On Thursday, Feb. 9—two days following National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day—Brothers OUTLive, will celebrate the life and legacy of gay civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin at Center on Halsted.
Honoring the diverse communities served by Center on Halsted during Black History Month, and bringing attention to the alarming rates of HIV especially among young Black men who have sex with men (MSM), the event will feature music, poetry, and performance art by nationally known artists such as Marshall Titus, Nhojj, Tim’m West, keithromell, and Ra Perre’ Shelton. The event will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m in Hoover-Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted.
Since his death in 1987, Bayard Rustin, main organizer for the 1963 March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been celebrated as a gay icon.
Brothers OUTLive is a creative collaboration between celebrated Chicago-based artists Marshall Titus, Nhojj, and Tim’m West. The three began discussions in late 2011 about ways to use the arts to bring about greater social awareness about many issues within the Black LBGT community. Through a series of events including their works and that of other collaborating artists, Brothers OUTLive seeks to mobilize the LGBT community around such issues as homophobia and HIV/AIDS.