A welcome start to ESSENCE Festival of Culture weekend, the exclusive cocktail reception, Queer Space, brought together an array of talented influencers, industry leaders, and advocates to celebrate the Black queer community in New Orleans..
Held at New Orleans’ monumental Gallier Hall, this kickoff event was filled with familiar faces, fun and camaraderie. With fresh music curated by DJ Jash Jay and DJ Starrtender, the tone was set that this was a celebration for all. Attendees were treated to tasty hors d’oeuvres by Rozi Sweets & Savouries, and specialty cocktails by Hornitos Tequila, served up by Turning Tables NOLA.
Among the list of notable attendees were special guests including acclaimed journalist, Don Lemon; Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of the United States Congress – Texas; Political Journalist and Author of Kamala, The Motherland, and Me, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey; Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change; Valeisha Butterfield, Recording Academy Co-President; Miatta Johnson and Massah David, MVD Inc Co-Founders; Hakeem Holmes, Head/VP of ESSENCE Fest at Essence Ventures; Corey Stokes, SVP of Creative at Essence Ventures; Malik Mcintyre, Content Creator; Deandre Brown, Content Creator.
“It is an absolute honor for the Global Black Economic Forum to present Queer Space at the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™,” said Alphonso David, President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. “This event is essential for celebrating and amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ community within the Black diaspora. Following this incredible gathering, we are excited to continue our journey with upcoming Global Black Economic Forum events at Martha’s Vineyard, the United Nations General Assembly week in New York, and an event in partnership with StarNews in Nigeria. Additionally, the next Queer Space events are scheduled for New York and Los Angeles, where we will continue to celebrate our community and one another,” David continued.
Being at the epicenter of Black culture during one of our community’s most exciting and impactful weekends, it is critical to represent everyone through a lens that is colorful, diverse, and safe. Black Queer culture is Black culture, and the thoughtfully curated experiences the Global Black Economic Forum is crafting to advocate for safe and thriving spaces for all is necessary to its advancement.
