One Roof Chicago hosted its Spring Gala May 31 at the Chatham home of the organization’s executive director, Jim Harvey.
This year’s honorees included Chicago City Council 3rd Ward Ald. Pat Dowell; Diasporal Rhythms co-founder, professor, art curator and African Art: The Diaspora and Beyond author Daniel Texidor Parker; and surprise awardee Pride Action Tank Executive Director and AIDS Foundation Chicago Policy and Advocacy Special Projects and Innovation Vice President Kim Hunt.
The event kicked off with a performance by intergenerational musicians Carol Sims and Ameya Thigpen (one of Sims 7th grade students) who wowed the crowd with their stirring melodies.
One Roof Chicago board member Alden Bell spoke about his over 50-year friendship with Sims and announced that Thigpen has been accepted into Chicago’s Youth Symphony Orchestra’s debut orchestra.
Harvey said it is a distinct honor to lead One Roof Chicago and then introduced each awardee. He said that Dowell has been a champion of One Roof Chicago since the beginning and is a “rare find in this city.”
Harvey spoke about Parker being an influencer and inspiration of African and ethnic art and has “uplifted our community through his work.” He sung Affinity’s praises for their 30 years of advocacy in Chicago. Harvey said he has admired Hunt for many years for her extensive body of work, including her time in South Africa (where Harvey also worked for a period of time).
Dowell said One Roof Chicago is one of three priorities she has in her ward and is determined to see this completed.
Parker said that “art uplifts” and that the name One Roof Chicago is “so appropriate because we need to think of one right now in this [political] climate that we’re in.”
Affinity Board member Phyllis Johnson accepted on the organization’s behalf.
Hunt said Harvey has been a mentor for many years and she hopes she is “half the person” Harvey is when she reaches 80 years old (Harvey’s current age). She added that she used to be on the One Roof Chicago board and will continue to champion it whenever she can. Hunt said that “we are in a time where we have to make big moves. We have to take care of our community and each other.”
Other speakers included One Roof Chicago Board Co-Chairs Jacqueline Boyd and Shelton Watson, One Roof Chicago incoming Board Co-Chair Kim Massenburg and One Roof Chicago Board Member Jano.
Boyd spoke about the history of how One Roof came to fruition in 2018 which was “a groundswell of many ideas whose time has come.” She said it was born out of LGBTQ+ youth being isolated and, in some cases, unhoused and LGBTQ+ elders who have “nowhere to go for end-of-life care” while living in a vibrant community.
Watson said One Roof Chicago is going to be a place where everybody is going to be checking in on each other.
Jano spoke about the vision of One Roof Chicago being a sanctuary where people can be themselves as they age.
One Roof Chicago supporter and award-winning actor and singer Hasani Olujimi closed out the program with a rousing vocal performance.
The event also featured a self-guided tour of Harvey’s extensive 70-item art collection, which is almost all originals from artists Harvey has personally met. Guests were provided with a numbered list of all the artwork that included the titles of the pieces and who created them.
