Why Do Some Cities Have Black Pride and National Pride?

I lived in Chicago for over 40 years, and the idea of having Black Pride wasn't even a thought until much later in my life. It's funny how an event can become so massive that you forget it hasn't been in existence for very long. But have you ever asked yourself why Chicago — and several other cities — have a Black Pride in addition to the national Pride?

For many years in Chicago, Pride was fun, but as a Black queer man, you knew it was going to be very white. I would go to the parade, look around at the vast crowd and the endless parade of organizations, and guess what? All white.

The truth is, in big cities like Chicago, you didn't expect anything less. It was as though there was never an expectation for the city to truly represent the entire LGBTQ+ population. Many of us just went along with it, figuring there was nothing to be done.

So, What Was the Turning Point?

In 1991, Washington, D.C., held its first Black Pride, and it set off a chain reaction. Many people initially criticized it as divisive, but it was never about dividing us — it was a bold declaration saying, "We are here, too." Soon after, Chicago and other major cities followed suit.

It was never about dividing us — it was a bold declaration saying, "We are here, too."

How Black Pride Has Evolved

Over the years, Chicago Black Pride has evolved significantly. In some ways, it has shifted from a purely grassroots movement into a tourist attraction and a major revenue generator. Plenty of people have criticized how expensive Black Pride has become to attend — and honestly, that could be a whole blog post on its own. But for context: as Chicago Black Pride grew year after year, so did the corporate sponsors. And unfortunately, heavy sponsorship always carries the risk of dampening an event's original intent.

Still, the underlying "why" remains.

The "Why" That Still Stands

Maybe if national Pride were more genuinely representative of all queer life, Black LGBTQ+ folks wouldn't feel the need to create a separate space. Maybe if the mainstream parades naturally elevated Black, Latino, Asian, disabled, and bisexual organizations, secondary Prides wouldn't have to exist in the first place.

Today, Black Pride feels like such a natural extension of the summer that it's hard to imagine what life was like without it. We don't just have a Pride Month anymore — we have a Pride Season. The celebrations start in June and roll all the way through early September.

Black Pride, Latino Pride, and every other tailored celebration are still deeply needed in this world. Because at the end of the day, the rainbow has more than enough space for all of us.