Entertainment
See These Glowing Portraits For MOBI's "Take Pride" Campaign
It's the perfect way to celebrate Pride
This Pride month, Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) is rolling out MOBIfest: a three-day wellness festival from June 13 to 15 in New York City to celebrate contributions in fashion, music, entertainment, visual arts, and media by queer communities of color.
MOBIfest serves as a reward to members of the community who have taken action toward their health, wellness, and professional development. While some Pride festivities are driven by big names and even bigger ticket prices, MOBIfest events and programming are completely free for attendees who have attended a MOBI pre-festival activation or received a free health service from a MOBI partner site. Upcoming activations and a full list of community partners that offer free services for free VIP access to MOBIfest are listed on MOBI's website, here. Think of it as a queer take on Global Citizen Festival.
For its "Take Pride" campaign, MOBI asked members of the community to remember who they were before they found confidence in their identity. What did they need to cope with the teenage angst? Was it representation? What was that moment that liberated them and sparked their sexual enlightenment? What were those insecurities that would ultimately become their strengths? Their responses were reimagined into a campaign shoot powered by a team of queer people of color, featuring queer designers and those that support the community. MOBI's "Take pride" campaign portrays 30 models, influencers, creatives, and community members in that moment. It's a celebration of the moment we all became proud.
Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) curates experiences that celebrate the diversity of queer people of color while building community and promoting wellness and personal development. This is accomplished through the MOBIfest and its MOBItalks series with previous speakers including Michael Arceneaux, Karamo Brown, Kyle Hagler, Ty Hunter, Ben Cory Jones, DeRay McKesson, Emil Wilbekin, Patrik-Ian Polk, and Darnell Moore amongst others.
You can follow MOBI at @mobinyc for updates.
ADDIS FOUCHE-CHANNER@tooplush
"I Take Pride in My Performance"
ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS@alejandrooo
"I Take Pride in My Femininity"
BHAWK SNIPES@bhawksnipes
"I Take Pride in My Self"
CALVIN PLAY@calvinplay
"I Take Pride in My Art"
KIRLPATRICK BAILEY @iamchadbailey
"I Take Pride in My Relationship"
CHARLES JOHNSON@Jecoriel
"I Take Pride in My Creativity"
CHRISTOPHER NATAL@ricancleopatra
"I Take Pride in My Family"
CORWIN JOSEPH@corwinofthrones
"I Take Pride in My Gender Expression"
DANIELLE YOO@danielleelvetia
"I Take Pride in My Trans Visibility"
DONTE SMITH@foreverdonte
"I Take Pride in My Androgyny"
DEON MIMS@DeonMims
"I Take Pride in My Openness"
DEVIN SELDON@devdoee
"I Take Pride in My Fluidity"
ESPEUT JAVAUNTEE@Raresighting_
"I Take Pride in My Freedom"
GERRELL HANKTON@gerrellhankton
"I Take Pride in My Being"
GIANNI JONES@white.cocoa_
"I Take Pride in My Look"
ISA'AH@disaahb
"I Take Pride in My Expression"
JALEN DOMINIQUE@jalen.xx
"I Take Pride in My Independence"
JARI JONES@iamjarijones
"I Take Pride in My Fearlessness"
JARVIS GRIGGS@jgriggs_16
"I Take Pride in My Self-Awareness"
JULIAN JIMENEZ-MONTANO@conejlto
"I Take Pride in My Resilience"
KEVIN FERGUSON@kevinferg_
"I Take Pride in My Melanted Rainbows"
LAMAR ROGERS@lamahhhhh
"I Take Pride in My Black Unity"
MAYA IDROVO
"I Take Pride in My Unconditional Love"
NATHANIEL URIAH@ijustakepics
"I Take Pride in My Self Love"
SABRINA CATES@sabrinadcates
"I Take Pride in My Vulnerability"
SAMIR ROBINSON + SEAN BENNETT @onyxviolins
"I Take Pride in My Spirit and Freedom"
SONNY ORTIZ@sonnyo1989
"I Take Pride in My Intuition"
TRISTAN GRANNUM@tristan.whithers
"I Take Pride in My Queer Dancers"
VIC@vicnotvick
"I Take Pride in My Point of View"
YANECE COTTO@yanece
"I Take Pride in My Freedom"
CREDITS
Photographer: LaQuann Dawson @laquanndawson
Stylist: Beoncia Dunn @beonciadunn
Makeup Artist: Cirsty Burton @cirstyscloset
Designers: VFILES, Bobby Day, Jeantrix, Daniel Cloke, The Phluid Project, ROA, Gauntlett Cheng