To our beloved family,
As we gather on this Thanksgiving Day, we at Atlanta Black Pride pause to reflect on the complex tapestry of gratitude, remembrance, and resilience that defines our community. This is a day that carries layers of meaningful time to give thanks, yes, but also a moment to honor the whole truth of our history and the strength that has carried us through.
Honoring Our Ancestors and Those We’ve Lost
Today, we remember the indigenous peoples upon whose land we gather, whose histories of survival and resistance mirror our own struggles for dignity and recognition. We acknowledge that Thanksgiving itself is rooted in a complicated history, and we honor the truth-telling that our community has always championed.
We light a candle of remembrance for those in our BiPOC LGBTQIA+ community who are no longer with us—those taken too soon by violence, HIV/AIDS, neglect, discrimination, and despair. We say their names in our hearts. We honor those lost just this year to anti-trans violence, to hate crimes, to systems that failed to protect them. Their lives mattered. Their legacies live on in every step forward we take.
We remember our elders who fought through the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, who built community when the world turned its back. We stand on their shoulders, and we do not forget.
Acknowledging Our Community’s Struggles
In this season of supposed abundance, we recognize that many in our community are struggling. We see you, those experiencing housing insecurity, those choosing between medication and meals, those navigating systems that were never designed with your humanity in mind. We see our trans siblings facing unprecedented legislative attacks. We see our Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ youth who are disproportionately experiencing homelessness. We see those in rural areas with limited access to affirming healthcare and community support.
The challenges we face are real and ongoing. Economic inequality, healthcare disparities, discrimination, and violence continue to impact our community at alarming rates. This Thanksgiving, we acknowledge that for many, finding reasons for gratitude feels like an act of defiance against systems determined to break our spirit.
And yet, we persist.
Celebrating Our Resilience
Our community has always known how to create family where blood relatives failed us. We have always known how to set tables of abundance from scarce resources, to make space for one another when the world tried to shut us out. This is our superpower—this ability to transform pain into purpose, isolation into community, survival into celebration.
We are grateful for the chosen families who show up when biological families don’t. For the houses and ballrooms that taught us to walk in our truth. For the activists and organizers doing the unglamorous work of liberation every single day. For the artists and storytellers keeping our histories alive. For the healthcare workers and social workers fighting for affirming care. For every person who chose to live authentically despite the cost.
We celebrate our young people, who are more visible and vocal than any generation before them, demanding the world they deserve. We celebrate our elders, who hold our history and continue to guide us forward. We celebrate the beautiful diversity within our community—every shade, every identity, every expression of love and self-determination.
Moving Forward Together
As we move beyond this Thanksgiving Day, we carry forward a commitment to one another. Atlanta Black Pride, Inc. remains dedicated to creating spaces where BiPOC LGBTQIA+ people can thrive, not just survive. We commit to:
- Amplifying marginalized voices within our already marginalized community
- Providing resources and support for those facing economic hardship
- Advocating tirelessly for policies that protect and affirm our lives
- Building intergenerational connections that honor our past and secure our future
- Creating joy and celebration as acts of resistance and healing
We cannot do this work alone. We need each other—our wisdom, our resources, our energy, our love. Community is not just a word to us; it is our lifeline, our strategy, our legacy.
A Prayer for Our Community
May we find moments of genuine rest in these turbulent times.
May we extend grace to ourselves and each other as we navigate uncertainty.
May we remember that our existence is resistance, and our joy is revolutionary.
May we honor those who came before by living fully and fighting fiercely.
May we never forget that we are deserving of safety, of love, of dignity, of celebration.
May we continue to build the world our ancestors dreamed of and our descendants deserve.
From all of us at Atlanta Black Pride, Inc., we wish you a day of peace, nourishment, and connection, however you choose to observe it. Whether you’re surrounded by chosen family, connecting with loved ones from afar, or taking space for yourself, know that you are held in community. You are not alone. You are loved. You matter.
In solidarity and with deep gratitude,
Terence
President & CEO
Atlanta Black Pride, Inc.