Drag Bingo, Moxy Chelsea: June 7 and 14, 8:00 pm

A unique bingo experience hosted by Sparkle Monster featuring music, mayhem, and marvelous prizes.

Key West Pride, Key West, Florida: June 7 – 11

Celebrate pride on a tropical island that is legendary for its laid-back style and its open and accepting atmosphere.

LA Pride, Los Angeles, California: June 9 – 10

LA Pride, also known as the LA Pride Festival and Parade, is an annual LGBTQ+ pride event that takes place in LA State Historic Park.

Pride Palooza, Binghamton, New York: June 10

Presented by The PrEP Program, Pride Palooza will be held at Otsiningo Park. Activities include drag shows and live entertainment.

BOB THE DRAG QUEEN – Virgin Hotels Las Vegas: June 12

The winner of season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, will be performing inside 24 Oxford at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas! Two performances that night – one at 7:00 pm and the other at 9:30 pm.

West Pride Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden: June 13 – 19

Each year the West Pride festival is held in Gothenburg. An art and culture festival that creates safe spaces for LGBTQI people and emphasizes norm-criticism and LGBTQI person’s lives.

Sao Paulo Gay Pride, São Paulo, Brazil: June 15 – 19

Sao Paulo Gay Pride is listed by Guinness World Records as the biggest pride parade in the world in 2006 with 2.5 million people. They broke the Guinness record in 2009 with four million attendees.

Drag Me to the St. Francis, The Westin St. Francis San Francisco: June 16

Celebrate #SFPRIDE52 with an evening of legendary drag and entertainment, benefitting the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Tri-State Black Pride, Memphis, Tennessee: June 16 – 19

Tri-State Black Pride’s mission showcases unity and pride by promoting equality, human rights, education, outreach, arts, and culture of the Memphis and Mid-South LGBTQ community and allies.

Chasing Rainbows, New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, Hostos Community College, June 17, 2023

Chasing Rainbows is an evening of music reminding us that the journey to self-love is unique and revolutionary. From pop anthems like “Love Yourself” by Billy Porter to more intimate songs like “Love Like You” by Rebecca Sugar, the concert will celebrate the ways our community is constantly evolving.

Zurich Pride Festival, Zürich, Switzerland: June 17 – 18

Every June, the festival site on the Sechseläutenplatz and next to Bürkliplatz is transformed into a party hotspot. The parade and concerts are the highlights of the Zurich Pride Festival.

Stonewall Columbus Pride, Columbus, Ohio: June 17 – 18

Stonewall’s annual Pride Festival and March welcomes over 700,000 visitors to Columbus and the Central Ohio region.

Iowa City Pride, Iowa City, Iowa: June 18

The Iowa City Pride Festival returns with the Pride Parade, the vendors in the Ped Mall, a fun-filled day of entertainment on the Linn Street Stage, and more.

Chicago Pride Fest, Chicago, Illinois: June 18 – 19

The Chicago Pride Fest® is an iconic street festival that features live music, drag shows, games, parade, and more. It is a celebration of diversity and the LGBTQ+ community on Halsted Street.

Oslo Pride, Oslo, Norway: June 18 – 27

Oslo Pride is Norway’s largest festival for the LGBTIQ population, offering a varied program with concerts, art exhibits, shows, film screenings, parties, and political debates.

Cologne Gay Pride, Cologne, Germany: June 18 – July 3

Cologne Gay Pride is the biggest LGBTQ demonstration in Germany and one of Europe’s largest. The two highlights of Cologne Gay Pride are the CSD Street Festival and the Pride Parade.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Open Golf Tournament, Binghamton, New York, June 19 – 25
Celebrating over 50 years of professional golf and their 13th anniversary on the Champions Tour, this event attracts fan-favorite golfers to our area. En-Joie Golf Course, Endicott. (607) 205-1500 www.dsgopen.com

Barcelona Gay Pride, Barcelona, Spain: June 19 – 26

PRIDE Barcelona is an event for everyone, a space where the LGBT community can be collectively heard and become visible, and a place to celebrate and make a stand.

Lisbon Gay Pride, Lisbon, Portugal: June 20 – 28

The Lisbon Gay Pride is one of the largest LGBT events in Portugal. It takes place in June each year at Jardim do Principe Real. Lisbon Pride 2022 is expected to attract over 70,000 people.

Drag Queen Makeup Workshop, Moxy Chelsea: June 21, 7:00 pm

Revelers are invited to find their inner queens with an interactive Drag Queen Makeup Workshop hosted by Sparkle Monster. “Students” can learn the fundamentals of altering the facial structure, exaggerating the eyes, and how to work your new persona firsthand from the queen herself for a small “tuition” fee. Tickets available here.

Fresh Towels – A Comedy Show (PRIDE) Edition, Moxy East Village: June 22, 8:00 pm

A standup comedy showcase hosted by resident funnyman Mark “Jiggy” Jigarjian. Guests can sip on the original Stonewall Inn IPA from Brooklyn Brewery between laughs. Two complimentary drinks are included with admission, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. Tickets available here.

PRIDE Variety Show!, Moxy Times Square: June 24, 9:00 pm

Hosted by the fabulous Queen Sparkle Monster and her friends in the heart of Manhattan. Attendees are in for a night of singing, dancing, comedy, toasts, and more.

Pride Toronto, Toronto, Canada: June 24 – 26

Gay Pride Toronto is one of Canada’s premier arts and cultural festivals and one of the largest parades of its kind in North America.

Raleigh Pride, Raleigh, North Carolina: June 25

Raleigh Pride is now in its 12th year and has changed its name to Out Raleigh Pride.

Mexico City Gay Pride, Mexico City, Mexico: June 25

Marcha del Orgullo de la Ciudad de Mexico is one of the wildest and largest gay pride events in Latin America. Over one million people join the streets to celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.

San Francisco Pride, San Francisco, California: June 25 – 26

This year’s theme, “Love Will Keep Us Together,” is meant to celebrate a sense of return and shared presence.

Tulsa Pride, Tulsa, Oklahoma: June 25 – 26

Tulsa Pride is the longest-running LGBT Pride festival in Oklahoma. This 2022, Tulsa Pride celebrates its 40 years with a whole weekend of pride, with the Tulsa Pride Parade, Tulsa Pride Celebration, and Picnic in the Park.

Nashville Pride, Nashville, Tennessee: June 25 – 26

Nashville Pride Festival is the largest LGBTQ event in Tennessee. The festival will move to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in downtown Nashville in 2022.

Oklahoma City Pride, Oklahoma: June 25 – 27

Each year, thousands make their way to Oklahoma City for an annual celebration of OKC’s LGBTQ+ community. The OKC Pride Week calendar is packed with exciting and artistic events, like OKC Pride Fest and Pride on 39th.

Madrid Gay Pride, Madrid, Spain: June 25 – July 3

Madrid Pride, also known as Orgullo Gay Madrid, is the biggest gay pride in Spain and one of the biggest in Europe, attracting more than 2 million people over the five days of pride.

Budapest Gay Pride, Budapest, Hungary: June 24 – July 24

Pride march on Saturday, 24 July, following the month-long Budapest Pride Festival.

Denver PrideFest, Denver, Colorado: June 25 – 26

The 2022 Denver PrideFest promotes the heritage and culture of the LGBTQ+ community of Colorado. It typically draws more than 450,000 attendees over two days, making it the largest Pride event in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Seattle Gay Pride, Seattle, Washington: June 25 – 26

Seattle Pride is one of the oldest of its kind in the country and has been coloring the city streets each summer since 1974.

Twin Cities Pride, Minneapolis, Minnesota: June 25 – 26

The Twin Cities Pride brings the greater LGBT community together to educate and create awareness of issues and to celebrate achievements.

Bristol Pride, Bristol, United Kingdom: June 25 – July 10

Pride Day starts with the Pride Parade then a massive outdoor multi-stage festival with music and performances, community and family areas, silent disco, bars, food, markets, and lots more.

Helsinki Gay Pride, Helsinki, Finland: June 27 – July 3

Helsinki Pride is the biggest LGBTQ event in Finland and also the largest cultural event focusing on human rights in the country. Helsinki Pride highlights and rejoices everyone’s right to openly be as they are.

Guess Who, Bitch!?, Moxy Chelsea: June 30, 7:00 pm

A surprising twist on a nostalgic childhood game, guests can guess their favorite drag queens instead of Anita, Bernard, and Susan, with prizes and performances throughout the night. Tickets available here.

Read more about Pride Month on Gaytravel.com

DiversityComm’s Black EOE Journal Announces Top LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies Early Results

BusinessLGBTQ+

The Top LGBTQ+ Friendly list was compiled from market research, independent research, diversity conference participation and survey responses that were performed by DiversityComm’s agents and/or affiliates. This year, hundreds of companies participated.

The final results are published in the summer issue of Black EOE Journal and available on digital and print newsstands mid-July. Published by DiversityComm, Black EOE Journal is dedicated to promoting the advancement of Arican-Americans in all aspects of education, business and employment to ensure equal opportunity.

DiversityComm also publishes HISPANIC Network Magazine, Professional WOMAN’s Magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, Diversity in STEAM Magazine and DIVERSEability Magazine.

2023 Top LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies:
3M
AARP
Accenture
ADP
Aetna
Allstate Insurance Company
Altria Group Inc.
Amazon.com Inc.
American Airlines
American Family Insurance
AmerisourceBergen
Anthem
Apple Inc.
AT&T Inc.
Bank of America
Barilla
Bayer
Bergen Corp.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Best Buy
Boston Scientific Corporation
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Capco
Capital One
Cardinal Health
Centene
Charles Schwab
Chevron
Citigroup Inc.
Comcast-NBCUniversal
Corning
Corteva Agriscience
Cummins Inc.
CVS Health
Delhaize America
Dell
Deloitte
Dollar General
Dow
DuPont
Eaton Corporation
Elevance Health (aka Anthem Inc.)
Ernst & Young, LLP
ExxonMobil Corporation
EY
Facebook
Fannie Mae
FedEx Corp.
Fidelity Investments
First Data
First National Bank (F.N.B. Corp.)
Food Lion
Ford Motor Company
FOX Corporation
Freddie Mac
General Electric
General Mills
General Motors Company
GlaxoSmithKline
Google
HCSC
Health Group Inc.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hilton
HP
HPE
HRC
Humana
IBM
Ingram Micro
Intel Corporation
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan Chase
KeyCorp
KPMG, LLP
Liberty Mutual
LinkedIn
Lockheed Martin
Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Macy’s Inc.
Marathon Petroleum
Marriott International
McKesson Corp.
Merck
Metlife
Microsoft
Morgan Stanley
MUFG Union Bank, N.A.
Nationwide
New York Life
Northrop Grumman
Northwell Health
Northwestern Mutual
Pacific Gas & Electric Company
PepsiCo
Pfizer
Phillips 66
PNC Financial
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Proctor & Gamble
Prudential Financial
Raytheon Technologies
Robert Half
Salesforce
SC Johnson
Sodexo, USA
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Southern California Edison
Southwest Airlines
State Farm Insurance
State Street
SunTrust Bank
Target
TD Bank
The Coca-Cola Co.
The Hershey Company
The Kellogg Co.
The Kroger Company
The Walt Disney Company
TIAA
Time Warner
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Toyota Motor North America inc.
Trane Technologies
Travel + Leisure Co.
Truist Financial Corporation
U.S. Bank
Union Pacific
United Airlines
United Technologies Corp.
UnitedHealth Group
UPS
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Valero Energy Corporation
Verizon
Walgreens
Walmart Inc
Waste Management
Wells Fargo & Company
Windstream Holdings
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

The goal of the annual evaluations is to not only bring the latest information and guidance to our readers, but also encourage active outreach and diversity policies among corporations and government agencies.

The 2024 survey will be available in the few months. Announcements will be made in THE INCLUSION bi-monthly newsletter. Sign up to receive these announcements by emailing surveys@diversitycomm.net.

The Best Practices for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Healthcare

HealthLGBTQ+

Everyone deserves a health care team that puts their needs first, but for the LGBTQ+ community, it can be difficult to find facilities that not only understand certain LGBTQ+ health concerns, but will go out of their way to make their patients feel included in their practices.

Whether you’re a practitioner looking to improve your health care experiences or a future patient looking for a medical team that will care for your needs, here is what to look for in an LGBTQ+ friendly health team:

Consider telehealth options.

Telehealth appointments are a safe, convenient way for LGBTQ+ patients to access health care. Telehealth can also be a necessary lifeline for some patients who do not have LGBTQ+-affirming health care available nearby. Patients who don’t feel safe confirming their identities face-to-face or who don’t feel safe talking about their health in their own homes are able to find a more private, transportable way to receive the medical care they deserve.

Make sure your intake and online forms are inclusive.

A great sign of an inclusive healthcare facility is one that shows inclusion for all identities right off the bat. Check to make sure your online or email intake forms or health assessments are updated to be inclusive for sex assigned at birth, gender identity and sexual orientation. This allows you to collect accurate information you will need as part of your telehealth care and it also lets your LGBTQ+ patients know that you prioritize their health and wellbeing. Review and modify your forms to move away from cis-gendered, heteronormative language. Suggested changes include:

“Caregiver” or “parent” instead of “mother” or “father”
“Spouse” instead of “husband” or “wife”

Also allow space for your patients to write in their own answers if the multiple-choice options do not apply to them. Including identifying options, such as “intersex,” “transmasculine,” “transfeminine,” “non-binary” and other identifiers that are often left out of professional documents, can also foster a sense of inclusion for LGBTQ+ patients.

Encourage your colleagues and staff to take LGBTQ+ health education training as part of your telehealth workflow.

Educating yourself and your staff on LGBTQ+ health care will ensure you are providing the highest quality telehealth care to communities that are often marginalized in traditional health care settings. This especially includes people of color, transgender youth and people living with HIV/AIDS. There are also large communities of people that fit into several of those categories, which can lead to further marginalization. Specialized training could include information about LBGTQ+ youth, behavioral and mental health, HIV/AIDS treatment and counseling and transgender health care.

For patients, do your research and ask questions to make sure that your potential health care team has had this training and understands the ins and outs of your specific concerns.

Use proper pronouns.

A “green flag” to patients and an incredibly easy implementation for health care staff is simply utilizing the correct pronouns. Upon the first meeting, make sure you ask for preferred pronouns and make a note of what they are if necessary. While this should be commonplace anyway, the effort to use the proper pronouns can go a long way for individuals who have experienced discrimination or misgendering in past medical experiences.

Have the right resources.

Whether its therapy, mental health prescriptions, HIV/AIDS specialties or referrals to gender-affirming specialists; it’s important that you make connections with all of the resources your LGBTQ+ clients may need during their health journey. If your potential health care facility is associated with medical professionals that you know to be LGBTQ+-friendly and inclusive, chances are this practitioner is the same way.

For even more resources on safe, inclusive health facilities visit: cdc.gov/lgbthealth/links.htm.

Source: telehealth.hhs.gov

The NMSDC Equity Honors 2023–Applications Now Open

BusinessEvents

gold cup winner on bokeh background, 3D illustration

The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Equity Honors awards are presented to corporate chief officers who have been recognized by their peers as the true leaders at the vanguard of economic equity and minority business integration.

Submit an application for your CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CMO, CDO, and CPO of the Year. All applications* must be started** by Dec. 20 to be considered.

Submit Application Here!

*Qualified applications submitted for The Equity Honors in 2022 have been cloned for consideration for the 2023 Equity Honors. Simply log into the NMSDC Awards Portal and update your application, then submit. Previous winners of The Equity Honors are ineligible to apply again for a minimum of 3 years.

**We will reopen the applications in March of 2023 to collect 2022 comparative data that will complete the application. All applications that have been started by Dec. 20 will constitute The Equity Honors Nominees for 2023 with nominees highlighted on the Forum website and invited to the 2023 Minority Business Economic Forum.

For more information about NMSDC visit, nmsdc.org

The Importance of Telling LGBTQ+ Stories

BusinessCareersLGBTQ+UConnect

There are numerous stories of LGBTQ+ excellence, pride, perseverance and success throughout history, but many of these stories have been presented with little and sometimes even inaccurate information. To combat these, researchers across various backgrounds have come together to work with Wikipedia in making these stories as accurate, plentiful and accessible as possible. The Black EOE Journal sat down with one of these experts, Christina Carney to speak about the importance of telling LGBTQ+ stories:

Black EOE Journal (BEOEJ): What’s your background and what made you interested or excited to take part in this project?

Christina Carney (CC): I am an assistant professor of Black Queer Sexuality Studies at the University of Missouri in Columbia. I received my Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, San Diego and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I grew up in a Black working-class neighborhood, Bronzeville, on the South Side of Chicago. Overall, my work examines Black women’s sex work in militarized zones. My book, Disreputable Women: Militarized Deviance and the Black Sexual Economy of San Diego, is currently under review at the University of California Press.

I learned about the Wiki Education project while attending the annual American Studies Association (ASA) conference a while back. I wanted to find new ways to improve my teaching pedagogy and creativity in the classroom. I knew that students were bored with traditional papers and exams as well as in-class group work. After talking to the Wiki Education rep at ASA and reading more information online, I became very excited about not only the fun students would have doing the project, but also the fact that I would be learning new skills as well. Learning with my students has been the best part. At the end of the semester, we all, including myself, present our projects to each other. I presented on a new article I developed, “United States v. Ingalls (1947),” which detailed the first Black women who were able to seek redress for sexual trafficking in the 20th century. I also updated other two articles – “Mann Act” and “White Slavery.” This Wiki project not only assisted students with the opportunity to include Black and Feminist Studies scholarship on Wikipedia, but, at the same time, add reliable information that is accessible to a wider audience!

BEOEJ: What has been your team’s process for curating stories from history that highlight and emphasize the legacy and impact of LGBTQ+ communities?

CC: A first step in curating stories is locating the content gaps in the Black Studies and Women’s Studies literatures. During the first week of the school-year, I assign two important articles on sexuality and intersectionality — Stacey Patton’s “Whose Afraid of Black Sexuality?” in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Kimberle Crenshaw’s “Mapping the Margins:

Intersectionality, Identity Politics and Violence against Women of Color.” In “Who’s Afraid of Black Sexuality?,” Patton gives us a starting point for thinking through how silence about sex and pleasure have left a content gap in Black studies. Black communities have created a culture of dissemblance by which Black sexuality is still considered a taboo topic.

This is not because there is something inherently pathological about Black people’s sexuality, but instead black people choose to remain silent because society continues to weaponize Black sexuality as a way to validate racism and violence. Consequently, these silences often lead to the further marginalization of BIPOC/POC in racial/ethnic groups. In “Mapping the Margins,” Crenshaw explains how people live within multiple identities every day, thereby impacting how much power (or not) they have in society. For example — Black cisgender men disproportionately police violence at alarming rates, the Black queer folx experience violence from members of their own community because of their intersectional identities of sexuality, class, age, etc.

With these frameworks in mind, students then do their own independent research. I allow students to either choose their own topic/page or choose from a list of pages that needs to be updated. For example, one of the student groups updated the page of “William Dorsey Swann (c. 1858 – 1925)” — considered the first recorded drag performer in U.S. history. Most stories about LGBTQ+ pioneers are white, cisgender men with access to certain forms of economic and cultural capital. Unfortunately, queer folx such as Marsha P. Johnson and William Dorsey Swann are often elided in the LGBTQ+ archives. Another group created an entirely new article, “Rogers v. American Airlines (1981).” Rogers v. American Airlines was a 1981 legal case decided by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York involving plaintiff Renee Rogers, a Black woman who brought charges against her employer, American Airlines, for both sex and race discrimination after she was dissuaded from wearing her hair in cornrows due to the airline’s employee grooming policy. The students not only cited sources detailing the politics of Black hair, but also how Black women are unfairly burdened with the responsibility of looking and dressing appropriately for the ‘Black race.’

BEOEJ: How many (and what type of) individuals, experts and organizations had to collaborate for this project to be successful?

CC: During each semester, our class is assigned two Wiki Education experts that assist students with logistical and technical questions or concerns. I then create a semester-long research plan for students which includes full-length books (non-fiction), peer-reviewed journals, lectures, mixed-media and films. I also partnered with the MU librarian who gave a virtual tour to students explaining the research tools available to them. Wikipedia’s Talk Pages was another resource for students because they were able to chat with other content creators. By the end of the Spring 2022 semester, our class of 31 created one new article, edited 22 articles, added 18,200 words and 195 peer-reviewed references which accumulated over 1.25 million article views.

BEOEJ: What were the biggest takeaways from this Wiki project, especially as they relate to intersectionality? What do you hope the public will do with this information?

CC: My biggest takeaway is the realization that high-impact research and knowledge can be accessible to a wider community — and not just limited to the ‘Ivory Tower.’ This is intersectionality in practice! Students are creating access for those who might not otherwise have

the resources to find reliable information. Student creators become the conduits for linking reliably sourced material to a global audience for free.

BEOEJ: How can LGBTQ+-owned and operated businesses and suppliers use this information to make a difference in their respective industries?

CC: I think it’s important to not just to talk about equality — but also discuss equity. For example, what are we doing in our everyday practice to make sure the most disadvantaged people in our communities and neighborhoods have access to the same information as a college professor or researcher in STEM? I think that is becoming more important every day.

20 Service Ideas for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Events

Martin Luther King JR day sign illustration for the civil rights leader

By Kate White, Sign Up Genius
Americans across the country come together for a National Day of Service, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Join forces with your family, friends, or a local organization and try one of these 20 day of service ideas!

1. Host a Teddy Bear and Friends Drive
Collect stuffed animals then donate to a homeless shelter for new arrivals. Your local police or fire station might accept this type of donation as well. A teddy bear can bring comfort to children in times of distress.

2. Make Hygiene Kits for the Homeless
Homeless people struggle to obtain basic necessities to wash their hands and brush their teeth. Organize your group to collect hotel samples or purchase travel-sized items from a dollar store to complete the kits.

3. Safe Passage to School
School crossing guards are not always available at all schools. Work with community and school leaders to increase safe routes for kids to walk or ride bikes to school.

4. Green Thumbs Unite
Work with community leaders to adopt a monument. Plant a community garden around it and monitor your plants throughout the year.

5. Remember Service Men & Women
Send care packages to deployed troops, veterans, and wounded soldiers. Write a letter of gratitude for their service, and include snack and personal care items. Check out Operation Gratitude and Give 2 The Troops organizations to learn where to send your care packages.

6. Best Face Forward
Collect unused make-up, perfume, and other cosmetics for a center for abused women.

7. Fight Childhood Diseases
Work together with your local health department to set up an immunization day or clinic to immunize children against childhood diseases. Help promote the event, pitch in to set up and assist with administrative work.

8. Bring A Smile to the Homeless
Fill a pair of new socks with granola bars and bottles of water to give to homeless men and women you pass on the street.

9. Pitch In For the Elderly
Organize your group to rake leaves, shovel snow, or do housework for elderly neighbors. If you don’t have an elderly neighbor, consider a senior citizens neighborhood community.

10. Adopt A Park
Decide on a park to adopt. Grab some trash bags and pick up trash to beautify the park. Getting outside to care for the environment is a great way spend a few hours. Organize non-profit volunteers online with free sign up scheduling Online non-profit volunteer sign up form sheet Online volunteer non-profit sign up form sheet

11. Care for Furry Ones
Volunteer at an animal shelter to help clean up, play with the animals, groom animals, and walk the dogs. Your time spent here will make the shelter a nicer environment for the furry residents.

12. Donate Old Linens to an Animal Shelter
Linen closets are often overloaded with too many worn out items. Donate old bath towels, blankets, and sheets to your local animal shelter. These household items are used for bedding, clean up and keeping the animals warm.

13. Read to Senior Citizens
Aging eyes can make it difficult to read fine print. Volunteer to read letters, newspapers or magazines to residents in a local nursing home.

14. Book Collection
Collect used magazines, paperbacks, and novels to donate to prisons, jails and shelters. These places are often overlooked when a group is hosting a book drive, but books are so needed at these community places.

15. Recycle Old Athletic Shoes
Sneakers can be transformed into sports surfaces like running tracks, baseball fields and basketball courts. Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program has ground down more than 28 millions pairs of shoes turning them into more than 450,000 sports surfaces around the world. Donate collected sneakers at a Nike Store near you.

16. Collect Eyeglasses
Many nonprofit organizations collect old glasses and repurpose them by sending them to people in need. OneSight and Lions Clubs International are two organizations helping in this worthy cause. Research online which group has a location closer to you.

17. Stand Up Against Hunger
People struggle with hunger every day. Collect non-perishable food items from neighbors, family and friends and donate to your local food bank. Before collecting items, check out your local food bank’s website to see what items are accepted.

18. Toy Drive
Gather used baby and toddler toys from friends, family and neighbors. Donate these items to a nearby church, synagogue, mosque, or temple for their youngest members.

19. Help A Child To Read
Become a literacy volunteer to tutor children at your local library or at an afterschool program. It’s worthy of your time to help a child learn one of the most essential life skills.

20. Host A Bake-Off
Hit the kitchen and bake up a pile of goodies. Deliver to local police and fire stations as a way of thanking them for their community service.

You can make a big difference by giving a day of volunteering in your community.

Read the original article on Sign Up Genius

In New York, Eight Young Bipoc And LGBTQ+ Artists Take Over The Subway

EntertainmentLGBTQ+

By Virginia Lowman, MTV

During a chaotic year that has laid bare the divisive inequities within our society, music and art have often served as universal entities to ground us, tell our stories, and provide a sense of escape. Now, a new exhibition hosted by MTV pays homage to that sense of unity. Nestled appropriately within the belowground subway station at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue terminal at Barclays Center — that great mixing pot where riders from all walks of life brush elbows on a communal commute, as well as the initially planned home of the 2020 VMAs — the show takes over public advertising spaces to amplify the diverse work of eight emerging visual artists working in a variety of media.

Conceptualized by MTV’s Rich Tu, Vice President of Digital Design, and Antonia Baker, Senior Director of Marketing, who were inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that took place at Barclays Center earlier in the summer, each artist submitted original pieces inspired by the themes of unity, music, space, and the future, which will remain on view through September 6. Where some works feature futuristic dance parties in outer space, others aim to combat tropes that lead people to view BIPOC communities through an exoticizing lens. The result is a vibrant picture of youth and the beauty of the differences that exist between us, as well as a love letter to New York City. Here, the artists share their stories, the inspiration for their work, and more.

Amika Cooper, Illustrator

Amika Cooper’s exuberant depictions of Black women as divine beings are both a call to activism and a celebration of the beauty of Blackness and the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s important to me to refute the idea of the ‘strong Black woman’ and other tropes that limit the public perspective of Black femmes,” she tells MTV News. Working across digital illustration, 2-D animation, and collage, her art plays with space and draws upon rich hues: showing Black women as healers and rulers with lush curls or donning Egyptian headdresses as rulers of the galaxy. Raised in Toronto, she now calls Brooklyn home, but her West Indian and South American heritage is tightly woven into her work. “The culture I grew up on is the product of the unwavering ingenuity in enslaved and indentured people,” Cooper says. Her latest pieces lean heavily into geometry, “a reflection of the forces that connect us and remind us of the importance of creating, sharing, and repeating.”
Bronson Farr, Photographer

For Bronson Farr, art is about making people feel seen. A photographer and director, his craft resides in the sweet spot between beauty and discomfort, with overlapping themes of vulnerability, power, and voyeurism. “People’s faces tell incredible stories when they’re being honest, even if it’s a bit scary,” Farr says. His work casts Black men in a gentle, intimate glow juxtaposed with a sense of reverence and longing. One photo depicts a man against a terracotta backdrop, his chest exposed, his view obstructed by buds of baby’s breath and a sheet of tulle that hides his face. It’s a playful subversion of stereotypes about Black masculinity, calling the viewer to see the softness and serenity in these boys. “My aim is to allow the viewer permission to see Black people, especially men, the way I do — wrapped in warmth, love, and light, and deserving of your protection.” Farr hopes his art takes people on a journey that acknowledges the experiences and feelings of someone who has “[gone] through some shit” but has found their happy ending.
Eugenia Mello, Illustrator

When tapped to participate in the Atlantic Avenue terminal takeover, Brooklyn-based, Argentina-born illustrator Eugenia Mello sought to “translate music into shapes” and create a mural that vibrates so loud a viewer can feel it. She explores the relationship between emotion and the body: Abstract shapes in deep primaries paint the scenes of a dance club alive with rhythm and heat. Her incorporation of contrasting colors and angular shapes adds depth to the image harkening back to a time before social distancing was the norm and when dancing in groups generated a feeling of electricity. Her work is heavily musical, pulling from an upbringing in South America and the Caribbean that was “bursting with energy.” She credits the grassroots spirit of the Venezuelan political climate of the early 2000s as helping her find her own artistic voice: “People would march, exercising their right of free speech by chanting and dancing with loud music,” she says. “Expression was with the whole body.”
Eva Zar, Photographer

Eva Zar wields self-expression as a means of liberation. Raised within a traditional Russian-Austrian household, she uses photography to relay messages of empowerment and self-love. Focusing her lens on the beauty and sensuality of her subjects, her soft, almost retro depictions are subtly nonconformist. “A lot of my art speaks directly against the lessons and rules I grew up with,” she says. “I wanted to create art that shows different types of bodies and liberates women from the idea of only being a wife.” Her latest series exists at the intersection of music and performance, in one instance crafting an image of a dancer clad in black trainers and a neon tracksuit dancing on the stage at a Lynchian bar. Metallic decor and striking cateye liner are reminiscent of the heightened glamour of the disco days. Often incorporating her friends as her muses, her vivid portraiture captures the strength of the LGBTQ+ community; it is a reminder that regardless of what is happening in the world, “our community gives us space for an inclusive and safe future.”
Kervin Brisseaux, Illustrator

Three words come to mind in viewing illustrator Kervin Brisseaux’s vibrant digital drawings: rich, conversational, animated. With a background in architectural studies, bold graphics and crisp lines are at the forefront of Brisseaux’s work. Whether he’s fusing cultures and experimenting with typography or scribing his own language into being, his work always has something to say. His art isn’t just about aesthetic pleasure, it’s also about tapping into discussions that are happening each day. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to not only provide eye-candy but contribute to the relevant conversations of today,” he tells MTV News. The three works he displays at the Atlantic Avenue terminal — a standout piece emphasizing the intersection of culture, art, and identity through the use of contrasting browns and yellows, as well as tribal markings on the face of a sweating subject entranced and empowered by the music playing through their headphones — highlight his bold style, presenting subjects as warriors who champion individuality.

Click here to read the full article on MTV.

The Annual BDPA Technology and Career Fair – Win Scholarship in the “Design A Mobile App Showcase’!

EducationEvents

Man's hand holding display of mobile app design

You will design, pitch and demo the app to a panel of judges for the chance to win a scholarship.

Hi Students,

The National Mobile App showcase is a great opportunity to improve your programming skills in the language of your choice and learn about product development.

Design and build any application you are passionate about and learn how to give a compelling pitch to an audience of companies looking for students like you!

This competition is here for independent, driven students.

We will provide lightweight checkpoints to help you think through your app, troubleshoot, and finish a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) by the end of the summer.

Build your app at your own pace.

Register Here!

During the Annual BDPA Conference on August 12-14, 2021, you will pitch and demo the app to a panel of judges for the chance to win a scholarship upward We’ve got great prizes this year.

1st Place College Scholarship $3,000
2nd Place College Scholarship $2,000
3rd Place College Scholarship $1,250

1st Place High School $1,750
2nd Place High School $1,250
3rd Place High Scholarship $750

Hope to see you there!

Best,
The Mobile App Showcase Team
mobileapps@bdpa.org

Taking Pride In America’s LGBT Economy

FinanceLGBTQ+

Money talks. And now, more than ever, the private sector is listening to the collective voice of the LGBT community. In many ways, our dollar is as strong as our votes at the ballot box.

We have fought hard to secure our rights in the name of equality, but our true equity and ability to bring about change for our community lies with our economic power. Our buying power and impact on the nation’s gross domestic product have given us tremendous leverage to advance political advocacy and global human rights.

As is true with our social visibility, our economic visibility is essential in building a diverse and inclusive society — and the power of the LGBT dollar is becoming more and more visible every day.

That was the impetus for the formation of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce nearly 20 years ago. In 2002, we realized no one had truly considered the economic equality of LGBT people or the impact economics could have on the equality movement. With over 1.4 million LGBT business owners (and growing) behind us, we have seen the LGBT community earn its place at the table of economic opportunity. And it’s not just the Fortune 500 who are actively marketing to, partnering with, and procuring from the LGBT business community. Thanks to NGLCC’s public policy leadership, over thirty state, county, and local governments are welcoming our community’s businesses as an essential part of an equitable COVID-19 recovery.

Two decades ago, slapping a rainbow on a liquor bottle for one month of the year was enough for a brand to consider themselves “gay-friendly.” Findings from LGBT economic experts, however, have taught corporations the value of LGBT brand loyalty. More than 75 percent of LGBT adults and their friends, family, and relatives say they would switch to brands that are known to be LGBT friendly. In 2017 alone, the LGBT consumer buying power was over $917 billion. But we are so much more than just consumers.

If the total contributed value of the estimated 1.4 million American LGBT business owners is considered, our input to the economy is over $1.7 trillion. That would make LGBT Americans the 10th largest economy in the world.

Furthermore, our community’s businesses grow larger and last longer than others in the United States. On average, American small businesses fail around the five-year mark, but NGLCC’s certified LGBT-owned business enterprises average over twice that, with at least 12 years in business.

These LGBT-owned businesses are also powerful job creators: 900 LGBT-owned companies we studied created an estimated 33,000 jobs. LGBT entrepreneurs are committed to hiring greater numbers of LGBT employees and ensuring their own supply chains are as diverse as possible. Business leaders in our community continually redefine industries and shatter stereotypes. From technology firms to local restaurants and retail shops, we are proving every day that if you buy it, an LGBT-owned business can supply it.

When you look at a price tag, look for an indication that the company is an LGBT-inclusive corporation or an NGLCC Certified Business Enterprise. It has never been easier to go online or check with your local LGBT chamber of commerce to make sure you support the brands that have our community’s back. If you are an LGBT business owner and not yet certified as one, you’re leaving opportunities on the table to help your business and be counted as part of our LGBT global economy. You could join our ranks as a role model, job creator, and future LGBT business success story.

When it comes to diverse communities — LGBT people, women, people of color, people with disabilities, and more — we must stand in solidarity as a business force. We have never seen greater cooperation and solidarity than we have in recent months. And a great deal of that is due to the recognition that LGBT people are also part of every other community.

Use the LGBT community’s trillion-dollar clout to make a difference. Support your community when you shop, seek out LGBT-owned businesses when you invest and stand by those who stand with us. The LGBT community is an economic force to be reckoned with — and every one of us plays a part in it.

Read the report at Nglcc.org/report.

JUSTIN NELSON and CHANCE MITCHELL are cofounders of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). NGLCC is the business voice of the LGBT community, the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people, and the exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org @nglcc

Rihanna releases first Savage X Fenty Pride collection

BusinessLGBTQ+

Rihanna attends a Fenty event in February 2020 in an orange turtle neck. she is now america's youngest female self made billionaire

By Melissa Minton, Page Six

Rihanna is starting off Pride Month with a bang. The pop star’s Savage X Fenty lingerie brand launched its first-ever Pride collection on Tuesday, along with an accompanying campaign. “Pride is all about appreciating your authentic self,” Rihanna, 33, said in a statement. “I am very excited about this collection and showing love and support to the LGBTQIA+ community, which includes so many of our customers, team members and fans.”

Just last September, Savage X Fenty — which is now valued at more than $1 billion — announced an expansion into styles for men. The brand’s star-studded Pride campaign features model couple Ahmad Kanu and Rahquise Bowen, artist Aya Brown, plus-size model and dancer Dexter Mayfield, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Gigi Goode, transgender influencer Jaslene Whiterose, Fenty Skin model Jazzelle Zanaughtti, Rihanna’s personal hairstylist Yusef Williams and more.

Available in sizes from 30A to 42H and XS to 3X, the collection includes smoking jackets, jock straps, crop tops, hosiery, boxer briefs and even a whip. Prices range from $16.95 to $69.95, with purchases from the line supporting LGBTQ+ organizations including GLAAD, the Audre Lorde Project, The Caribbean Equality Project, INC., Trans Latin@ Coalition and the Trans Wellness Center.

Click here to read the full article on Page Six.

Stephen Curry And The Women’s National Basketball Players Association To Receive Jackie Robinson Sports Awards During 52nd Naacp Image Awards

Events

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (March 18, 2021) – Today, in a historical first, the NAACP announced that it will be awarding two recipients, NBA superstar Stephen Curry and The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), with the Jackie Robinson Sports Awards.

Additionally, Misty Copeland will be honored with the prestigious Spingarn Medal in addition to Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony who will receive the Activist of the Year award and Madison Potts who will receive the Youth Activist of the Year award. The awards will be presented during the 52nd NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience presented by Wells Fargo taking place March 22nd – 27th.

The week-long Virtual Experience, which will stream naacpimageawards.net will invite fans to join the Image Awards in a celebration of “Black Excellence”–including virtual red carpet, curated conversation series, a theatre featuring past performances and speeches and an after party celebration following the LIVE show airing on BET and simulcast across ViacomCBS Networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2, and LOGO on Saturday, March 27th, 2021 at 8/7c.

The NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Awards will be presented to both Stephen Curry and The WNBA Players Association for their high achievements in athletics in addition to their contributions in the pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement. Previous recipients include Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, The Harlem Globetrotters, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eddie Robinson, among others.

Over his 11-year career in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry has become one of the most influential stars both on and off the basketball court. He has won three NBA championships, two MVP awards, and holds seven NBA all-star selections. Off the court, he is a youth advocate recently launching Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation with his wife Ayesha Curry which seeks to unlock the potential of every child by providing underprivileged children with the fundamental resources they need to thrive in life. In addition, he collaborated with Under Armour to launch Curry Brand, a purpose-led performance brand with a mission to ensure every young person has equitable access to sport.The award will be presented to Curry by Stacey Abrams, during the virtual awards show Friday, March 26th.

Created in 1998, The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), is the first labor union for professional women athletes. Over the years, the WNBPA has additionally been at the forefront of helping players advocate for social justice, most recently working with the WNBA to launch a new platform called, The Justice Movement, which amplifies the voices and leadership of WNBA players and creating a Social Justice Council whose mission is to be a driving force of necessary and continuing conversations about race, voting rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and gun control amongst other important societal issues. The award will be presented by Jemele Hill and accepted on WNBPA’s behalf by WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, during the virtual awards show Thursday, March 25th.

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland will receive the prestigious Spingarn Medal, which is presented annually in recognition of the highest or noblest achievement by a living African American during the preceding year or years. Copeland made history by becoming the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. Throughout her career, she has worked with many charitable organizations and is dedicated to giving of her time to work with and mentor young girls and boys. In 2014, President Obama appointed Misty to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Previous recipients of this award include: Mrs. Daisy Bates (Little Rock Nine), Jesse L. Jackson, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Earl G. Graves Sr., Oprah Winfrey, Cecily Tyson, Harry Belafonte, and Sidney Poitier. The Spingarn medal will be presented to Copelandby Susan Fales Hill, during the virtual awards show on Tuesday, March 23rd.

In a year that was marked by a surging movement of activism and activists of all ages using their voices to create change, the NAACP will recognize Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony with Activist of the Year award and Madison Potts with the Youth Activist of the Year award. Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, NAACP president of the Detroit branch, will be recognized for his tireless work over the past year helping community members in Detroit combat the COVID-19 crisis, protect their voting rights, and fight for social justice. Madison Potts will be recognized for her exemplary work in Georgia, as an organizer with voter education and registration in the primary election, general election, and 2020 GA Senate runoff election.

The NAACP Image Awards additionally announced the full line-up of events taking place virtually from March 22nd-27th. In the week leading up to the LIVE broadcast of the show, the NAACP Image Awards will launch a Virtual Experience presented by Wells Fargo, which will invite fans into a curated “Black Excellence” experience right from the comfort of their own home. The experience will include:

The non-televised awards program which will include a pre-awards show hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner and celebrity presenters Nicole Beharie, the cast of BET’s Bigger, Tamar Braxton, Damson Idris, Daymond John, Leslie Jones, Javicia Leslie, Madalen Mills, , Method Man, Retta & Reno Wilson (from Good Girls), Marcus Scribner, JB Smoove, Terrence Terrell, Susan Kelechi Watson and CeCe Winans.
Virtual red carpet hosted by Tanika Ray.
A conversation and panel series with the NAACP Hollywood Bureau featuring Miles Brown and President Derrick Johnson.
The Our Stories, Our Culture program including “A Conversation With…” presented by Ford Motor Company which will salute to Essential Workers as well as a web series called Fashion Pull-Up hosted by celebrity wardrobe stylists, GooGoo Atkins and Apuje Kalu which will explore the most-notable fashion moments from the NAACP Image Awards’ red carpet.
The NAACP Theatre which will showcase past Image Awards’ performances and speeches. Additionally all content that airs in the Virtual Experience throughout the week will be made available on demand the next day in the theatre.
A virtual photo booth and selfie station, where fans can take a photo with their personal device and post to their social media platforms.
Post-gala Afterparty immediately following the live broadcast on BET which will feature classic cuts by DJ Questlove, current cuts by DJ Kiss, and a Jazz Lounge performance by Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway.

Attendees can RSVP/pre-register for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience at naacpimageawards.net.

The 52nd NAACP Image Awards is presented by Wells Fargo, and sponsored by AT&T, FedEx, Nike, Bank of America, American Airlines, Airbnb, Ford, and Alaska Airlines.

The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards.

NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization, and shares our commitment to equal rights.

About BET:

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation’s leading

provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

How to Celebrate Martin Luther King’s Birthday in 2021

Events

Here are ways to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy, whether you want to commit to a day of service or learn about the history of the civil rights movement.

Martin Luther King’s Birthday, a federal holiday observed on the third Monday in January, is a time to reflect on the legacy of the influential civil rights leader. It is also a federal holiday dedicated to a day of service, when Americans are encouraged to heed Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words: “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

This year, the holiday falls on Jan. 18. While coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns disrupted plans for many in-person celebrations and volunteering efforts, there are plenty of safe activities you can take part in. The website of AmeriCorps, the federal public-service organization, has a directory where you can search for volunteer opportunities, while President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s inaugural committee suggests creating cards for Covid-19 patients, knitting blankets for the homeless or hosting an online fund-raiser for a nonprofit organization.

Here are other resources for ways to commemorate Dr. King this week, whether you’re looking to do some good or engage in thoughtful conversation.

Hunger Free America, a national research and advocacy organization, will have an “M.L.K. Serve-a-Thon” on Jan. 18 and 19. In a series of virtual workshops, its partner agencies will discuss how food insecurity intersects with other social issues. They will also lead volunteering projects that can be done from home, like phone banking and raising awareness on social media.

Hands on Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes civic engagement efforts, lists in-person activities across Atlanta — Dr. King’s hometown — on its website. It also offers virtual suggestions, such as Civic Dinners, a community engagement platform where people can host or attend virtual conversations under topics like “bridging the racial divide” and “grief and gratitude.

Where: handsonatlanta.org

L.A. Works creates community service projects in the greater Los Angeles area. On Jan. 18, its website will host family-friendly virtual exhibitions of the 1963 March on Washington — created through the video game Minecraft. It’s also hosting online workshops and volunteering events focusing on how race affects homelessness, food insecurity and criminal justice.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington is hosting a social justice-themed virtual concert by the jazz bassist and composer Christian McBride and students from the Juilliard School. Watch on Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. Eastern. Tickets are free, but registration is recommended.

Where: nmaahc.si.edu

The King Center in Atlanta wraps up its weeklong observance of the holiday on Jan. 18 with the Beloved Community Commemorative Service, featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes. Stream it at 10:30 a.m. Eastern on the center’s website or on Facebook Watch, or tune in on Fox 5 Atlanta.

Where: thekingcenter.org

Continue on to The New York Times to read the complete article.

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In New York, Eight Young Bipoc And LGBTQ+ Artists Take Over The Subway

The Annual BDPA Technology and Career Fair – Win Scholarship in the “Design A Mobile App Showcase’!

Taking Pride In America’s LGBT Economy

Rihanna releases first Savage X Fenty Pride collection

Stephen Curry And The Women’s National Basketball Players Association To Receive Jackie Robinson Sports Awards During 52nd Naacp Image Awards

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