Lively block party caps 38th annual NYC Black Pride
Music artists, dancers, DJs, and hosts delivered on-stage entertainment, community vendors offered resources under tents, and a large crowd danced to the beat at NYC Black Pride’s lively block party on Aug. 18 at W. 127th St. in Harlem. The afternoon block party was the final major event of the 28th annual edition of New … Read More
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Music artists, dancers, DJs, and hosts delivered on-stage entertainment, community vendors offered resources under tents, and a large crowd danced to the beat at NYC Black Pride’s lively block party on Aug. 18 at W. 127th St. in Harlem.
The afternoon block party was the final major event of the 28th annual edition of New York City Black Pride, which also featured ballroom-inspired exhibitions, a health conference, and the Mr. and Miss Black Pride International Pageant, along with several nightlife events.
[caption id="attachment_58630" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Enjoying the Sunday afternoon block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
The winners of this year’s Mr. and Miss Black Pride International Pageant were Landon B. Dickerson and Octavia Anye, who were crowned on Aug. 14.
On-stage performers at the block party included Jada Black Beauty, Kevin Aviance, and 4N Yardi, among others, while Lee Soulja Simmons — who leads New York City Black Pride festivities — served as the host.
[caption id="attachment_58620" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Jada Black Beauty performs in front of the crowd.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Among the vendors on hand were Amida Care, the Columbia Research Unit and the Caribbean Equality Project. Rainbow Flags, wristbands, and fans were distributed to attendees, some of whom set up lawn chairs in front of the entertainment stage.
[caption id="attachment_58626" align="alignleft" width="459"]
Miss Black Pride International Octavia Anye.Matt Tracy[/caption]
The week-long slate of events ran smoothly despite facing significant budget cuts at a time when many Pride events — including NYC Pride’s annual march on Pride Sunday in June — have faced funding constraints due to reductions in sponsorship support. Some Black Pride events held in the past, such as the Heritage Awards ceremony and the Heritage Ball, did not take place this year.
At the same time, this year brought some positive changes, too, including the introduction of the block party, which was inspired in large part by the strong turnout at a different block party held earlier this summer.
The health conference, organizers said, covered timely topics at a time when community members are anticipating the forthcoming impact of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, which will bring changes to Medicare and Medicaid. The health conference, which had a theme of "She Matters," notably brought attention to health issues facing both cisgender and transgender women.
[caption id="attachment_58622" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
4N Yardi leads an on-stage performance during the block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
“Overall, I think everything went extremely well considering that I was wondering how things were going to turn out and how people were going to receive some of the changes due to the lack of funding,” Soulja-Simmons told Gay City News following the block party.
[caption id="attachment_58624" align="aligncenter" width="506"]
Kevin Aviance engages the crowd during the block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Behind the scenes, Soulja-Simmons said securing a permit for the block party was a back-and-forth process, and officials ultimately asked for the event to end a bit earlier than anticipated.
“At the end of the day, I was very happy we were able to do the event,” Soulja-Simmons said.
[caption id="attachment_58621" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Lee Soulja-Simmons hosts the afternoon block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Thunderstorms rolled into the city just as the block party was reaching its conclusion, but that didn’t stop the crowds from making their way to the nearby 4West Lounge for Sunday Funday — the official Black Pride finale — which featured DJ Frankie Paradise, DJ Jemini, and DJ Sedrick.
[caption id="attachment_58625" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Outside of 4West during NYC Black Pride's Sunday Funday finale party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
“Surprisingly, thank goodness we got through after the rain,” Soulja-Simmons said. “We were worried that it was going to be empty [at 4West], but after the rain stopped, everyone lined up.”
Enjoying the Sunday afternoon block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
The winners of this year’s Mr. and Miss Black Pride International Pageant were Landon B. Dickerson and Octavia Anye, who were crowned on Aug. 14.
On-stage performers at the block party included Jada Black Beauty, Kevin Aviance, and 4N Yardi, among others, while Lee Soulja Simmons — who leads New York City Black Pride festivities — served as the host.
[caption id="attachment_58620" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Jada Black Beauty performs in front of the crowd.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Among the vendors on hand were Amida Care, the Columbia Research Unit and the Caribbean Equality Project. Rainbow Flags, wristbands, and fans were distributed to attendees, some of whom set up lawn chairs in front of the entertainment stage.
[caption id="attachment_58626" align="alignleft" width="459"] Miss Black Pride International Octavia Anye.Matt Tracy[/caption]
The week-long slate of events ran smoothly despite facing significant budget cuts at a time when many Pride events — including NYC Pride’s annual march on Pride Sunday in June — have faced funding constraints due to reductions in sponsorship support. Some Black Pride events held in the past, such as the Heritage Awards ceremony and the Heritage Ball, did not take place this year.
At the same time, this year brought some positive changes, too, including the introduction of the block party, which was inspired in large part by the strong turnout at a different block party held earlier this summer.
The health conference, organizers said, covered timely topics at a time when community members are anticipating the forthcoming impact of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, which will bring changes to Medicare and Medicaid. The health conference, which had a theme of "She Matters," notably brought attention to health issues facing both cisgender and transgender women.
[caption id="attachment_58622" align="aligncenter" width="700"] 4N Yardi leads an on-stage performance during the block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
“Overall, I think everything went extremely well considering that I was wondering how things were going to turn out and how people were going to receive some of the changes due to the lack of funding,” Soulja-Simmons told Gay City News following the block party.
[caption id="attachment_58624" align="aligncenter" width="506"] Kevin Aviance engages the crowd during the block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Behind the scenes, Soulja-Simmons said securing a permit for the block party was a back-and-forth process, and officials ultimately asked for the event to end a bit earlier than anticipated.
“At the end of the day, I was very happy we were able to do the event,” Soulja-Simmons said.
[caption id="attachment_58621" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Lee Soulja-Simmons hosts the afternoon block party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
Thunderstorms rolled into the city just as the block party was reaching its conclusion, but that didn’t stop the crowds from making their way to the nearby 4West Lounge for Sunday Funday — the official Black Pride finale — which featured DJ Frankie Paradise, DJ Jemini, and DJ Sedrick.
[caption id="attachment_58625" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Outside of 4West during NYC Black Pride's Sunday Funday finale party.Matt Tracy[/caption]
“Surprisingly, thank goodness we got through after the rain,” Soulja-Simmons said. “We were worried that it was going to be empty [at 4West], but after the rain stopped, everyone lined up.”
