Published by

Bell, Alan, American

Edited by

Bell, Alan, American

Subject of

Lorde, Audre, American, 1934 - 1992

Minority AIDS Project, American, founded 1985

National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, American, 1978 - 1990

National Association of Black and White Men Together, American, founded 1980

Lesbian Agenda for Action, American, 1987 - 1991

Holden, Nate N., American, born 1929

Bradley, Tom, American, 1917 - 1998

Rangel, Charles, American, born 1930

Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, American, 1988 - 2003

National LGBTQ Task Force, American, founded 1974

Rev. Bean, Carl, American, 1944 - 2021

Young, Ivy, American

AIDS Project East Bay, American, founded 1983

Saxxon, Larry, American

Gerald, Gilberto, Panamanian American, born 1950

Mapplethorpe, Robert, American, died 1989

Date

April 1989

Medium

ink on paper (fiber product)

Dimensions

H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27.4 × 20.9 × 0.3 cm)

Description

The fifth issue of BLK magazine, published April 1989. It is printed in black and white and the cover features a photograph of Audre Lorde. She dons a pair of rectangular spectacles which she looks over as she holds its left end piece with her left hand. She also wears what appears to be a dark-colored jacket and a pattered scarf. The magazine’s logo is printed at bottom center, with the letters [BLK] written in large, bold, uppercase white letters. A solid red rectangle, with a white border, surrounds the letters. Below BLK, the issue number and date [Number 5, April 1989] are also printed within the box. There are 30 pages in total, with articles, advertisements, classifieds, black and white photographs, and cartoon illustrations originally from Ebony Magazine with new captions written by BLK throughout.

There is an advertisement for [BEING ALIVE] FOR THE [PEOPLE WITH AIDS ACTION COALITION] on the other side of the front page, listing the services of the coalition. The issue opens with an event calendar titled [Blk Board] and a letters to the editor section titled [Blk Mail]. The issue continues with a profile on Audre Lorde titled [Oh, Lorde! Black student group hosts noted black lesbian feminist at UCLA]. The article is accompanied by the same image of Lorde found on the front cover of the issue. Other featured articles include: [The King and the Jester / Tom Bradley and Nate Holden vie for City Hall in Los Angeles] and [Black/White Photography / Robert Mapplethorpe, noted for photos of black men, dies of AIDS in Boston].

Pages 14 through 21 comprise the [Blk Community News] section and include headlines such as [Bean Steps Down as Minority AIDS Project Head to Pursue Church Duties; Board Selects Gil Gerald], [Tap Craig Harris for New York AIDS Post], [Statistics Paint Grim Picture for Future of AIDS Cases Among African Americans in California], [Ivy Young Picked to Head NGLTF’s Family Project], [N.J. Students Push for Black, Gay Demands], [S.F. Health Pol Calls Needle Ex ‘Genocide’], [BWMT/SF Hosts Meet], [AIDS Project East bay Becomes Independent Org], [D.C. Gets AIDS Clinic], [South Central AIDS Agencies Almost Defunded], [Harris Becomes First Female Episcopal Bishop], [Sullivan OK’s Needles; HHS Says Lose Fed $], [Gay PAC Seeks Black Applicants for Top Post], [Rangel Slams Sullivan on Needle Exchange], [2,2127 Die in Tanzania] and [S.F. Women Dance for Fall Racism Confab]. The section concludes with a note explaining that the monthly AIDS report is not featured in this month’s issue of BLK.

Following the news section is a gossip column by Preston G. Guider titled [Read My Lips]. The magazine concludes with the classifieds section, titled [Blk Market]. The inside back cover is a full page advertisement for Midtowne Spa and the back cover is a full page advertisement for Keith Medical Group, [HIV specialists within a family practice environment]. There are additional advertisements throughout the issue. These include: [National Gay Rights Advocate seeks DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS], [Erase bad credit.], [Feeling Overwhelmed by AIDS? / THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER], [Unity Fellowship Church / A Church For All People], [BLK / NEW OR RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTION], [976-CAMP], [970-WOLF].

Place made

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America

Classification

Books and Published Materials

Movement

HIV/AIDS Activist Movement

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Topic

Activism

Black Press

Communities

Episcopalian

Health

Identity

LGBTQ

Mass media

Sexuality

U.S. History, 1969-2001

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Bell

Object number

2018.108.5

Restrictions & Rights

© BLK Publishing Company, Inc

Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5407aef6e-c8c7-4b8a-a042-229de649ce9a