|
Friends –
Every day we witness movement leaders and artists across disciplines show up for Black lives – from calls to action for protecting the dignity and safety of Black folks to reimagining systems of policing and criminal justice. Black-led organizing and artistry continues to make a social, political, and cultural impact in our lives.
Today is Juneteenth – the holiday that marks the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. To honor Juneteenth, we'd like to spotlight and lift up some of the Black visionaries, artists, and activists that we've been grateful to work with in the past year. Through their work, these leaders are helping to envision what a vibrant and more just world can look like.
Thank you,
The Campaign for Southern Equality
|
|
Uplifting BIPOC LGBTQ Southern Creatives
Last year we hosted a special grant round of our Southern Equality Fund, in conjunction with our Southern Equality Studios program. This grant round was dedicated to resourcing and celebrating BIPOC LGBTQ artists and creatives across the LGBTQ South. In all, $10,000 moved to hands in all corners of the South to LGBTQ BIPOC people doing inspiring and inspired creative work, thanks to a generous donation from our friends at East Fork Pottery.
Meet two Black queer Southern artists below – and view all 20 of the awesome BIPOC creatives by clicking here.
|
|
|
Jae House, a multifaceted Black Queer artist hailing from the South, “has an extraordinary portfolio of photography, music videos, and recordings. Most recently he released his EP, Fools Journey, on Apple Music, Spotify, and other streaming platforms. He is committed to the representation of Black subjects in his art and has made his own queer relationship with his partner, Lucas, the subject of several breathtakingly curated photo series. Jae’s backdrops are a blend of the natural and urban environments of North Florida, giving his photography a distinctively Southern identity. See Jae's work.
|
|
|
|
Javetta Sabra Clemmons (their work is pictured), from Southwest Georgia and founder of dts media describes themself “as someone who deeply believes in community building beyond the illusion of borders and in a fluid, expansive way, I often travel throughout the South and beyond by car to document stories and to tell stories. Because of this, I’ve had the great privilege to witness folks in multiple communities in ways that have reshaped my understanding about the immense power storytelling holds for both the storyteller and for the community in which stories are shared. It’s developed my mission as an artist – to showcase the stories of our communities IN our communities wherever they may be found, but especially in places of isolation.”See the work.
|
|
|
Celebrating Black LGBTQ-Led Activism
Last year's nationwide protests for Black lives – and the ongoing work this year – showed that it’s more important than ever for all of us to further our work toward racial justice and resilience. Last summer our Southern Equality Fund was honored to support awesome queer Black grassroots organizers through a #BlackLivesMatter special grant round.
Learn more about two of the Black LGBTQ-led projects below, and click here to watch meet-and-greet interviews between our staff members and some of the grant recipients, who ranged from folks doing direct action to resilience and healing efforts to coordinating bail-out funds:
|
|
|
Louisville Community Bail Fund, organized by #BlackLivesMatter’s Louisville chapter is an effort to build transformative communities through supporting those who cannot afford bail by providing post-release support to get them from jail, as well as focus on preventative measures for Black folks targeted by law enforcement and threatened with incarceration. See the work.
|
|
|
|
Trans(forming) is a membership-based organization led by trans men, intersex, gender non-conforming people of color who offer community-led services from health and legal assistance to leadership development. See the work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
