Res 0606-2026

Res. No. 606 Resolution declaring the month of August as Black Pride Month in the City of New York, recognizing the legacy of the NYC Black Pride movement of uplifting the Black LGBTQIA+ community and its continuing contributions to creating a more equitable New York City By Council Members Stevens, Ossé, Hudson, Cabán, Brewer, Hanif, Brooks-Powers, Avilés, Farías, Williams, Epstein and Aldebol (in conjunction with the Bronx Borough President) Whereas, The Stonewall Uprising in 1969 catalyzed the Pride movement in New York City (NYC) and around the world; and Whereas, The legacy of leadership and resistance of Black LGBTQIA+ activists, including before Stonewall, has faced erasure and marginalization in a historically White-dominated Pride movement; and Whereas, The first NYC Black Pride event was organized by James Saunders in August 1997, creating an alternative cultural space for the Black LGBTQIA+ community; and Whereas, From its inception, NYC Black Pride has facilitated solidarity, celebration, and uplift of a community with experiences and challenges often distinct from other LGBTQIA+ demographic groups; and Whereas, The nonprofit People of Color in Crisis became a core organizer of the NYC Black Pride movement in the early 2000s, when it started producing Pride in the City, an annual Black Pride event; and Whereas, A strong commitment to public health, specifically for the prevention and treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), has been central to the mission of NYC Black Pride; and Whereas, HIV testing for the Black LGBTQIA+ community has always accompanied the community festivities at Pride in the City; and Whereas, After People of Color in Crisis ceased operations in 2008, Lee Soulja, a Bronx native, founded the nonprofit NYC Center for Black Pride, which has organized the annual NYC Black Pride events since; and Whereas, According to The New York Times, Soulja noted that he created the NYC Center for Black Pride “to give more visibility to L.G.B.T. people of color, saying we have a voice, we have contributed to history and to culture in this country”; and Whereas, NYC Black Pride has served its mission to educate the public on the contributions of LGBTQIA+ people of color through its tradition of festivities and celebrations; and Whereas, What began as an underground dance party in 1997 is now an annual five-day event, running August 19-23, 2026; and Whereas, Now seeing attendees from Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and the Caribbean, the international reach of the NYC Black Pride movement has made NYC a gathering place for LGBTQIA+ people of color from around the globe; and Whereas, On this 250th anniversary of the United States, NYC is proud to recognize community-based organizations across the five boroughs, including NYC Black Pride, and to honor their contributions to building a more inclusive nation; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares the month of August as Black Pride Month in the City of New York, recognizing the legacy of the NYC Black Pride movement of uplifting the Black LGBTQIA+ community and its continuing contributions to creating a more equitable New York City. LS #23497 7/28/2026