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1 2 _______________________________ 3 Councilmember Zachary Parker 4 5 6 7 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 8 9 _________________________ 10 11 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12 13 _________________________ 14 15 16 To recognize honoree Charity Blackwell during the 2026 celebration of DC Black Pride. 17 18 WHEREAS, Charity Blackwell is an award-winning spoken word artist, creative 19 storyteller, and cultural curator whose work lives at the intersection of sports, music, advocacy, 20 and community; 21 22 WHEREAS, Charity Blackwell currently serves as the Chief of Culture & Arts at DC 23 SCORES and Director of Poetry Events at Busboys and Poets; 24 25 WHEREAS, known for her emotionally charged performances and cinematic storytelling 26 style, Charity Blackwell has collaborated with organizations and platforms connected to the 27 National Women’s Soccer League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, 28 Major League Soccer, TEDx, BBC News, and the Washington Spirit, most recently contributing 29 to a campaign alongside Wale and Magic Johnson celebrating women’s sports; 30 31 WHEREAS, Charity Blackwell’s work has also been featured on many stages and 32 platforms including The Lincoln Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and The Hirshhorn Museum; 33 34 WHEREAS, through poetry, live performance, and cultural programming, Charity 35 Blackwell creates spaces rooted in healing, visibility, authenticity, and human connection; 36 37 WHEREAS, Charity Blackwell’s work is deeply grounded in LGBTQIA+ advocacy and 38 creating environments where Black queer communities feel seen, celebrated, protected, and 39 empowered; 40 41 WHEREAS, whether on stage, in community, or through leadership, Charity Blackwell 42 uses storytelling as a tool to amplify marginalized voices, spark conversation, and build spaces 43 where people can show up fully as themselves; 44
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45 WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is an annual event to increase awareness of and showcase 46 pride in the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ populations in the African American community, and to 47 support organizations that focus on health disparities, education, youth, and families; 48 49 WHEREAS, as the very first Black Pride festival in the world, DC Black Pride fostered 50 the beginning of the Center for Black Equity and the “Black Pride Movement”; 51 52 WHEREAS, since the birth of DC Black Pride, more than 50 other Black Pride 53 celebrations now take place throughout the world and on 4 continents, with many using DC 54 Black Pride as a model; 55 56 WHEREAS, May 22, 2026, through May 25, 2026, marks the 35th annual DC Black 57 Pride celebration; 58 59 WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s celebration is “New Black Renaissance,” which 60 centers Black LGBTQIA+ “artists, leaders, healers, and organizers while confronting what still 61 makes Black Pride necessary, including HIV, inequity, homophobia, and transphobia;” 62 63 WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, DC Black Pride has been an opportunity for the 64 Black LGBTQIA+ community to gather and celebrate being both African American and 65 members of LGBTQIA+ communities; 66 67 WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is the oldest and one of the largest Black Pride events in the 68 world, drawing thousands of residents and visitors from around the globe; and 69 70 WHEREAS, DC Black Pride brings more than 500,000 people to the nation’s capital 71 from across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, South Africa, Great Britain, France, 72 Germany, and the Netherlands and will carry that tradition this year and into the future to 73 celebrate their shared community, raise awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, and 74 stand against homophobia inspired by violence and bigotry. 75 76 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That 77 this resolution be cited as the “Charity Blackwell Recognition Resolution of 2026”. 78 79 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and celebrates Charity 80 Blackwell during the 2026 celebration of DC Black Pride. 81 82 Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 83