Ugandans jubilate Black Pride in London

LONDON. The world’s largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent returned to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, on Sunday, 11 August 2024.

This year’s UK Black Pride was a vibrant gathering of community, culture, and activism. And Ugandans joined whose country has the harshest anti homosexuality law attended to celebrate with others.

Black Pride began as a modest group that traveled by bus to Southend-on-Sea had blossomed into a global event, drawing over 25,000 attendees to the previous year’s celebration. UK Black Pride had found a new home in Newham, occupying the largest space the organization had ever used.

This year’s event brought together thousands of attendees for a powerful combination of party and celebrations, featuring an exciting lineup of performances, engaging talks, community stalls, and interactive workshops. The growth of UK Black Pride reflected the enduring need for safe spaces where LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern backgrounds could celebrate their identities and advocate for their rights.

Newham Council had been proud to host this globally significant event once again and had reaffirmed its commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse community. They had been dedicated to challenging discrimination and promoting respect for all, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender expression.

Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE had said, “Newham is a beacon of diversity and inclusion, and we are immensely proud to have hosted UK Black Pride for the third consecutive year. This global celebration has been a testament to our borough’s unwavering commitment to equality and a society where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves.”

UK Black Pride CEO, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah had expressed joy at announcing the return to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the third year running. It had slowly become a great home for the event as it grew bigger and bigger. Reflecting on previous years, the organizers had planned to make this the biggest and boldest UK Black Pride yet, working on a powerful theme for the year.

Attendees had been invited to join on 11 August 2024, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, for a celebration that promised to be both historic and transformative.