Black Pride | Pocketmags.com

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Black Pride

Black Pride is extremely important in the time and days we live in because we still don’t have the visibility, equality and inclusion in society that we deserve to have. Movements and events like this are good to demarginalise black people. And it was not only focused on black people -they made sure they were including everybody that didn’t fit the white norm.

You could feel the sense of community and integration from the moment we left the train station on the way to the event, everybody was smiling. As soon as we walked into the main area, it was even more welcoming. People were cheering for each other. They wanted to make others feel comfortable in their own skin the same way they were feeling comfortable themselves. There were performances, speeches, and a separate area where panels of people talked about different issues and how to change society. It was amazing to see so many black youths interested and talking. People were proud to be where they were.

The amount of trans black brothers and sisters I saw really touched me because they are usually so marginalised. Seeing them celebrating and enjoying themselves around every other nationality, every other colour - that really stayed in my mind.

There was one group there who provide shelter for LGBT+ people of colour that have nowhere to live, and they also have an amazing project that helps educate and find jobs for people. It really touched my heart to see the things they were doing for the community.

I came back to Ireland and I kept asking myself - ‘What can I do with the privilege that I have?’ I realised that sometimes we live in a bubble - we don’t see other people’s problems and then because we don’t see them, we don’t think they exist. And it is not only for people of colour, but the LGBT+ community in general. The amount that have lost their houses, or been abandoned by their families and have nowhere to go.

Ireland definitely needs a Black Pride, it might not be a separate event apart from Pride, but even having a float in the Parade, having a team of people out there to educate about the issues facing people of colour, it is so necessary.

I’m from Kenya. It’s so nice to be here because we don’t get this in Africa. There’s a sense of belonging, of being who you are. Choose love.

It’s everything. Inclusion, love, friendship, sisterhood, life.

It’s the intersection of queerness and blackness together and being proud of who you are. / It means love. It means dual identity.

Black Pride is about coming together, people of colour having a place to feel safe, to be represented, to be acknowledged. It’s all about spreading love and peace and kindness.

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