Charlotte Black Pride (CBP) hosts its 21st annual festival July 11-18. Live performances, career fairs, mental health panels and a kiki ball (a runway and dance contest held in queer Black communities) will take place throughout the week.
For two decades, CBP has stayed committed to creating space for Black queer people. Though the Charlotte Pride parade celebrates the LGBTQ+ community at large, people of color can often feel culturally overshadowed by their white peers.
Recognizing this disparity between white queer people and queer people of color at LGBTQ+ community events, Charlotte Black Pride shines a spotlight on Black and brown members of the community by creating events, fundraisers and festivals catered specifically toward them.
How Charlotte Black Pride forages space for Black queer events
Since his first day as Board Chair of Black Pride, Miles Perry has searched for better ways to represent his community. “[When creating space] you have to have something that’s attractive to them [Black queer people],” Perry says. “You [should] have a vision they would enjoy, or they see themselves being a part of.”
He continues: “…our board starts to reflect the niches and communities that we came from.” Perry adds, “I love ghetto tech … while my co-chair is more of an R&B, gospel [and] house music and those are two different scenes. So, our board has to reflect those various scenes in Charlotte to really bring out and have an event that caters to that person.”
Each board member chooses a niche they’re interested in and creates opportunities for financial, mental and social support for those groups. Earlier in the year, volunteer director Lorenzo Tucker realized a gap in HIV/AIDS visibility. The director curated a town hall that focused on HIV and AIDS. The meeting allowed survivors to highlight the challenges they faced and explain how Black Pride can help them.
In his first year as chair, Perry ensured Black Pride was represented in Charlotte Pride. He created the “Black on Purpose Stage” to showcase the talent of Black queer artists to the Charlotte Pride audience. The non-profit has also partnered with food groups, like Hearts United for Good (HUGCLT) and Poor No More, to help families in need. This year they fed around 50 families.
“We [the Black Pride board] try to be flexible … and have our staple events like the Kiki Ball, the meet-and-greet, but we also try to be adaptable and responsive to the community’s needs,” Perry continues. “We’re always asking people, ‘what would you like to see?’ If people want to see something different from the board, I implore them to join the board and see that change.” Perry adds that it was the “Black on Purpose Stage” idea that made him board chair.
Though 2026 has been challenging, Charlotte Black Pride’s dedication to the Black queer community hasn’t gone unnoticed. For the first time, the organization was named Non-Profit of the Year by the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce.
The Challenges of 2026
Perry says, “It feels like there are so many more barriers than what was already present before the anti-DEI [activity]… and[this administration. [It] has just been amplified.”
Executive Order 14398 was signed in early 2026, restricting federal organizations and companies from supporting “DEI activities.”
The order leaned on corporations to turn away from inclusive policies. This shift towards social conservatism shrunk the grants, funding and assistance available for queer and POC organizations, which has directly impacted Charlotte Black Pride.
Perry says Charlotte Black Pride lost 50 percent of its budget this year. Companies that were vocal three years ago are no longer replying to Black Pride messages. Some of the companies that left the HRC Corporate Index were or are supporters of Charlotte Pride and Black Pride, like Bank of America, McDonald’s and Target.
Board members have felt the loss of that 50 percent, but hope to continue hosting events people love.
Perry explains: “That [pressure] can at times be intimidating. And Charlotte Black Pride is an all-volunteer board, too. I tell people that essentially every board member you see is doing it for the love of the game. And that can lead to a high bar [because] you have a whole community that’s relying on you, [and] they don’t necessarily understand the board’s work.” The chairman adds that the non-profit work is both social and political.
North Carolina isn’t new to anti-DEI policies, as it was the first state to implement HB2, otherwise known as “the bathroom bill,” which restricted transgender individuals from using restrooms in government facilities that correspond with their gender. That bill was repealed, but state and private organizations have restricted access to DEI knowledge and tools. Not surprisingly, those impacted by these restrictions are people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Charlotte universities like the University of North Carolina (UNCC) have fired the staff of, limited and/or stopped campus-sponsored DEI centers. Young LGBTQ+ people have been forced to create their own safe spaces without help from institutions that initially supported them.
Perry confirms the shift away from the queer community by both corporations and individuals. “I feel like people are … emboldened. If I saw who I would regard as the most powerful person in America [The U.S. President], using such vulgar [and] demeaning language to the people they may not agree with … why would I [a regular citizen] not also feel empowered to do that?”
The non-profit now leans on the LGBTQ+ community to help build events they love. Yes, corporate checks are big, but Perry believes it’s more fulfilling to use aid that was donated from people who love Charlotte Black Pride.
“What’s more sustainable is community funding and the people saying, ‘I love this organization so much that I gave it $20’ … just because they enjoy the product that we have. I think what’s more sustainable are people buying more VIQ [Very Important Queer] passes … someone saying ‘I don’t have anything to give, but I have a talent,’ like … ‘I’m a photographer’ or ‘I’m a DJ and I can give you two or three hours of my services for free.’” Perry continues, “I think those [services] are more sustainable and fulfilling … because they often lead to a level of networking that you wouldn’t get from those corporate dollars.”
Regardless of DEI crackdowns and less financial aid, Charlotte Black Pride continues to support Black queer people with partners that actually care about their mission.
“Every year we always have vending booths … and every year we get a whole new array of vendors, and you never know where that leads. Some vendors are like, ‘wow, I really did so well here that you’ll see me now for the next few years.’”
With vendors and donations, Charlotte Black Pride is able to encourage and create representation for queer people of color.
On June 17, the city of Charlotte recognized both Charlotte Pride and Charlotte Black Pride with a proclamation. Now, July 11-18 will be Charlotte Black Pride week and Aug. 7-16 will represent Charlotte Pride. The city has recognized Pride consistently since 2021. In previous years, it was acknowledged with a proclamation, but inconsistently and depending on the city’s administration.
“And … we hope that it stays routine because the flip side of that is a city that’s coming at you,” says Perry. “You don’t have a city council or a board of commissioners that wants you to succeed. So, I’m definitely excited that we have so many supporters in our local government.”
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
