I’ve lived in Chicago for almost ten years, have been active within queer communities, and have been identifying as a lesbian, but I had very little exposure to the history and the impact Black lesbians have had on Chicago’s south-side communities and beyond.
Kiersten “Kee” Parks + Dominique “Dumoo” Johnson
“I’m just proud to be who I am. I love who I am. And I also love Black women! Black women are everything.”
“Here in Chicago, I’ve always been a party promoter and activating something! Executive Sweet started out with Pam Terrell and myself and DJ Sheron Webb. Eventually it just became me and Vera Washington. We went around and did a lot of stuff: boat rides, parties, and we had a lesbian bar up north at one point on Clark Street called Sweets. The reason we felt a strong need to gather amongst ourselves is that we played the type of music that we liked! And the type of things we liked.
Mary: “We just celebrated our 20th anniversary. We met for the first time at this conference in Long Beach, but it was the Creating Change Conference in Pittsburgh when we realized there was something there. We did long distance for about a year. And Willa moved here in December of ’99 . . . and now it’s been 20 years! I didn’t like her at first, but I realized how much I was laughing with her, and it remains an important part of our relationship. Being able to laugh makes all the difference. So here we are.
Krü MaekdoFounder of Black Lesbian Archives
