UK Black Pride is returning for its 16th year by hosting a three-day long digital festival from July 2 – 4. Last year’s digital event saw 30,000 attendees, with organisers choosing the theme of ‘Love and Rage’ for the 2021 festival. UK Black Pride said it could not “yet say with confidence that we could put on a physical celebration and keep our communities safe”, and so decided a digital event would be the best option.
Co-founder and executive director, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, released a statement to explain the theme, saying: “We’ve seen firsthand over the past year our communities’ persistent commitment to each other; the ways we show up, in big and small ways, is nothing short of inspiring. We continue to show what it means to love, to love hard and to love against the odds.”
She continued: “We are also raging, disappointed and tired. Our communities continue to be overlooked and undervalued, tokenised and discarded. From constant gaslighting to this country’s steadfast refusal to address and redress structural and institutional racism, we have a lot to be mad about.” She concluded: “We can’t wait to celebrate and rage with you. Let us show what is possible when we show up in our fury, committed to loving each other and changing the world.”
