HOT ON JULY 1ST
All I gotta say is its damn hot and the air conditioning on my 98 Blazer is out. I'm generally okay during the day and of course at night in the apartment is cool, but the walk to the car and the ride home are really getting under my skin. And lately I have been contemplating moving to Dallas Texas. Talk about Africa HOT!!
Anyway, I have decided that the hardest part of organizing a black pride festival is promotion, promotion, promotion. We are now at the stage in the game where promoting the organization has become secondary to promoting the actual 3 day festival. And here at what appears to be the 9th hour one of our primary funders has all but pulled out. THe owner of a very popular club here in Indianapolis, which shall remain nameless for the time being, had originally agreed to sponsor our main stage for $1,000.00. THat is 1,500.00 less than we asked for in a very eloquent and reasonable proposal. Why this particular club? Because we go there, faithfully, like it was a church house. In fact it is the only place in Indiana that can be readily identified as a place where we spend our black gay dollars. The problem? The owner. She swears that the club is up to its rusted dilapidated shingles in debt and court ordered liens. I dont know about all of that. All I know is Every Saturday and Thursday night I see between 300-500 of my peoples packed up in that joint and at $5.00 a head that equates to some where between $1500.00 and $2500.00 every week on the door alone and not including drinks. From where I stand if a particular business has been profiting from the black gay community for years than their is an obligation to give something back to the people. So now as an organization Indiana Black Pride is being forced to come up with an alternative funding source for our main stage. Down the road we have got to create a stategy to inform our community that the very business that you spend your hard earned dollars in does not invest in you.
Previously, we have staffed a table at the Ten every Saturday night. THis Saturday I am tired and maybe we need a break. Perhaps I should cool down this holiday weekend and try it again on JUly 5th. Maybe it will be cooler!
Anyway, I have decided that the hardest part of organizing a black pride festival is promotion, promotion, promotion. We are now at the stage in the game where promoting the organization has become secondary to promoting the actual 3 day festival. And here at what appears to be the 9th hour one of our primary funders has all but pulled out. THe owner of a very popular club here in Indianapolis, which shall remain nameless for the time being, had originally agreed to sponsor our main stage for $1,000.00. THat is 1,500.00 less than we asked for in a very eloquent and reasonable proposal. Why this particular club? Because we go there, faithfully, like it was a church house. In fact it is the only place in Indiana that can be readily identified as a place where we spend our black gay dollars. The problem? The owner. She swears that the club is up to its rusted dilapidated shingles in debt and court ordered liens. I dont know about all of that. All I know is Every Saturday and Thursday night I see between 300-500 of my peoples packed up in that joint and at $5.00 a head that equates to some where between $1500.00 and $2500.00 every week on the door alone and not including drinks. From where I stand if a particular business has been profiting from the black gay community for years than their is an obligation to give something back to the people. So now as an organization Indiana Black Pride is being forced to come up with an alternative funding source for our main stage. Down the road we have got to create a stategy to inform our community that the very business that you spend your hard earned dollars in does not invest in you.
Previously, we have staffed a table at the Ten every Saturday night. THis Saturday I am tired and maybe we need a break. Perhaps I should cool down this holiday weekend and try it again on JUly 5th. Maybe it will be cooler!
posted by Robert S. Ferguson at
1:25 PM
1 Comments:
It's a shame that a business which clearly is making money hand over fist from OUR people would back-peddle when it comes to supporting us for a change.
I hope you don't let that 'slight' go unanswered. Everyone should know that club's loyalty lies with its own self-interests and not ours.
Nice job, balancing gayness and spirituality. You guys always amaze me and I respect your diligence. You're on my blog list.
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