The Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced this week the lineup of performers for the Sunday, June 9, Capital Pride Concert to be held during the Capital Pride Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the U.S. Capitol.

Among the performers will be nationally acclaimed singers and recording artists Billy Porter and Keke Palmer, who will also serve as grand marshals for the Capital Pride Parade set to take place one day earlier on Saturday, June 8. 

The Capital Price announcement says the other lead performers will be Ava Max, Sapphira Cristal, and the pop female trio Exposé.

“The beloved pop icons will captivate audiences with upbeat performances coupled with their fierce advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, echoing the vibrant spirit of this year’s theme, ‘Totally Radical,’” according to a statement released by Capital Pride Alliance.

“With Billy Porter and Keke Palmer leading the parade as Grand Marshals, we’re not only honoring their incredible contributions to the LGBTQ+ community but also amplifying their voices as fierce advocates for equality and acceptance,” Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said in the statement.

“The concert and festival serve as a platform to showcase the diverse array of LGBTQ+ talent, from the chart-topping hits of Ava Max to the iconic sounds of Exposé and the electrifying performances of Sapphira Cristal,” Bos said in the statement. “Capital Pride 2024 promises to be a celebration like no other.”  

The concert will take place from 12-10 p.m. on the main stage and other stages across the four-block long festival site on Pennsylvania Avenue.  

The Center for Black Equity, the D.C.-based national organization that advocates for the Black LGBTQ community, announced this week that its founder and Chief Executive Officer/President Earl Fowlkes will retire in August and the organization’s deputy director, Kenya Hutton, has been named interim CEO/president.

“After 25 years of dedicated service leading the organization’s fight for racial equity, Mr. Fowlkes will step down from his current role but will remain actively involved with the CBE in an advisory capacity as CEO/President Emeritus,” a statement released by the organization says.

“The CBE Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Mr. Kenya Hutton as Interim CEO/President,” the statement says. “Mr. Hutton, a seasoned leader with a proven track record in advancing racial justice initiatives, will assume his new position on August 1, 2024,” according to the statement.

The CBE describes itself as a “leading national organization dedicated to achieving racial equity and economic justice for Black LGBTQ+ communities” through “advocacy, education, and empowerment programs.” Among other things, the Center for Black Equity has been the lead organizer of D.C.’s Black Pride celebrations and has supported Black Pride celebrations worldwide.

“It’s been an incredible privilege to lead the Center for Black Equity for the past quarter century,” Fowlkes said in the statement. “While I’m excited to embark on this next chapter, I have no intention of stepping away from the fight for racial equity,” he said. “I look forward to supporting Kenya Hutton and the talented CBE team in their ongoing efforts to dismantle systemic barriers and empower Black LGBTQ+ communities,” Fowlkes said.

The statement says Hutton has served as deputy director of CBE for the past four years and prior to that served for a decade in other positions with the organization. “Mr. Hutton brings 26 years of experience in public service with various organizations,” the CBE statement says.

“I am honored by the board’s trust and excited to build upon the incredible foundation laid by Earl Fowlkes Jr.,” Hutton says in the statement. “The Center for Black Equity plays a vital role in advancing racial equity, and I am committed to leading the organization in its next chapter of impactful work.”

BY TAJI BURRIS | Baltimore filmmaker John Waters was released from the hospital Tuesday morning following a car accident.

The 78-year-old released a statement saying that although he was hurt in the Baltimore County crash, he did not sustain major injuries.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.