<I>BLK Vol. 5 No. 1</I>
date: label: Date
content: January 1994
name: label: Published by
content: Alan Bell, American
label: Edited by
content: Alan Bell, American
label: Subject of
content: Kenneth Errol Reeves, American, born 1951
label: Subject of
content: Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, American, 1988 - 2003
label: Subject of
content: Reggie Williams, American, 1951 - 1999
label: Subject of
content: National Task Force on AIDS Prevention, American, 1985 - 1998
label: Subject of
content: Phill Wilson, American, born 1956
label: Subject of
content: Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, American, founded 1973
label: Subject of
content: Nia Collective, American, founded 1987
label: Subject of
content: Pat Norman, American, born 1939
label: Subject of
content: African-American Lesbian and Gay Alliance, American, founded 1986
label: Subject of
content: Magic Johnson, American, born 1959
label: Subject of
content: Simon Nkoli, South African, 1957 - 1998
label: Subject of
content: Gay and Lesbian Organization of Witwatersrand, South African, 1988 - 1997
label: Subject of
content: David N. Dinkins, American, born 1927
label: Subject of
content: Tina Turner, American, 1939 - 2023
label: Subject of
content: Rosa Parks, American, 1913 - 2005
label: Subject of
content: WRFG, American, founded 1973
notes: label: Description
content: This is the 39th issue of BLK magazine published January 1994. The front cover is printed in color and features an image of Ken Reeves. Reeves is dressed in a suit with a black jacket, white dress shirt, and black and white patterned tie. He has a white pocket square, a silver watch in his left wrist, and wearing glasses. Reeves is seated, looking straight at the camera, with his hands folded over some documents. At the top and centered to the left, [BLK] is printed in bold, white, uppercase letters within a dark blue rectangular box. Outside of the bottom left corner of the [BLK] text box is the magazine issue information; in small, white text it reads [January 1994 / Vol. 5, No. 1 / Whole No. 39 / $2.95 U.S. / $3.95 Canada]. At the bottom and aligned to the left are the news sections listed in blue text, [NEWS / WORD UP / PEOPLE / MUSIC / THEATER / BOOKS / CARTOONS / BLK TEA / CLASSIFIEDS]. To the right of the [BLK] text box is the magazine headline in orange text. [Do They / Know / That the / Mayor of / Cambridge / Is Gay?]. There 36 numbered pages, stapled the center fold, with articles, advertisements, classifieds, black and white photographs, and cartoon illustrations throughout.
label: Description
content: The inside of the cover features the ad [Black Lesbians and Gays from Silence to Celebration Beyond the 28 Days / 7th Annual National Black Gay and Lesbian / Conference and Institutes]. The content opens with the section [WORD UP] by Leon Miller with eight short articles: [Bonilla Calls Reporter ‘Faggot’] about Bobby Bonilla and Bob Klapsich, [Gloria Gaynor Prays for Homosexuals], [Tina Turner Calls Ike ‘Blessed’], [Not Those Kind of Black Books] about African American publications Little Black Book, True Colors, and Black Sheets,[Company Says ‘No’ to Panties at Work], [Captain Says Powell Knew He Was Gay] about Army General Colin Powell and Army Captain Michael McManus, [Rosa Parks Gets Gay Ski Group’s Nod] and [WRFG: Thumbs Up, Down] about Atlanta radio station WRFG. The section is accompanied by a mini section titled [10 Reasons Why No Out Black Lesbians Top Major U.S. Firms] on page 2.
label: Description
content: This is followed by four letters to the editor in the section [BLK MAIL] on pages 4 and 5, with the [BLK] masthead on page 5.
label: Description
content: The cover story, which begins on page 7, is titled [Mayor / Ken / Reeves / CAM / BRIDGE MASSA / CHU / SETTS / HIS HONOR IS THE NATION’S / ONLY OPENLY GAY, AFRICAN / AMERICAN MAYOR. WHEN HE / ‘CAME OUT’ A WHOLE YEAR / AGO, WAS IT REALLY NEWS?]. Written by Shawn Hinds, the article begins with Greater Boston Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance awards ceremony in December 1992, where Mayor Reeves made it clear that he is gay. Reeves, along with members of the Cambridge Lavender Alliance, acknowledge that he never kept his sexuality as secret, but never announced as he never felt he had to. The article goes on to talk about the nation’s first openly gay African American mayor’s role models and the Black lesbian and gay movement. However, the article is cut short and there is no continuation in the magazine. It continues in the following issue, NMAAHC 2018.108.40, on page 12.
label: Description
content: Several shorter articles appear under the section [BLK NEWS] complied by Nark Haile, Shawn Hinds, and Don Thomas. Beginning on page 19, these articles include: [Committee, Hall, Ford, Childs to ‘Hall of Fame’] about the Ad Hoc Committee of Proud Black Lesbians and Gays and the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, [Playwright Gets Life in Murder] referencing an article in NMAAHC 2018.108.38 about Shawn Deveareaux, [Reggie Williams to Leave NTFAP] about the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention, [Lambda Fund Honors Wilson] about Phill Wilson and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fun, [160 Lesbians at Nia ‘Gathering’], [Plans Afoot for Black Pride Day], [Concerned Gentlemen Award Grants], [Hite, Norman Get $25,000] about Earnest Hite Jr. and Pat Norman being winders of the Stonewall Award for 1993, [Deaths Called Murder, Suicide] about Venus Landin, co-chair of the African-American Lesbian and Gay Alliance, and Bisa Niambi, [3rd Annual ULOAH Retreat Attracts 135] about the United Lesbians of African Heritage, [Johnson Settles HIV Lawsuit] about Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and [‘Gay Rights’ Video Targets Black Right] reading the Traditional Values Coalition. The section includes a photograph of Simon Nkoli and Mayor David N. Dinkins.
label: Description
content: This is followed by [MUSIC] by D.J. Marius on page 15 with one album review [NYC Badmen / NYC Badmen / (StepSun Music)]. The section [Theater] by Don Thomas discussed George C. Wolfe on the next page. The gossip column [BLK TEA] written by Preston G. Guider is on page 19.
label: Description
content: This is followed by [BLK VEIL] on page 30 and lists thirty obituaries: Charles E. Barney, Hyland Boddie Jr., Oscar “OB” Brown”, Willie Brown, E. Kitch Childs, Michael Anthony “Mikolas” Crews, Jeff Dabbs, Willis E. (Sonny) Davis, Gary DeLoatch, Kliphe “Leggs Galore” Gillard, Roy Gonsalves, Maury Anthony Harris, Vincent C. Heflin, Fred Hilliard, Herbert Hunter, Richard Hyde, Billy Lee Jefferson, Lenny Lyons, Dempsey James Mapp, Sean Maurice Mitchell, Ernest Morgan, George Victor Ray Jr., Lucius Howard Richardson Jr., Melvin G. Ross Jr., Donald “Dana Lareese” Simmons, Bernard Turner, Tony Warfield, David Lightfoot Weems, Charles William-Ford, and David Woody.
label: Description
content: The issue concludes with the section [BLK MARKET] on page 23 and the classifieds section [TALKING PERONALS] starting on page 24 with personal ads divided by gender, nation, then U.S. states.
label: Description
content: The back cover is a full-page advertisement [PRIORITIES] by Dr. Reginald J. Warren INC.
label: Description
content: The object came with an insert: a paid postage to subscribe to [Out].
label: Description
content: There are several advertisements throughout, including: [HIV / It Can Affect Anyone At Anytime] by the Minority AIDs Project; [EMPOWER LIFE]; [BLACK & WHITE MEN TOGETHER – WHY?? / INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS]; [I Want It / ARIES]; [California / AIDS Ride]; [PROUD / TO BE / YOUR BUD / Budweiser]; [THE BLACK GAY MEN’S RAP]; [BLACKfire / BLACK LACE]; [Who / is / Missy / Caramichael / National Talent Search]; [COMMUNITY / PRESCRIPTION / SERVICE / A Mail-Order Pharmacy & AIDS Information Service]; [City Scan]; [Unity / Fellowship / Church]; [Asian Pacific / AIDS / Intervention Team]; and [THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / GAY & LESBIAN EXPOSITION / EXPO 94].
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting symbols of hate or related to organized hate groups may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate history and culture.
place: label: Place made
content: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: San Francisco, San Francisco county, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Sausalito, Marin County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Malibu, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Anaheim, Orange County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Activism
label: Topic
content: Associations and institutions
label: Topic
content: Black Press
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Health
label: Topic
content: Identity
label: Topic
content: LGBTQ
label: Topic
content: Mass media
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Sexuality
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1969-2001
label: Topic
content: Violence
label: Topic
content: Women's organizations
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
label: Movement
content: HIV/AIDS Activist Movement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Bell
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.108.39ab
objectType: label: Type
content: magazines (periodicals)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © BLK Publishing Company, Inc
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27.4 × 20.9 × 0.3 cm)