Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour meets the vibe of Charlotte’s own Black Renaissance

While Queen Bey will soon be in the Queen City for the Renaissance World Tour, Charlotte Black Pride Week was celebrated in July with The Black Renaissance. The theme was chosen to represent not only Beyoncé’s album but also Charlotte’s growing art scene.

“Much like the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920-30s, which was pioneered by Black Queer folk, nowadays Charlotte is experiencing an artistic & cultural awakening that is being (primarily) led by the Black LGBTQ+ community,” Charlotte Black Pride wrote via its Instagram.

Some of this year’s Charlotte Black Pride events included:

• Made for Now Wellness Party

• “Made For Now” Peace Rally

• Black Renaissance: Film Noir screening
  
  

• Centerstage: “Summer Renaissance”

• Charlotte Black Pride Summer Renaissance Kiki Ball

• Queen Sugar Bash

• Black Renaissance “Made for Now” Family Reunion

Charlotte’s Black Renaissance

“While yes, we completely love Beyoncé. She is our queen, mother, empress. And she also is building off this theme of renaissance,” but “we also had the theme of renaissance to describe like the Black Renaissance or the Harlem Renaissance,” Charlotte Black Pride’s youngest board member, youth and young adult liaison Miles Perry told CharlotteFive recently.

Perry attributed “this renaissance that we’re seeing” in Charlotte to creatives and artists from organizations such as Charlotte is Creative and Durag Fest, who are “pushing the envelope and pushing our culture forward.”

“I think they’re an example of this renaissance that’s going on where you’re seeing creatives — all types of creatives — really come out the woodwork and showing their art and demonstrating to people what they’re about,” he said.

The pinnacle of Charlotte’s love for Beyoncé and the Renaissance album was displayed in a tribute on July 20, at Black Pride’s Summer Renaissance Ball and the Expo Extravaganza.

“Now, I think overall in terms of Beyoncé even calling it a renaissance, I think she, too, is paying homage to Black creatives who are constantly pushing the envelope forward and defining what is culture for not just Americans but globally,” Perry said.

Black, Queer spaces

In terms of the center stage tribute to Beyoncé and the Summer Renaissance ball, Perry said the events made the need for “more Queer spaces that really focus on people being themselves” more apparent.

“Being outside the norm, even being Queer, I would say a lot of cultures here have kind of parameters,” Perry said. Ballroom culture, in particular, focuses on Queer people expressing themselves and stepping outside of what would be deemed as “the norm” in society.

The event gave some attendees a financial boost, as well. Charlotte Black Pride gave out $2,500 in cash prizes at its Summer Renaissance Ball.

“Statistically, Black Queer people represent some of the lowest income demographics. So anytime that there is money to give to Black Queer people, I always enjoy that,” Perry said.

Safety is also an issue, Perry said. “Sometimes it is easier to be straight passing or to blend in with straight culture to not be visible. … So I think for our own safety, we often dim down our queerness or try to be less visible. So creating events that people can be as visible as they want and are able to be as expressive as they feel comfortable being really brings joy to our community in my personal life.”

After the Summer Renaissance Ball, Perry ran into people who noted that it was their first ever pride event.

“A few people came up to us and we’re telling us how they never felt so accepted and seen, and felt like they could be themselves in their life. And then a lot of people that was their first ball, too, so I’m happy we got to expose people to the realm of Queer life.”