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The Human Rights Campaign’s initiative fosters a culture of acceptance and celebration on historically black college campuses, showcasing the rich tapestry of identities within the Black LGBTQ+ community.
On the third Wednesday of October, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, alongside its Historically Black Colleges and Universities program, orchestrates the HBCU Out Loud Day to celebrate and foster safe spaces for Black queer students across numerous HBCU campuses.
This annual initiative, which happened last week, falls under LGBTQ+ History Month, aiming to cultivate the next generation of queer leaders by honoring the community’s trailblazers, notes an HRC press release. Participating universities produce LGBTQ-focused initiatives to augment understanding of the Black queer college experience.
HBCU Out Loud Day started from a need for a distinctive platform for students to express their identities without the pressure of coming out.
The HRC’s HBCU program director, Leslie Hall, detailed the initiative’s evolution since 2019 during an interview with The Advocate.
“We established HBCU Out Loud Day, and it was a day that we wanted people to be out loud in their own way on campus,” Hall said.
“We would rely heavily on the campuses themselves to post or plan, post and organize events for their own community. We didn’t want it to be such a lift where we were planning the events on their campuses,” he added.
This year’s HBCU Out Loud Day saw various events tailored to reflect the diverse campus cultures.
“It really is a day for campuses to embrace their LGBTQ community in a way that feels natural to them,” Hall said. “It’s also not Coming Out Day. And I think that is what folks just had some angst about.”
Hall reflected on the initiative’s impact over the years, “The response has been incredible. It’s a day where we’re flooding social media with all these beautiful images of celebrations.”
Hall said about 14 universities were participating in HBCU Out Loud Day this year, including notable institutions like Howard University, Dillard University, and Alcorn State University.
Tyronae Smith, a student from Dillard University, shared a personal testimony on the impact of HBCU Out Loud Day.
“The initiative behind HBCU Out Loud Day is what DU PRIDE is all about. We want to celebrate and embrace black queerness and be unapologetic about it,” Smith said.
Smith elaborated on how the experience and resources gained through the HRC HBCU Program enabled the expansion of DU PRIDE on campus, leading to more than 10 events promoting authenticity and inclusivity.
Similarly, Glenn A. Caston, Xavier University’s inclusion and social justice officer, highlighted the university’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through the annual Pride Week, which features HBCU Out Loud Day as a significant event.
Caston expressed pride in the institution’s continued partnership with HRC, aiming to advance social justice and equality.
“We are honored to continue our partnership with the HRC and other higher education institutions to promote intentional and deep-thought work that advances social justice and equality,” Caston said.
The reflections from these students and campus officials underscore the profound impact of HBCU Out Loud Day.
Hall mirrored this sentiment: “Celebrating HBCU Out Loud Day during LGBTQ+ History Month makes me so proud because it serves as a reminder of all the strides we’ve made in the Black queer community.” The day’s commemoration not only enriches the LGBTQ+ narrative but also tackles the complex intersectionality of race, sexuality, and gender identity prevalent in the Black queer youth community.
HBCU Out Loud Day is more than a celebration; it’s a burgeoning movement to carve out spaces of acceptance and understanding within the educational landscape.
“We want campuses to roll out the welcome mat for their LGBTQ student,” Halls said. “If it’s HBCU Out Loud Day, then that’s another way that students can really see themselves represented on the campus.”
