A new organization looking to bring a third summer Pride event to Chicago's Black GLBT community held its first official meeting Saturday, drawing many of its members away from the three-year-old Chicago Black Pride.
Windy City Black LGBT Pride 2001, a festival scheduled for June 28-July 4, joins Chicago Black Pride and the Belmont Rocks as events catering to GLBTs of color.
The organization Windy City Black LGBT Pride is not affiliated with Chicago Black Pride, but it was formed, among other reasons, in response to problems some former board members saw with the way the event was being run.
Each of the three new board members who led Saturday's meeting—Chairperson Thayer Johnson and Assistant Chairs Kevin Mufasa-Tindell and Patricia McCombs—were once involved with Chicago Black Pride.
After briefly explaining some of their reasons for leaving Black Pride, the three emphasized that "this is not a Chicago Black Pride bashing meeting."
Among their reasons for the defection was the claim that Black Pride's leaders didn't adequately inform board members of the event's financial status.
Chicago Black Pride officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.
In moving away from discussion of Black Pride, the three noted that the goal of the new organization and event is to serve the community in a way they felt it wasn't being served before.
"We're trying to open it up so we have more input from the community," Mufasa-Tindell said, adding that the new organization will have an executive board made up of at least 15 members. Not all of the board positions have been filled, and the group is actively seeking volunteers.
Windy City Pride is in negotiations with a potential fiduciary agent and is in the process of applying for 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) status. The group has also secured membership in the Washington, D.C.-based International Federation of Black Prides, an umbrella organization made up of 26 different Pride celebrations nationwide.
