OUR STORY

For most of our lives, Black LGBTQ+ people rarely saw ourselves in the stories we loved — not on the screen, not on the stage, not anywhere the spotlight fell. Black Alphabet exists to change that.

​

It started in 2013, when a handful of friends in Chicago got tired of waiting for Black queer films to exist and decided to screen their own. That first small festival became the Black Alphabet Film Festival — and it grew into something bigger than any of us expected.

​

Today, Black Alphabet is the world's oldest and largest arts organization built for Black LGBTQ+ people, recognized in 2023 by the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. We tell our stories in every form they take — film, literature, performance, and conversation. We host festivals, exhibitions, and workshops. We build spaces for mental health and healing, and connect people to therapy and resources when they need them. What ties it all together is a simple belief: when a Black queer person finally sees their life reflected back to them, something in them changes.

​

We measure success in those moments. A teenager finding their voice at an open mic. An elder seeing themselves on screen for the first time. A room full of people who walked in as strangers and left as family.

​

Our story is still being written — new programs, new cities, more ahead. However you find us, as an artist, an ally, or someone just looking for people who get it, there's a place for you here. Come be part of what happens next.