CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Black Pride kicks off several days of events Wednesday, marking a return to in-person celebrations for the first time since 2019. This year will also include recognition from the City of Cincinnati, which proclaimed June 17 Black Pride Day.
"I didn't think when I moved here in 1975 this would ever happen," said Ron Clemons, Cincinnati Black Pride program chair. "This is almost like the period at the end of the sentence so you can start another chapter and I'm looking forward to that next chapter."
Openly gay Cincinnati council member Reggie Harris moderated Black Wellness is Black Pride: A Town Hall Wednesday night at e19 Lounge Bar and Discotheque.
The Black Alphabet Film Festival continues events Thursday at Clifton's Esquire Theatre. One of the films being screened is "Black As U R" by director Michael Rice, who will be leading a talkback after the screening.
"Having a film like 'Black As U R' will definitely create a spin-off of conversation for people to create dialogue," Rice said. "And for parents to look and see what their child may be going through."
The documentary confronts an issue Rice noticed most dramatically in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, as thousands held vigils for the man killed by a police officer. But miles away, a mob of men brutally attacked a young Black trans woman named Iyanna Dior — streaming it on Facebook Live.
"On one end, here we are fighting for equality against police brutality but then, on the flip side, we have this violent attack against somebody of color or a Black trans teen in the same space," he said.
Rice highlights Black young LGBTQ+ people at the intersection of race and queerness, fighting to find acceptance within their own community. It features an intense scene in a barbershop which Rice frames as a "place of trauma" because of systemic beliefs of masculinity and religion on display.
"I did feel myself within that scene kind of having emotions that regressed back to being a 14-year-old," Rice said. "But I powered through it because even though I was sitting in my discomfort, I knew my discomfort could aid someone else."
Organizers like Clemons hope the discussion, and city recognition, will start the next more inclusive chapter for Black LGBTQIA+ identities.
"It's important that Black, queer people be recognized as being part of the history of Cincinnati because we always have been and we always will be," he said.
Cincinnati Black Pride will present its Vizazi Awards Friday and will have a presence at the Juneteenth celebration in Eden Park on Saturday, as well as in the Cincinnati Pride March next weekend.
Find more local Pride Month events here.
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