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Community Pioneer
Surprised, honored, and grateful to share the news that I am included in the 2021 group of folks named as “Community Pioneers" by Rainbow History Project (RHP), an organization dedicated to the invaluable work of collecting, preserving and sharing the LGBT history of metropolitan Washington, D.C.
In 2003 the Rainbow History Project established the Community Pioneer Award as a means of recognizing people whose contributions to the community merited special recognition. Since that time, RHP has recognized over 75 individuals, chosen for their “pioneering work in helping to create the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community of metropolitan Washington, DC.”
My own selection stems from work as playwright, filmmaker and founding artistic director of African-American Collective Theater (ACT). As such, I share this award with an impressive array of dedicated, generous and talented artists – hundreds of friends who joined with me over the years to collaborate, overcoming daunting challenges to bring my artistic efforts to vivid life.
It’s also particularly gratifying to be included among such illustrious company as my fellow honorees -- especially personal friends like Mark Meinke, David Mariner and the legendary Michael “Micci” Sainte-Andress.
How timely that this recognition comes as the year ends, when we approach 2022 and with it, African-American Collective Theater’s 30th Anniversary season.
That, is a milestone we anticipate observing with a series of special events looking back and also forward, as we celebrate three decades of art developed to showcase the challenges, joys, hopes, struggles and dreams of our community in the spotlight, center stage...where they belong.
This coming Thursday, December 9, 2021, RHP will hold a unique, virtual ceremony, designed with special features that reproduce the feeling of attending in-person, such as live streaming and video chatting with other attendees and Pioneers before and after the core awards programing.
