A Speakeasy Evening

Inspired by the speakeasy clubs of the Harlem Renaissance, which were welcoming and inclusive places for all, the Museum invites you into a space that welcomes LGBTQIA community, African Americans (and allies) of all gender identities and orientations.   

Now in year six, this program will examine the role of discos as a safe space for everyone to dance together and be their authentic selves. The evening will feature a panel discussion about disco, art making, dancing and light fare.   

In honor of the 100th birthday of James Baldwin, visitors will be invited to contribute to an installation that honors him and other ancestors. As Baldwin wrote in The Fire Next Time “It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death—ought to decide, indeed, to earn one’s death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life. One is responsible to life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return. One must negotiate this as nobly as possible, for the sake of those who are coming after us.”