By Walter Rutledge
NYC Black Pride 2016 held it’s 8th Heritage Awards Ceremony on Friday, August 19 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Lenox Avenue West 135th Street in Harlem. The evening presented twenty-six awards to over thirty individuals and organizations who have had a positive intact on the LGBTQ community. The evening began with a reception in the lobby catered by Chef Dhalmu Robinson, before ushering guests into the ceremony.
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The diverse (standing room only) crowd of supporters, family members and LBGTQ movers and shakers offered an interesting an inclusive cross section of the Black and Latin LGBTQ community. The evening was a powerful affirmation for what I call “The Third Selves Principle”. Building self esteem, to develop self respect, which then blossoms into self reliance.
Highlights from the Heritage Awards
The Heritage Awards Ceremony is predicated on this theme; the majority of the awardees are individuals and organizations making a difference for the underserved in their own neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs and beyond.
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Executive Director Lee Soulja added the Heritage Awards Ceremony during the first year of his tenure and developed a rapport with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Presently the Schomburg Center houses the archival material for NYC Black Pride making it the largest and most extensive repository of Black and Latin LGBTQ material. “We want people to have access to this material. Knowledge builds power and understanding”, shared Soulja.