THE [FUNCTION]
Community Impact Award
2025
For an organization, collective, or small business of the year that puts the people first. This award honors those actively changing lives, creating jobs, offering resources, and building structures rooted in equity, joy, and justice. Their impact isn’t just measurable. It’s felt.
[THE FUNCTION] is a diasporic cookout, meets kickback, meets dance party based in Baltimore, MD that is dedicated to creating a space of joy, movement, freedom, and resources for BLAQ people. Centering music, food, and communal practices connected across the Diaspora, [THE FUNCTION] believes that movement happens on and off the dance floor. We use our space to showcase local artists, extend social connections, support local artisans, and share resources that serve us and our communities.
WHAT COMMUNITY HAD TO SAY:
"[THE FUNCTION] is the only BLAQ cookout meets kickback meets dance party in Baltimore. Starting in 2023, we have hosted 10 events with 2 more slated to close out our 2025 season, paid 50+ artists, all except for 1 who are Black and almost all who are also queer. Each of our events have showcased 3+ community resources including SPARC Women's Center, MOSAIC Cooperative, Oh To Dream, Black Arts District, Queer Community Response, and Speak Out Socialists to name a few for people to quickly and easily access the organizing that is already happening around the city. We have generated over $3,000 in revenue through our exciting array of crafts and artisan vendors, chefs, and drink vendors, all again of whom are all almost exclusively Black queer business owners. We have hosted 200-300 attendees at each of our events this season, carefully curating a space for Black queer community to grow, joy to shine, and deep belonging to be experienced. Beyond the stats, I think what is so important about [THE FUNCTION] is that we are a BLAQ intergenerational space that showcases the best and brightest Black queer DJs playing dance music from the diaspora -- which is to say that there is space for everyone in our community at [THE FUNCTION]. I can't understate how many people have come up to me and said how needed [THE FUNCTION] is, or first-timers who tell me they are so excited to have *finally* found a place like this. I want to shoutout my team of Black queer women who have truly developed this space alongside me into an event that does not exist for content but exists for the *feeling* we created that is all about being free to be yourself and welcomed and celebrated in that. We host a party where the dancers can dance, the wallflowers have seats, the yappers have conversation pits, and there is food, drinks, tattoo artists, and even more. We actively work to collaborate with other Black queer collectives in the city and are dedicated to continuing to provide this space for the city. I love [THE FUNCTION] and my team DOWN and truly feel such pride and honor in nominating us for this award."