The next installment of Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative’s MOBItalks will gather gay men of color in Newark, NJ for thought provoking commentary and discussions on Saturday, May 5th at the Newark Museum from 12pm – 4:30pm.
Founded by award-winning advocate, DaShawn Usher and peer-led by a group of black queer men, the Newark edition of MOBItalks is a partnership with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Clinical Research Center and North Jersey Community Research Initiative, featuring moving talks with LGBTQ influencers including: Kiki Ball icon, Kodak; Joseph Williams, The Misunderstood Social Worker; Reverend Kevin Taylor; and performer, Harmonica Sunbeam.
The Newark edition of MOBItalks is the 5th of the personal and professional development series that launched last fall in Brooklyn with Emil Wilbekin, Karamo Brown, and Richard Brookshire who spoke about self-care, personal identity, and sexuality.
“As a black gay man, to be in a space where black queer people are having conversations about what’s affecting us and how we can support each other – sign me up every single time,” says Karamo Brown on his involvement with the platform. “I want to make people understand that who we are is our power.
Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) was created in response to the lack of spaces for black gay men. MOBI offers a platform for these men to speak authentically about issues that directly affect them and allow them to form connections.
“Being able to connect black gay men across many different social classes, different education levels, across different ages, is the biggest thing I know that I can offer to the community,” says founder DaShawn Usher. “MOBI exists as a space to take the time to assess where you are in life and realize that there’s a community that’s growing and exists. Following the first MOBItalks, MOBI serves as a bridge to connect guests to other avenues and services that are available to the community.”
Attendees of MOBItalks: Newark will earn free access to MOBIfest in New York City from Thursday, May 17 – Saturday, May 19th.
To learn more about MOBI, please follow “MOBINYC” on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: @MOBI_NYC, and visit https://www.mobi-nyc.com/mobitalks to register for free.
Photos courtesy of MOBI
