About Black Pride Milwaukee, Inc.

Black Pride Milwaukee, Inc. is a Black-led, community-rooted nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safe, affirming, and empowering spaces for Black queer and trans people across Milwaukee County. Founded in 2024, the organization was established to address long-standing gaps in cultural visibility, leadership development, and access to life-affirming resources for Black LGBTQ+ communities.

Our work centers Blackness and queerness as inseparable, recognizing the compounded barriers Black queer and trans individuals face in employment, housing stability, behavioral health access, and community safety. Through culturally grounded programming, strategic partnerships, and community-centered events, we build pathways for leadership, healing, and collective growth. Our initiatives include community engagement events, civic and educational programming, harm-reduction and wellness partnerships, and the development of Project B.L.A.C.K., a leadership and workforce development pipeline for Black LGBTQ+ young adults.

Black Pride Milwaukee’s work is guided by core values of solidarity, empowerment, and education, with a commitment to building long-term infrastructure that supports year-round visibility, opportunity, and dignity for our community.

About the Winter Lights Gala & Use of Proceeds

The Winter Lights Gala & Awards Show is Black Pride Milwaukee’s signature annual fundraiser and cultural convening. More than a celebration, the Gala functions as a cornerstone of our organizational sustainability and community impact.

In 2025, the inaugural Winter Lights Gala welcomed 325 guests, raised $30,000 to establish the organization’s foundation, and made local history when Milwaukee County officially declared February 8th as Black Pride Day. The event honored community leaders, elevated Black queer excellence, and positioned the Gala as a new cultural institution in the city.

Proceeds from the 2026 Winter Lights Gala will directly support two transformative initiatives: Project B.L.A.C.K., a six-month leadership and workforce development program for Black LGBTQ+ young adults, and Black Pride in the Park 2026, Milwaukee’s first Black LGBTQ+ cultural festival. Together, these efforts expand leadership pathways, strengthen community visibility, and build sustainable cultural infrastructure.

The Winter Lights Gala is more than an event—it is a collective investment in the future of Black queer and trans leadership in Milwaukee.

2026—Winter Gala & Awards Show: Club Juke

By Black Pride Milwaukee, Inc.

2026—Winter Gala & Awards Show: Club Juke

Smokestack Twins Presents: Club Juke