Building Community & Reclaiming Black Pride with Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation

By / / Community Grant, Community Spotlight, Pride, Racial Equity

Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation (BLU) was founded in 2020 by Curtis Santos & Eilakeisha Spencer and was awarded a Pride in Our Workplace Community Grant this year. Since its founding, BLU has sought to support the development of strong, sustainable, LGBTQIA+ community gatherings in and around the Boston area.

Organizers Santos and Spencer are committed to uplifting and sharing connections with creative entrepreneurs and social justice programs to foster safe, comfortable support systems for LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming persons of color from marginalized and underserved communities.

Continue reading for our Q&A with BLU Co-Founders, Curtis Santos & Eilakeisha Spencer.

Q: What led you to create Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation?

A: As native Bostonians, we sought out to reclaim Boston Black Pride – Black Pride is a nationally recognized celebration that had been absent from Boston’s recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride in recent years – and restore its place in our collective communities’ rich history. During a community listening session, we heard that LGBTQ+ BIPOC Bostonians were missing out on more than just an LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. The discussion revealed the level of disparity in access to social services for queer people of color. 

As activists and community leaders, we refocused our attention and created Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation as a safe space for LGBTQ+ people of color to engage in community while also gaining access to social and mental health support services.

Q: How has the scope of your mission evolved over time?

A: The scope of our mission and delivery of services have evolved over the course of our organization’s existence. We currently aim to: 

  • Create more visibility and representation for queer people of color in the city of Boston
  • Invest more intentionality in community support and related services, centering education and awareness at the forefront of our work
  • Adopt a shared lens of intersectionality to foster a deeper sense of culture and growth
Q: This will be your 5th year hosting Black Urban Pride in Boston. What significance do you see in the movement to reclaim Boston’s Black Pride?

A: The year 2024 will represent a noteworthy achievement for our organization. The upcoming events organized by Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation hold significance as they not only commemorate the fifth consecutive year of Pride celebration, but also signify a pivotal moment in establishing the revival of “Boston Black Pride.”

The act of changing our event’s name from Black Urban Pride (BUP) to Boston Black Pride (BBP) is more than superficial; it is a deliberate effort to reclaim the initial vision of Black Pride and reinforce our dedication to empowering and appreciating the perspectives of both younger and older generations within Boston’s Black, Latino, and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ community.

It is important to acknowledge that this process has been a protracted endeavor. With “Boston Black Pride” having already been allocated to another collective, our organization is now going through a period of transformation as we adopt this phrase and align our programming to reaffirm our mission to honor and empower the Black, Latino, and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ people in Boston.

Q: Outside of June and July’s Pride celebrations, you run a number of programs year-round that benefit the community. Can you share more about these programs with our readers?

A: Our programs are unique to our agency. Highlights of our programming include:

BLU Mentorship Program: We are building a community-based mentorship program aimed at promoting positivity, confidence, and unity amongst our LGBTQ+ youth. Interested community members can join our mentorship program starting December 2023. This program is now accepting LGBTQ+ youth aged 14-18 years (mentees) and adult individuals (mentors) willing to meet with a mentee twice a month. Learn more on our website.

BLU Cares: BLU Cares is our reentry workforce development program. We assist formerly incarcerated individuals with reintegration into society by providing job training and employment opportunities for a successful transition back into the workforce.

Afterwork Networking Socials: Through Boston Lesbigay Urban Events (BLUE), we host monthly socials for LGBTQ+ professionals to come out and network, eat, drink, and enjoy being in the same space as your community. Check out our events page for our upcoming socials.

Trans Men of Color Support Group: Providing virtual support groups exclusively for trans men of color on the first and third Sunday of each month, fostering a safe space for sharing experiences and building connections.

Additional services from our organization include our food destigmatization program, the NOW Project, Walking 1 Stop, monthly mixers, and various DEI workshops and trainings. Learn more about all of our services here.

Q: How can people learn more about and support the work of the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation?

A: Members of the public and allied organizations can support our work by standing in solidarity with us, supporting our operations financially, volunteering as a member of the BLU Events team, and keeping up with us on social media. 

Stay connected and get involved:

Meet the Organizers

Curtis Santos

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation

Program Manager, Urban Ministries

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Santos brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with over 10 years in the field as a community advocate and activist. I have expertise in addressing social determinants of health, and how they impact low income, at risk populations in multifaceted cities. I work from a Trauma Informed Care model of service delivery, and believe that providing opportunity for clients in need contributes to building healthy communities. Read Santos’ full bio.

Eilakeisha Spencer

Co-Founder & Deputy Director, Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Boston Public Health Commission

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I was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts and moved to the city of Boston in 2008.  I have expertise in working with at-risk populations and individuals who suffer with mental health. I currently hold my bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in mental health counseling.

I’ve worked in various settings such as residential homes, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, and outpatient and in-home therapy settings. In my most present position as a mental health clinician, I serve minority clients who are from the inner city that hold many different diagnoses. I’ve been in the mental health counseling field for 6 years. The clients that I serve are youth between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and I have worked with the adult population.  Read Spencer’s full bio.

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