MEET THE WOMEN WHO MAKE UK BLACK PRIDE HAPPEN

WORDS DANIELLE MUSTARDE

UK BLACK PRIDE

Promoting unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent who identify as LGBT+, UK Black Pride couldn’t happen without the strong and determined women who give up their time voluntarily to make it a reality each year. We spoke to just some of those incredible sheroes to find out what this special event, now in its 14th year, means to them.

PHYLL OPOKU-GYIMAH

Co-founder and executive director

“We’re now in UK Black Pride’s 14th year and it feels momentous. It’s taken a lot of work to get UKBP to where it is and we’re now in a position of such strength. We’re growing, and I feel very grateful that so many new people have stood up to be counted to help take the UKBP mission forward, and to find new ways to reach an ever-awakening Black LGBT+ community.

I like to think of UK Black Pride as a child. I feel like I’ve given birth to it, but this child is not mine; it’s ours. In any case, UK Black Pride’s mission is too big for one person. It requires the passion, nurturing and knowledge of the community, those who believe that there is a future worth fighting for, who believe it’s still important that we are able to carve out our own spaces. I feel so immensely proud of what we’ve built and I’m excited to pass on what I’ve learned.