January 6th 2024.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) celebrated the 20th anniversary of their LGBTQ+ HBCU Summit in Washington, D.C. This year, 32 students gathered to strengthen their leadership skills and to support the LGBTQ+ community on Black college campuses.
Since the Summit's launch, more than 700 students have attended. The Leadership Summit offers a program that works to empower LGBTQ+ HBCU students to become agents of change on their campuses. The program helps students learn how to navigate the complexities of race, religion, gender identity, class, and sexual orientation.
A key focus of this year's summit was identity development. It offered support to students who are struggling with self-expression. "So many of our students come from places where they can't be themselves," said HRC Director Charlotte Hall. "They have never been in a space that supports and includes them."
To further this mission, ballroom culture has been included in the curriculum for the past five years. According to Hall, this emphasizes the students' capacity to work with different types of people. This year, the students attended the Garcon's 15th Anniversary House Ball, where they were immersed in ballroom culture.
"The sheer joy and wonder that lit up their faces as they witnessed the beauty and talent within the ballroom community was truly special," Hall explained to The Georgia Voice. "Many students may have only seen ballroom culture in shows like 'Pose' and 'Legendary,' but it's so much more. It provides an extension of their LGBTQ identity, representing a vibrant and diverse community that embraces and celebrates everyone."
In response to the HRC's recent state of emergency, the organization prioritized including students from states that have recently passed anti-LGBTQ and anti-DEI laws. Additionally, they added a new component to the summit that requires students to complete a capstone project, where they must create a campus event or policy that promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion.
For more information about the HRC-HBCU Summit, visit HRC.org.
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