Harlem celebrates PRIDE year 2025 EXCEPTIONALLY in Harlem

Vivid Year 2025 Harlem PRIDE celebration took place in Harlem among the LGBQT+ community and its allies celebrating years of legacy and strength within community on June 28th, 2025. 

Although World Pride took place in Washington D.C. this year Harlem experienced an elaborate canvas of celebration/celebrations throughout Harlem on the same date the parade took place in downtown Manhattan (https://harlempride.org).

The Harlem LGBQT+ and its ally community proudly rejoiced unifying to celebrate in Harlem.

Leaders in the LGBQT community like Lee Soulja (https://www.swervmagazine.com/entertainment-2/lee-soulja/) whom the previous year was responsible for  previous years of Pride Celebrations in Harlem and beyond including welcoming operatic singer and violin string instrumentalist Tona Brown graces NYC Black Pride Year 2024 with her presence as she presents about her novel The Tona Brown Story The Tona Brown Memoir.

Her vivid use of her own perspective as an instrumentalist and opera performer as an activist CHOOSING to utilize her platform as an artist that has ushered to places of esteem dignified integrity including performances for major political figures including United States of America 52nd President Barack Obama as a vocalist, violinist, entrepreneur, and teacher Tona Brown having performed internationally in the United States, Canada, and Europe as a violinist and mezzo-soprano. Ms. Brown is also an advocate for transgender issues in the arts.

Tona Brown finds herself in spaces speaking life into her activism and performing with a purpose to encourage, inspire and give honor to her inspirations as she addresses important issues within the LGBTQPOC community and entire Black/Brown community alike.  

Tona having been the first transgender woman of color to perform the National Anthem at an LGBT Leadership Gala Dinner during the Barack Obama United States Presidential Administration, historically she has also led the way as the first transgender woman to headline at Carnegie Hall.

Having included with African American composers in programming of African-American composers with an all-inclusive LGBT cast of performers she explains has become in part, a part of her identity as an activist whose platform is utilized to amplify messages of empowerment, determination, self-assurance and perseverance she explains during NYC Black Pride Year 2024.

Tona Brown has performed lead role as Hannah After in the opera “As One” by Laura Kaminsky with the Lowell Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Orlando Cela (fall of 2021), a transgender lead role.

Tona Brown has engaged as a masterclass educator on Transgender Voices by the Virginia National Association of Teachers.

Tona Brown is a judge for the 2023 Ben Holt Memorial Strings Competition for the National Association of Negro Musicians. 

Tona teaches virtual private lessons to students around the world with her company Aida Studios. 

Detailing small pockets of one of her latest written publications during NYC Black Pride Year 2024 in conversation with NYC Black Pride organizer Lee Soulja, Tona Brown and colleagues gather at Bessie’s Place Formerly Bar De Flores as NYC Black Pride celebrated James Baldwin’s 100th birthday to discuss literary works and visual art publications including Tona Brown’s anthological contribution as she speaks to her career as an activist, performer and author.  

The immensely talented Tona Brown, graduate of prestigious high school for gifted and talented students the Governor’s School for the Arts to later become formally educated in Virginia at the Shenandoah University and Conservatory of Music, studying violin performance with minors in viola, piano, and voice, recording an opera movie, playing the role of La Zia Principessa for Shenandoah University’s 2021 production of “Suor Angelica” she holds firmly to be a historic anchor within the LGBTQ community as a person of color belonging to the LGBTQPOC community Tona Brown continues to trailblaze a legacy that will withstand time beyond her lifetime as a historic member of society creating pivotal change within her community and beyond as she accredits herself as having been the first of what will be many years of prestigious Carnegie Hall LGBTQ programming/concert series transparently inclusive of trans community… leading with excellence and pioneering in her respective filed.

... as more recently this year Lee Soulja and others including founder of DBQ Magazine David Bridgeforth (http://www.dbqmag.com/home)prominently this year celebrated at an elaborate block party outside of local bar/event space West 4 (West 4 located in Harlem recently has expanded to a new additional location in Atlanta Georgia as well) hosting a phenomenal celebration this year in Harlem welcomed warmly with love by the Harlem Community adorned by many and celebrated safely. 

Jackie Rowe Adams founder of Harlem Mothers Save also was present during the PRIDE Block Party hosted out front of 4West as she gracefully during at the finale of the PRIDE Block Party gave well deserved special thanks to Mayoral Eric Adams Administration and the Harlem Community for making such a phenomenal block party and celebration possible in the very much lively Harlem community, in solidarity.

Written by: Danyal Sorel

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