Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Houston and Detroit all have Black Pride celebrations. Why shouldn’t San Francisco? That was the question on Gyasi Curry’s mind when he opened Instagram and hit record. Within hours, the Reel was flooded with hundreds of comments from queer Black artists, DJs and event organizers hungry for a space to come together, build community and celebrate.
What started as a musing has grown into a full-fledged week-long festival that Curry has put together with a dedicated group of volunteers. Spanning Aug. 25–31, SF Black Pride kicks off with wellness workshops, a panel discussion and a historical walking tour before turning up the energy with a packed weekend of parties with big-name stars like rapper-producer Mister Wallace at 1015 Folsom on Thursday and drag star Angeria Paris VanMichaels at Beaux on Sunday.
Curry is mindful that he’s throwing a celebration in a city where Black residents have been priced out of their homes for decades despite their outsized influence on local culture. “You can’t take our joy — or we’re to be joyful no matter what — but if we can give a platform to healing and education,” he says, “then I think that’s what we can do to help liberate each other.”
Curry, who previously worked in KQED’s education department, has been creating intentional spaces for queer Black people to get together since he moved to San Francisco in 2017. His collective Make Room throws house-music parties that uplift the genre’s Black roots. At his monthly party Sweet Tooth, it’s not uncommon to see Curry, who performs under the name LBXX (or Lunchboxx), both behind the decks and rapping on the mic.
Among the core SF Black Pride team are Marie Brand; Andrew Rayner, who runs Bae Black Boy, a meet-up group for queer Black men and friends; and Junior Woodson, who throws women-centered parties at San Francisco bars like Mother and El Rio.
