MOBITALKS NOLA 2024
A STORY WITHIN A STORY (SCREENING)
MOBIFEST 2024
MOBITALKS LA 2023
MOBIfest 2022
Queer People of Color Deserve Community. DaShawn Usher, Julian J. Walker, and the MOBI Team Are Making Sure They Have It
August 12, 2022
There’s strength and beauty in creating community. For many queer and trans folks, finding that community is of utmost importance. And for those within the margins of the LGBTQ community, it becomes even more critical. But DaShawn Usher and Julian J. Walker know this and made sure that the Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) fosters that same sense of community.
MOBI “is a series of curated social connectivity events for gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development”. With a dedicated team, a variety of community partners, and engaging programming, MOBI creates a mosaic of events that allows queer people of color to foster a community they can see themselves reflected in.
And the rest of the world is taking notice. In June, Hornitos Tequila and LGBTQ media advocacy company GLAAD announced their official partnership together and presented MOBI, as well as L.A’s TransLatin@ Coalition, with an inaugural $10,000 grant to support the efforts of their nonprofit. DaShawn, Julian, and the rest of MOBI (Dwyane Williams Jr., Anthony Curry, and LaQuann Dawson) were honored in July at an event in New York City, hosted by Hornitos Tequila and GLAAD.
MOBI is a series of curated social connectivity events for gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development.
We achieve this through our signature programming: MOBItalks, a personal and professional development series for Black gay men and MOBIfest, an interactive wellness experience that celebrates Black queer voices in fashion, music, visual arts and media. With a focus on wellness, MOBI connects individuals to opportunities to better themselves before, during, and after our events.
MOBI is supported in partnership with the New York Blood Center’s Project ACHIEVE.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
MOBI has an extensive reach of corporate and community partners that contribute to the organizational mission and success. Those partners include:
New York City Council, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York Blood Center’s Project ACHIEVE, Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Out in Tech, Scotch & Soda, 305 Fitness, The Moth, SeatGeek, Luc Belaire, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), National Black Justice Coalition, National Queer Theater, TENz, Trappy Hour, PapiJuice, Jack’d, SOULE, Mount Sinai’s Young Adult Sexual Services (YASS), Ryan Center, City College, Logo’s NewNowNext, Nylon Magazine, Out Magazine, and many more.
