Each year in February, Black History Month gives us opportunity to have well-intentional conversations about the contributions and accomplishments of Black folks. Recognizable names are talked about for their writings and how they speak truth to their Black experience. It is always about slavery abolition or the civil rights movement in the 1960s, important parts of our history. But it's never about an aspect of Blackness just as important - our LGBTQ history.
Despite being part of the LGBTQ community, the experience of prominent Black figures in history is often relegated to just their Blackness, reducing their lives to a single aspect that minimizes their struggles and accomplishments. Many famous names like authors James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry are discussed without once mentioning their sexuality.
Also, other notable Black members of the LGBTQ community include Langston Hughes, Little Richard, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Miss Major and Angela Davis. All are incredibly important names in both their art and the civil rights movement, but this pattern of erasing aspects of their gender identity has largely gone unnoticed.
So, as we honor the experiences of our LGBTQIA+ community, Diversity Richmond, in its 6th year, celebrates the Black and Bold Awards. These awards honor the Black leaders in our community who have created change. Each person honored has their own personal journey that has contributed to conservations about Black representation, identity, and diversity in our community today.
Our awards will be presented on Friday, February 25th. Please save the date.
Luise "Cheezi" Farmer
Board Chair, Diversity Richmond
Black and Bold nominations should be submitted on our web site by January 25, 2022. If you have questions, please email
Gift is first of many planned disbursements from massive Amazon donation we received in November
Diversity Richmond donated more than 60 boxes of new household essentials, valued at more than $10,000, to the CARITAS Furniture Bank, just in time for the holidays. The donation is the first disbursement from more than $120,000 in merchandise Diversity Richmond received from Amazon last month as part of its ongoing partnership with the company. Staff from Diversity Richmond arrived in a box truck, wrapped in a huge red bow, to deliver the items to CARITAS.
The donation is comprised of a wide range of new items, still in the packaging, including bedding, housewares, kitchen supplies, small household appliances and toys which will be given to CARITAS clients, free of charge, through the organization’s Furniture Bank.
"The CARITAS Furniture Bank helps families who are coming out of a crisis to start their new lives," says Furniture Bank Program Manager Sandy Morris. "Our very own neighbors in need come in here to find new furniture and full of hope every single day and it's so exciting to be a part of. We are enormously grateful for organizations like Diversity Richmond that help us help others."
CARITAS's mission is to create a safe place to heal and time to rebuild. More than 1,000 adults and children receive essential furniture and household items each year through the CARITAS Furniture Bank, one of five CARITAS programs. Other programs include The Healing Place, the Emergency Shelter, CARITAS Works, and the CARITAS Recovery Residences. Through these programs, CARITAS provides men and women with the tools to make a successful transition to dignity and self-sufficiency.
“Diversity Richmond is honored and humbled to be able to make this donation to CARITAS, which has been one of our community partners for several years,” said James Millner, a spokesperson for the organization. “We know that, through CARITAS, this merchandise will immediately go into the hands and homes of people and families who are working hard to get back on their feet. This is exactly the kind of impact we hoped we could make with this donation from Amazon.”
Staff and volunteers at Diversity Richmond began sorting through the Amazon merchandise, currently stored in the organization’s warehouse, just before Thanksgiving and will continue to make donations to other community partners during the holidays and beyond.
“There is just so much good that can come from this massive donation of merchandise,” Millner continued. “It is a shining example of what can happen when non-profits work together with companies like Amazon to serve the communities in which they operate.”
A big thanks to our Thanksgiving volunteers from Black Pride RVA, UGRC, Minority Vets, and Diversity Richmond ! We served over 125 people a delicious hot buffet with turkey, green beans, mac & cheese, stuffing, and pie. The buffet was set up in our event hall for anyone to dine-in or take-out from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
We also deliveredt dinners to homeless folks nearby and a woman in a crisis stabilization program stuck in a hotel room with no food because of the holiday. We cannot do what we do without community support and we are grateful!
Since 1999, Diversity Richmond has contributed more than $1.1 million in community grants, free meeting and storage space, use of our event hall, help with homelessness, rent, and food.
It's only through community support that we can do this work. Here are a few ways we serve the LGBTQ+ community:
We are also pleased to continue our grants program this year, offering $80,000 to deserving nonprofits.
Thank you for your support. May your holiday season and 2022 be safe and healthy.
Giving — whether that’s money, time, or donations of goods — is an opportunity to join together and change things for the better in your community.
Donate money to Diversity Richmond (no amount is too little): diversityrichmond.org/how-we-do-it/fundraising-and-donations.html
Donate your time. Sign up to volunteer here: diversityrichmond.org/support-us/volunteer-application.html
Donate goods to Diversity Thrift - 1407 Sherwood Ave., RVA 23220 or call (804) 353-8890 for more information on items we accept or schedule a donation pickup. diversitythrift.org, @diversity.thrift
#GivingTuesday
