A Little History

Back in June 2006, we had our 1st Annual Pride. It was then named the “Columbia, SC Black/Latino Gay Pride” under the leadership of Jermaine Nakia Lee (Charlotte, NC) of the Carolinas Black Pride Movement and Palmetto Umoja (Columbia, SC). Carolinas Black Pride Movement (CBPM) was founded following Lee’s leadership with Charlotte’s Black Gay Pride which started in 2005. CBPM’s mission is to found various Black gay prides in the two Carolinas. At that time, Palmetto Umoja was the South Carolina’s major LGBT people of color organization led by its president, Robert-John Hinojosa, and several other leaders including Alvin McEwen, its long-time secretary. Our first Community Expo was held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and roughly 300 persons attended all official Pride events. After the 2nd Annual Pride in 2007, a handful of resident South Carolinians came together and decided there was a need to form a new local organizing committee. 

Todd Shaw was elected as this Pride Committee’s first chair along with Steve Gaither as vice-chair, Alvin McEwen as secretary, Donald Wood as treasurer, Nicole (Nico) Dixon as entertainment coordinator, and Tina Torres and Tiffany Adams as two at-large committee members. This committee became the principal organizer of the Pride.

In 2008, roughly 700 persons attended official Pride events for the 4th Annual Pride. But the International Federation of Black Prides calculated that some 4,000 persons attended all events (official and independent parties, picnics, clubs events, etc.) during the Pride weekend. In 2009, we attracted at least 5,000 attendees overall including an enormously successful Women’s Party and Ball. According to our survey of Pride attendees and their zip codes, at least 15% of 2009 Pride attendees lived outside of South Carolina and roughly the same percentages of vendors were outside of the Columbia area; 10% were outside the state. The committee evolved into an Executive Board with about 13 members. In March of 2009, we officially were chartered as a non-profit corporation in the state of South Carolina. Our 2010 South Carolina Black Pride was also well attended with about 400 people attending all official events and likely 3,000 attending related events. It was during the 2010 pride season that we officially went to a board-of-directors and CEO structure.