Dallas Southern Pride adds black/Latino summit, literary reading to 2008 event schedule

By Ben Briscoe
Sep 25, 2008



Dallas Southern Pride, an annual celebration for the African-American LGBT community, will run Oct. 2-5 and has a significantly different direction this year than in the past, according to organizers.

“Last year there was a big focus on parties, but this year we are going to focus on our daytime events as well,” said Cochair Venton Jones. “The community felt the need to extend our programming and services to foster holistic change with African-American, Latino and LGBT communities.”

Jai Makokha, of Legacy of Success Foundation, is excited about the new direction.

“I think the coordinators are bringing a much warranted change,” he said. “This event is really about uplifting the community, and I think this will do that.”

This year’s theme for the event, which normally draws about 10,000 people, will be “Come Out and Play.” The two biggest additions to the celebration will be a literary reading showcasing national black LGBT authors and the “National Black & Brown Summit.”

The reading will bring in Michael Christopher, Fiona Zedde, Tim’m T. West, Nikki Rashan. It will take place Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at the same location as all of the other Southern Pride events, Sterling Hotel Dallas.

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