Energetic pageant highlights 27th annual NYC Black Pride celebration

Spirits were high and fans snapping at the third annual Mr. and Miss Black Pride International Pageant on Aug. 15 at the LGBT Center on West 13th Street. The winning contestants were Geo Glam and Syria Sinclaire, crowned Mr and Miss Black Pride International, respectively. Serving as mistress of ceremonies was acclaimed drag performer Harmonica Sunbeam. “This year, we had more contestants than the first two … Read More

Aug 31, 2024 - 20:00
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Energetic pageant highlights 27th annual NYC Black Pride celebration
Spirits were high and fans snapping at the third annual Mrand Miss Black Pride International Pageant on Aug. 15 at the LGBT Center on West 13th Street. The winning contestants were Geo Glam and Syria Sinclairecrowned Mr and Miss Black Pride International, respectively.

Serving as mistress of ceremonies was acclaimed drag performer Harmonica Sunbeam.

“This year, we had more contestants than the first two years, so the pageant is definitely, definitely growing,” Sunbeam told Gay City News. “A lot of different talents, a lot of diverse talents, a lot of original talents. I’m happy that people are stepping outside of the box to showcase what they have, and, that it’s coming to New York!”

Contestants originated from cities across the country, including Detroit and New Orleans, vying for the crowns in a field of categories that showcased talent, swimwear, formal wear, and interview skills.

Individuals compete in NYC Black Pride's Mr and Miss International Pageant.
Contestants stand on stage at NYC Black Pride’s Mr. and Miss International Pageant.NYC Black Pride
Across the categories, contestants highlighted cultural references to African American and Caribbean heritage — from a rendition of leonine Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” to a dramatic skit set to “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo, the theme song to “Harriet,” a biopic of Harriet Tubman, a steely abolitionist who led some 70 African Americans out of enslavement between 1851 and 1862. Spontaneous crowd favorite Tina Twirler wowed the audience with an interpretive dance to singer Nina Simone’s haunting ballad, “Strange Fruit.”

The pageant was one of the events in a packed schedule of attractions for NYC Black Pride, now in its 27th year.

Mr Black Pride International Geo Glam and Miss Black Pride International Syria Sinclaire.
Mr. Black Pride International Geo Glam and Miss Black Pride International Syria Sinclaire.NYC Black Pride

“All the events for Black Pride, I make sure, are free,” said NYC Black Pride founder Lee Soulja-Simmons, on stage at the pageant. “Please, support the ballroom community and support our artists, our authors.”

The ballroom community of amateur and professional performers, many of whom are drag aficionados like all of the contestants who competed for the Miss Black Pride International title, has evolved into a worldwide movement since its origins in New York City in the 1960s. It has contributed cultural innovations such as vogueing, the acrobatic, gender-fluid dance style, to the world.

While the pageant was not a ballroom event, the ballroom vibe was strong in the hall at The Center: Revered elders were seated up front to one side of the stage, where they received greetings of bows and kisses; audience members rewarded “fierce” performers on stage by handing them dollar bills.

Brett Sturgis, who won the first Mr. Black Pride pageant under the stage name of Brandon Thomas, described the competition as, “A place to express, to perform, and really just show that melanin inside.”

Hostess Harmonica Sunbeam stands in front of the judges' table.
Hostess Harmonica Sunbeam.Nicholas Boston

Beauty pageant-style competitions have been a feature of Black Pride celebrations for decades. Mrand Miss Black Gay Pride pageants were part of the lineup at Dallas Black Gay and Lesbian Pride weekend in 1997, where among the headliners was now-legendary performer Kevin Aviance.

Black LGBTQ+ Pride events emerged because Black communities such as the ballroom society experienced exclusion from, or marginalization within, official Pride celebrations. Presently, the Center for Black Equity, a Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit organization, documents 48 officially-organized Black Pride events around the United States, and one each in London, Englandand Paris, France. Additionally, the Center for Black Equity notes, Pride events are publicly observed in majority-Black international locations, from Lagos, Nigeria, to Paramaribo, Suriname, including two in Jamaica, a country whose track record on LGBTQ+ protections has drawn considerable concern. Several of these celebrations have featured pageants.

“Black comes in many, many forms,” Sturgis said. “Whether you are African American, whether you are Native American, whether you are Latino, whether you are South Asian, Indian, Black comes in a lot of different shapes and forms. So, we encourage all performers of all walks of these origins to come join us for this celebration, as we do once a year in New York City. Be a part of the fourth one.”

Nicholas Boston, Ph.D., is a professor of media sociology at the City University of New York-Lehman College.

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