Martin Luther King breakfast Jan. 17, 2000
sponsored by Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays
Movieclips
Note: To download the movie clips of the Martin Luther King breakfast Monday Jan. 17, 2000, click the pics at the far right.
This should allow you to download URLs
http://www.suba.com/~outlines/MVC-945V.MPG, and
http://www.suba.com/~outlines/MVC-001V.MPG.
You may also have to download Quicktime from the Quicktime site ( to go there, click here. ) Then open the movie in Quicktime. CBLG King Breakfastattracts record crowd
The 5th Annual Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast attracted a record crowd Monday, Jan. 17. The event, held for the second year in a row at Church of the Open Door, 5954 S. Albany, drew an estimated 300 people for breakfast, drumming, readings and performances by a variety of lesbian, gay, bi and trans Chicagoans.
The packed church even surprised cohosts Donna Johnson and Israel Wright, and the program went into the early afternoonending just as Chicago's first snowfall of this winter was getting underway. Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays cochairs are Lora Branch and Shelton Watson. Cosponsors of the event included Bristol Myers Squibb, MOCHA 2000, Lambda Publications/BLACKlines, Church of the Open Door, Chef Tania, Blackberry Ltd., All On One Mini Mart, Susan Stanley, Carl Branch, Phil Corrington, LesBiGay Radio, and all of the speakers and performers.
This year's crowd may have been attracted by the event's diverse lineup of performers, an attempt to build coalitions with a variety of groups and individuals. There were dozens of GLBT groups represented at the event. While performers Sukie de la Croix and Lynnell S. Long were sick with the flu, others who did perform or read were: Sanford Gaylord, Donna Rose, Sheila Warren, Andrea Densham, Bruce Edwards, Gaylon Roberson, Lupe Lopez, Sharmilli Majmudar, Borris Powell ( as Coretta Scott King ) , Juanita Crespo, Victor Pond, and C.C. Carter. All of the works were very well received, as was the performance of the Oak Park Area Women's Drumming Circle. Carter did a GLBT interpretation of King's famous 1963 March on Washington "I Have A Dream" speech ( look for it in an upcoming BLACKlines ) , and many of the speakers alluded to famous remarks by Dr. King.
Church of the Open Door pastor Karen Hutt closed the program with a challenge to the GLBT community to form a coalition to create a charter school for GLBT youth, an idea met with great enthusiasm. She welcomed transgendered 17yearold activist Mercedes to the podium to speak about her experience of harassment at schoolpart of the reason Mercedes dropped out of high school. Hutt said a charter school is needed to help youth like Mercedes receive an education. Church of the Open Door is also going to house a homeless shelter next winter.