BE. Gala Honorees, clockwise from top left: Bishop O.C. Allen, A. Cornelius Baker, Jasmine Crockett, Big Freedia, Hope Giselle, Eva Marcille, Jack Mizrahi, MOBI, Tracey Africa Norman, Patrick Ian Polk.
The Center for Black Equity, the nation’s leading international organization advocating for Black LGBTQ communities, will host its inaugural “BE. A Gala for Black Equity” on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The program will celebrate individuals and organizations advancing advocacy, public health, spirituality, art, and community leadership.
The evening will feature dinner, live performances, storytelling, and a red-carpet experience, complete with honorees and special guests.
Guided by the theme “The New Renaissance,” the gala will be steered by a host committee reflecting the Center for Black Equity’s mission to uplift equality, representation, and liberation for Black LGBTQ communities. Committee members include Malachi Hammonds, senior sales technology manager at Bloomberg Industry Group; Carmen Neely, co-founder, president, and CEO of Harlem Pride; and Letoi Williams, deputy director of the Human Rights Campaign.
“The Gala is not just a moment of recognition — it fuels the work we do year-round to advance equity for Black LGBTQ+ people worldwide,” said Kenya Hutton, president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, which produces the annual DC Black Pride celebration. “Every ticket, every table, every act of support helps us expand our impact and strengthen our movement.”
Among those being honored is Tracey Africa Norman, a trailblazing Black transgender model who became the first trans woman to appear on a Clairol “Born Beautiful” box. She was recently profiled in Allure and featured on REVOLT’s FQ Crazy Sexy Coolpodcast. Norman will receive the Welmore Cook Advocacy & Service Award.
The gala will posthumously honor A. Cornelius Baker, a veteran HIV/AIDS policy advocate and advisor with the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition, with the Ernest Hopkins Public Health Leadership Award.
Also being honored are:
Jack Mizrahi, the executive producer of Legendary and Pose and a longtime ballroom community leader, who will receive CBE’s Unsung Hero Award.
Hope Giselle-Godsey, an author and DEI consultant, who will receive the Center for Black Equity Leadership Award.
MOBI (Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative), a platform curating wellness and empowerment events for queer men of color, which will receive CBE’s Small Business Award.
Patrik-Ian Polk, the creator of the groundbreaking Black LGBTQ series Noah’s Arc, who will receive the Alan Sharpe Artistic Excellence Award.
Bishop O.C. Allen, the presiding prelate of the United Progressive Pentecostal Church Fellowship, and founder of Vision Cathedral, a faith community affirming LGBTQ+ youth, who will receive the Bishop Kwabena Rainey Cheeks Spiritual & Community Leadership Award.
Big Freedia, a musical artist, cultural icon, and LGBTQ advocate, who will receive the National Black Pride Leadership Award.
Eva Marcille, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, winner of Cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model, and lead in Lifetime’s Buried Alive and Survived, who will receive the Ally Award.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a fierce advocate for civil rights, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ protections in Congress, who will receive the Eleanor Holmes Norton Civil Rights & Justice Award.
“I am proud to help create a space where our community’s brilliance and resilience are not only seen but celebrated,” Aubrey Boyd, the event manager for the gala, said in a statement. “This event is about more than recognition — it’s about joy, legacy, and affirming that Black LGBTQ+ lives and stories will always have a place of honor.”
The Center for Black Equity’s “BE. A Gala for Black Equity” takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, in Washington, D.C. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit centerforblackequity.org/gala.
Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis has sold his California home and auctioned three of his Olympic medals as part of a major life change: relocating to Panama.
“As life moves forward, what are you prepared to leave behind?" he wrote in a Facebook post announcing the move. "I am 65 years old, and I am asking just that. I am no longer who I used to think I was."
The decision marks a shift from a 2023 statement in which Louganis said the proceeds would help fund the Damien Center, Indiana’s oldest and largest AIDS services provider, which recently lost government funding for critical health care programs.
Montero Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, has been charged with four felonies after allegedly injuring police officers during a bizarre incident in Los Angeles.
Last week, the 26-year-old rapper was filmed wandering the streets in his underwear with a traffic cone on his head, talking to himself as bystanders captured videos that quickly spread online.
The Grammy-winning artist, famed for his record-shattering 2018 hit "Old Town Road," had recently wiped his Instagram feed while teasing his next album, "Dreamboy."
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