The International Federation of Black Prides, Inc. (IFBP) will hold the second Regional Black and Brown Summit on Saturday, April 4, at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s The Village at Ed Gould Plaza.

The Black/Brown Coalition was conceptualized by Carolina Ramos, Latino Services coordinator at The San Diego LGBT Community Center and Earl Fowlkes, IFBP President/CEO after a joint presentation on reaching out to GLBT communities of color for the Democratic National Committee Western Region training in Las Vegas in March 2007.

“The purpose of the National and Regional Black and Brown Summits is to identify areas for potential collaboration between African American and Latino LGBT communities, leaders, organizations, and grassroots movements,” Earl Fowlkes said.

The organizers said they hope the summit will help inspire black and Latino GLBT communities into action, motivate young leadership, accentuate and embolden our collective political power and voice in this very important election year and beyond.

The IFBP is a coalition of 29 Black Pride organizations formed to promote a multinational network of GLBT, same-gender loving Pride and community-based organizations dedicated to building solidarity, health and wellness, promoting unity and ensuring the development of education, economic empowerment and individual and collective work, responsibility and self-determination. More than 350,000 people attended Black Prides in the United States in 2008.

The National Black and Brown Summit was held in Philadelphia during Philadelphia Black Gay Pride on April 25, 2008. The first regional Black and Brown Summit was held in Dallas, Oct. 3, 2008, during Dallas Black Pride.

“We are really excited about the possibilities of this historical summit in Southern California based on feedback from both communities over the past few months” Ramos said.

Other members of the Black/Brown Coalition include Michael Hinson, IFBP chair; Marjorie Hill, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Executive Director; and Jose M. Roman, Executive Director.

San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez will be the keynote speaker at the summit.

Registration is $10 and includes materials, breakfast and lunch. The Summit will be preceded by a reception at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s The Village at Ed Gould Plaza on Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www.ifbprides.org.