The At The Beach Beach Party has been cancelled this year. The Beach Party is part of the circuit of Black Gay Pride events which occur every summer (Los Angeles, July 3-6; Atlanta, August 27-September 1, Chicago July 3-6, New York City, August 2-10; and Washington, DC May 21-26).
Apparently only the Beach Party itself is cancelled, but all the other satellite events will continue to happen and I'm sure many people will still be in town this weekend.
6 comments:
I'm sad to hear this. I was very excited about seeing more black gays in this town
Oh they will be here, just not at the Beach. They will be at The Catch on Saturday (and probably Friday) and at The Abbey on Sunday. TRUST!
The Abbey? It won't be karaoke night will it ;)? But, its a shame what's going on....
WHY WAS IT CANCELED??? DOES ANYONE KNOW??
Too expensive I think? And, accodrinf to some, out of control crime or some nonsense. But, if they can find the coins for the West Hollywood gig, why not this one? Things that don't make you go hmmm.
Dear Los Angeles Black LGBT Family and Allies:
It pains me to have to write a letter like this, but I’m sure you’ll agree with the cancellation of this year’s pride, it is long over due. It seems far too many of us have sat idle and watched as others have dictated for us what they think we should have. As a young black, gay male I find it is my duty to speak on behalf of myself and others who remain silent. I strongly believe that even one person can spark change.
Over 20 years ago in the summer of 1988, Duane Bremond and a group of friends decided to come together to organize and enjoy a day "At the Beach" over the 4th of July weekend. Every year since, At the Beach (ATB) aka Black Pride LA has grown in participants and in scope. It was to become the nation's largest recognized Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride celebration, instead it has become a yearly on again off again, meager celebration which hasn’t made any inroads towards becoming a permanent fixture in our community, let alone nationally. This has happened for several reasons, far too many to list, including but not limited to past corruption from former event organizers. Two of the top reasons however are much more simplistic. Lack of communication between pride committee members, Los Angeles County personnel, and the public, and the lack of infrastructure have resulted in the cancellation of yet another year’s pride. And I feel that the excuse for this year’s cancellation is in poor taste, and condescending to our community because I have direct knowledge confirming that the reason given isn’t one hundred percent factual!
To honor Duane’s vision I think we should reassess what the ATB has become, think about how we can reverse the downward spiral it has caused, and craft a strategic plan for future success.
Our black family is experiencing a great shift in its thinking, and fresh new minds are being recognized. This is evident in politics with the election of Barak Obama as the Democratic presidential nominee, and with newly elected Benjamin Jealous, the Executive Director of the NAACP, who at 35 is the organizations youngest leader in history. In order for our voices to be heard more in LA, we need to take away the assumed power of few and hand over the encouragement to empower many.
Looking at the model of Washington D.C.’s Black Pride, it is very impressive to see that they have a governing body in the form of a volunteer committee that plans pride a year in advance. It is also impressive to see their attendance numbers, and that their mobility in the community continues to increase. Although LA’s black gay population statistically isn’t as high as D.C.’s we should still be able to adopt some of their processes and mirror some of their successes. Just from taking a look at their website it is clear that they are an asset to their community, and should be applauded for their efforts.
In conclusion, this letter isn’t meant to negate all of the work from past and current members of the ATB committee, but it is meant to spark dialogue and move towards creating positive change. I think the current ATB committee should chalk its organizational structure up as a failure and we as the Los Angeles Black LGBT Community should start from scratch. I think having some new blood on the committee along with a new name, I suggest Black Pride LA, an operational website, partnerships with service providers, a pool of volunteers and similar progressive steps to move forward would be a good starting point. We should spend some time speaking with other successful black pride organizations like D.C. or Atlanta. This shouldn’t just be a day “At The Beach” it should be a day to honor the past, celebrate the present, and ignite enthusiasm for the future.
My name is Milton Smith and I was moved to write this letter as a community minded HIV prevention researcher, and a member of this community. The cancellation of “At The Beach” 2008 has not only proved ATB unsuccessful, but has also harmed the chances for service providers like myself to reach our all to underserved population.
For me as an individual I feel disgraced that our family couldn’t unite and “get it together,” and that I too waited so long to voice my concerns. I would feel privileged to be an integral part of a teamed rebuilding process. I can be contacted at blackpridela@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Milton Smith
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