Cultural Architects & Torchbearers Brings Black Culture, Allyship and Community Together During Atlanta Black Pride
Some gatherings feel like events. Others feel like family meetings.
Cultural Architects & Torchbearers: Muses, Co-Conspirators & Champions managed to be both, bringing together Black women and Black gay and queer men for an elegant evening rooted in culture, creativity, allyship, health and an important question: How can we continue showing up for one another?
Presented by iN-Hale Media & Entertainment and powered by Gilead Sciences, the invite-only experience took place September 2 in Atlanta during Atlanta Black Pride. What unfolded was more than dinner and celebration. It was an opportunity to be in community, have necessary conversations and recognize relationships that have helped shape Black culture for generations.
SNUBB3D Magazine Editor-in-Chief Levar “Ramzie” Kemp was among those in the room for the experience, describing the evening as an amazing representation of what can happen when culture, conversation, celebration and community are intentionally brought together.
Reimagining the Black Swan
Under the theme “Reimagining the Black Swan,” Cultural Architects & Torchbearers explored the powerful connections between Black women and Black gay and queer men.
Those relationships have influenced everything from fashion and entertainment to language, artistry, identity and popular culture. The evening created space to recognize the ways these communities have supported, protected, inspired and amplified one another while also encouraging guests to consider what stronger allyship can look like moving forward.
It was less about simply acknowledging history and more about examining the relationships that continue to move culture forward.
The experience began with an intimate dinner featuring community stakeholders, tastemakers and influential voices before expanding into a larger immersive celebration incorporating conversation, multimedia, music, performance and movement.
The result was elegant without feeling overly formal and energetic without losing the purpose behind the gathering.
Bevy Smith and Patrik-Ian Polk Lead the Evening
The evening was hosted by media personality, author and SiriusXM host Bevy Smith alongside acclaimed filmmaker and television creator Patrik-Ian Polk, best known for creating the groundbreaking series Noah’s Arc.
Together, Smith and Polk helped guide an evening that moved between thoughtful conversation and celebration while keeping Black culture and Black LGBTQ+ experiences at the center.
The room itself reflected that cultural influence.
Guests included Jesse Woo, Funky Dineva, The Real Housewives of Atlanta personality Shamea Morton, celebrity hairstylist Derek J, P-Valley actor Nikko Annan, Octavious Terry and filmmaker Lisa Cunningham, among many other creatives, cultural figures and community leaders.
For SNUBB3D, being in that room offered another reminder of why spaces like this matter. There was laughter, networking and plenty of Atlanta Black Pride energy, but there was also substance behind the celebration.
A Family Meeting About Showing Up
One of the strongest ideas to emerge from the evening was the concept of having a “family meeting.”
Allyship was part of the conversation, but the discussion pushed beyond simply using the word. Guests were encouraged to think about what it actually means to show up for one another, especially across the interconnected experiences of Black women and Black queer men.
That distinction mattered.
Community is not only about gathering together when there is something to celebrate. It is also about listening, advocating, protecting, supporting and creating room for difficult or provocative conversations when they are necessary.
Cultural Architects & Torchbearers made space for both.
Putting Health in the Cultural Conversation
Health and wellness were intentionally woven into the experience rather than treated as a separate conversation.
Through Gilead’s support, the evening incorporated status-neutral messaging around prevention, testing, care, dignity and stigma reduction while keeping those conversations connected to the broader celebration of Black life.
That approach reflected a larger idea behind the event: conversations about health can exist in the same spaces as joy, creativity, music, fashion and culture.
Nathan Hale Williams, Emmy-nominated president of iN-Hale Media, described the collaboration as an investment in Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community at a time when culturally responsive engagement, visibility and health equity remain important.
Gilead Sciences Vice President of Corporate Responsibility Rashad Burgess also emphasized the importance of meeting communities within cultural spaces where trust and connection already exist.
The evening demonstrated what that philosophy can look like in practice. Health did not overshadow the celebration. Instead, it became part of a larger conversation about caring for one another.
Culture, Connection and a Room Filled With Energy
There was no shortage of energy once the evening moved into its celebratory portion.
The gathering offered guests an opportunity to mingle, reconnect, meet new people and simply enjoy being surrounded by Black excellence during one of Atlanta’s biggest weekends celebrating Black LGBTQ+ culture.
Behind the scenes, the event was conceived by iN-Hale Media with support from a team that included leadership and collaboration from Rashad Burgess, Darwin Thompson and Samantha Stokes, among others.
Williams also recognized Nasir Kenneth Ferebee, Rod LoveJones and members of his team for helping bring the vision to life.
But perhaps the strongest measure of the evening’s success was not simply who attended or what happened on stage.
It was the feeling of being in community.
SNUBB3D Was in the Room
For SNUBB3D Magazine, Cultural Architects & Torchbearers was an amazing experience to witness firsthand.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Levar “Ramzie” Kemp, was honored to be in the room alongside so many creatives, cultural leaders and community voices. From the intimate conversations to the celebration that followed, the evening demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where Black LGBTQ+ people and Black women can celebrate the relationships that have influenced culture while also discussing how we can better support one another moving forward.
At SNUBB3D, we believe our communities deserve to be celebrated, protected, informed and seen. That includes making room for conversations about health and wellness without allowing those conversations to erase the joy, creativity and fullness of Black queer life.
Cultural Architects & Torchbearers understood that assignment.
It gave Atlanta Black Pride an evening that was stylish and energetic, but underneath all of it was something even more important: community.
And sometimes, a family meeting over dinner is exactly where the next chapter begins.
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