DC Black Pride Recognition Resolution of 2026

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1 2 ________________________________ _______________________________ 3 Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Zachary Parker 4 5 6 7 ________________________________ _______________________________ 8 Councilmember Doni Crawford Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 9 10 11 12 ________________________________ _______________________________ 13 Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Charles Allen 14 15 16 17 ________________________________ _______________________________ 18 Councilmember Matthew Frumin Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 19 20 21 22 ________________________________ _______________________________ 23 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Christina Henderson 24 25 26 27 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 28 29 _________________________ 30 31 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 32 33 _________________________ 34 35 36 To recognize the history and the importance of DC Black Pride, including the 35th annual 37 celebration from May 22-25, 2026, and to celebrate the contributions of the first Black 38 Pride celebration in the District of Columbia to the national and international recognition 39 of the Black LGBTQIA+ community, including the establishment of the Center for Black 40 Equity. 41 42

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WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is an annual event to increase awareness of and showcase 43 pride in the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ populations in the African American community, and to 44 support organizations that focus on health disparities, education, youth, and families; 45 46 WHEREAS, from 1975 until 1990, the Club House was a premiere community gathering 47 space for the African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community of 48 Washington, DC, and was notable for its annual Memorial Day weekend celebration, called the 49 Children’s Hour; 50 51 WHEREAS, Wilmore Cook, Theodore Kirkland, and Ernest Hopkins envisioned creating 52 an event that would continue the tradition of the Children’s Hour as well as raise much-needed 53 funds for the HIV/AIDS organizations that served the African American community after the 54 Club House closed its doors in 1990; 55 56 WHEREAS, with the Children’s Hour as inspiration, the inaugural DC Black Pride was 57 held on May 25, 1991, in cooperation with the DC Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gay Men 58 and the Inner-City AIDS Network on the grounds of Banneker Field; 59 60 WHEREAS, as the very first Black Pride festival in the world, DC Black Pride fostered 61 the beginning of the Center for Black Equity and the “Black Pride Movement”; 62 63 WHEREAS, as DC Black Pride grew in popularity and in programmatic offerings, 64 organizers created a board of directors, created a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and officially 65 established the Black Lesbian & Gay Pride Day, Inc.; 66 67 WHEREAS, during the 1998 festival, Black Lesbian & Gay Pride Day, Inc., and 68 organizers of Black Prides from New York City, Detroit, Atlanta and several other cities formed 69 the International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.; 70 71 WHEREAS, the International Federation of Black Prides later became the Center for 72 Black Equity, and today the organization has more than 50 members and serves as the principal 73 body through which organizers find support, raise funds, and share best practices; 74 75 WHEREAS, since the birth of DC Black Pride, more than 50 other Black Pride 76 celebrations now take place throughout the world and on 4 continents, with many using DC 77 Black Pride as a model; 78 79 WHEREAS, May 22, 2026, through May 25, 2026, marks the 35th annual DC Black 80 Pride celebration; 81 82 WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s celebration is “New Black Renaissance,” which 83 centers Black LGBTQIA+ “artists, leaders, healers, and organizers while confronting what still 84 makes Black Pride necessary, including HIV, inequity, homophobia, and transphobia;” 85 86

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WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, DC Black Pride has been an opportunity for the 87 Black LGBTQIA+ community to gather and celebrate being both African American and 88 members of LGBTQIA+ communities; 89 90 WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is the oldest and one of the largest Black Pride events in the 91 world, drawing thousands of residents and visitors from around the globe; and 92 93 WHEREAS, DC Black Pride brings more than 500,000 people to the nation’s capital 94 from across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, South Africa, Great Britain, France, 95 Germany, and the Netherlands and will carry that tradition this year and into the future to 96 celebrate their shared community, raise awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, and 97 stand against homophobia inspired by violence and bigotry. 98 99 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That 100 this resolution be cited as the “DC Black Pride Recognition Resolution of 2026”. 101 102 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors the hard work of 103 everyone involved in organizing the 35th annual DC Black Pride and the opportunity to celebrate 104 the Black LGBTQIA+ community. 105 106 Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 107