Social-justice agency Lorde, Rustin & Bates and Fahrenheit Chicago hosted the Art & Soul Salon and Sneaker Gala April 13 at Theater on the Lake (2401 N Lake Shore Dr.). The event featured performances from singer Terisa Griffin as well as Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductees Mz. Ruff n Stuff and Otis Mack, among others.
The gala recognized various leaders in the Black LBGTQ+ community, including Illinois state Sen. Mike Simmons; state Rep. Lamont Robinson; Angela Barnes and Renauda Riddle, the owners of Nobody's Darling; and members of University of Chicago Medicine Urban Health Initiative for their contributions improving the lives of those in the community.
"This is all the work we're able to do because of the love and support in this room," Robinson said in his speech.
Others honored include Dr. Ngozi Ezike (the former top public health official in Illinois who has been hired as president and CEO of Sinai Chicago hospital system), Justin Hendrix and Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund.
Fahrenheit Chicago is an LGBT/SGL humanities festival that centers Chicagoans of color by working with creatives to showcase their work. Lorde, Rustin & Bates is a systemic change agent that works in coalition with organizations to promote justice and equity for Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV.
The gala was sponsored in part by the Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund, AIDS Foundation Chicago, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Field Foundation of Illinois.
The event was originally scheduled for February but postponed due to the pandemic and the passing of Curtis Galloway Jr., the patriarch of Lorde, Rustin & Bates founder Anthony Galloway's family.
