We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Denver Black Queer Collective was established in February of 2021, with the hopes of bringing more Black Queer spaces/community and kinship to the Denver area with the goal of spreading collective joy with each other and sustaining ourselves through healing, safety, and community care.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The Mission of Denver Black Queer Collective is to provide a protective, supportive and uplifting space for Queer Black People in the Colorado Community. We believe in collective joy, healing and safety, queer resistance, and effective activism. Our vision is: We may not have it all together, but together we have all we need and more.

We host monthly events including Soulful Conversations, Cookouts, game nights, Healing and Safety Workshops, and more to build an intentional community. One aspect of our collective is we encourage one on ones, we believe that in order to build the community we must have trusting relationships and collective power.

It has not always been easy to build this community specifically for Black Queer Folks. The majority of events that center BIPOC or Black Queers oftentimes are white-centered and tokenizing and don’t allow for us to have our own spaces for healing, care, and community.

We have all we need and more! We believe in an abundance of resources, care and community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We bring our entire selves to the work. Our efforts are driven with love, using a culture-centered approach (art, music, dance, call and response, songs and chants), while nurturing individual leadership, and building power through our collective. We apply energy to our work and in the solidarity work, we engage in with other marginalized groups.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to all of the Black Queer Folks throughout Colorado!

Website: https://linktr.ee/DenverBQC

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denverblackqueercollective/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DenverBlackQueerCollective

Other: Email: dbqcollective@gmail.com

Image Credits
Denver BLack Queer Collective

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