‘It’s like a family reunion’: The 10th Native Son Awards on Juneteenth uplift Blackness and queerness in one space

Emil Wilbekin manifested what Native Son would become over a decade ago.

“I found the original PowerPoint presentation that I made for Native Son the other day, and it literally is exactly what is happening today,” he told theGrio at the 10th annual Native Son Awards on Friday (June 19).

Native Son, named after James Baldwin’s “Notes of a Native Son,” was founded by Wilbekin, a journalist whose credentials include editorial director and vice president of Vibe Ventures, editor-in-chief of Vibe Magazine, editor-at-large of Essence, and assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But a decade ago, he was lost, looking for work and a new purpose.

“I wanted to create a community of Black queer men who supported each other, who would be reflections of each other, who would share the conversations that they weren’t able to speak about in other places,” Wilbekin said. “And to create a community that was loving, caring, but also liberating. And I feel like I did it.”

The 10-year anniversary of the Native Son Awards took place at Pier Sixty in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. The Chelsea Piers, though now a recreation and fitness center with mini golf, rock climbing, and bowling venues, was once an enclave for the queer and trans communities in New York City. In the 1960s and 70s, the abandoned docks were a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth, many of whom ran away from rejection and violence for their identity.

The awards were also held on Juneteenth, the holiday honoring the day the last enslaved people in Texas were finally emancipated, marking the end of chattel slavery in the United States. The day was befitting of the organization created to make a space for Black queer men where they could cherish their identities rather than choose or hide one or the other.

“As Black queer folks, we always have to hold that space to celebrate who we are, but also understand we are in a very serious time right now, where Black folks are under attack,” said writer and trans rights activist Tiq Milan. “There’s been over 800 anti-trans bills that were introduced into legislation this year alone. So it’s really important that we celebrate the fact that we can come together as a community, but we also have to fight together as well.”

The night’s honorees were Tramell Tillman, still buzzing from his historic Primetime Emmy win for “Severance”; Anthony Hemingway, director and producer of shows like “The Wire,” “Forever,” and “Underground”; and Durand Bernarr, who won his first Grammy this year for Best Progressive R&B album. An additional social impact honor went to activist Guy Anthony, founder of Black Gifted & Whole, an organization that provides financial support and mentorship to Black queer students.

“I be waiting at the door for Native Son. I love any time that they mention me, any time that they have something going on,” Bernarr said. “I love being a part of it because it’s my people, it’s my brothers coming together. And to be honored by my brothers is such an honor.”

The award ceremony included emotional speeches from presenters, stylist Chaise Dennis, who introduced Tramell; Cynthia Erivo, who introduced Hemingway; and Tamron Hall, who introduced Bernarr. Hall’s speech was especially affecting, calling Bernarr her “family” as she described the moment she first came across his performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk.

“He was not performing a version of himself; he was fully himself. And that is why it was unforgettable,” she said on stage. “I said to my team, ‘You will be fired if you don’t find him.’”

The honorees had powerful messages for the audience. Tillman urged the crowd to channel disappointment and exclusion and “fuel it in the work,” and Bernarr spoke about his childhood, saying, “I was free before I knew the world would require me to fight for that freedom.” Hemingway recalled a quote from James Baldwin: “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.”

That’s what this room represents,” Hemingway said in his speech. “People who did not wait for permission, people who built the room.”

A night that also celebrated Black queer people’s contributions to culture, Dashaun Wesley, actor and ballroom extraordinare, was the event’s emcee and led the night into an afterparty hosted by the cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.” Dyllón Burnside, known for playing Ricky in the FX ballroom drama “Pose,” and Nashville-born singer-songwriter Bren Joy were the musical performers.

Attendee after attendee referred to the awards as a family reunion. And if a Native Son gathering is a family reunion, then Wilbekin is certainly the patriarch. Everyone, from the organization’s partners to the honorees to the journalists covering the event, knew this to be true.

“We call him father,” Anthony, the Social Impact honoree, said.

The love and familiarity for Wilbelkin were even more palpable when he addressed the audience and reflected on why he began Native Son. Even as he seriously articulated how far his organization had come, the feeling in the room, one of shared history, both painful and prideful, was ultimately uncontainable.

“Much of our lives existed in the dark. In bars, in clubs, in chat rooms, in cruising spots. And while those places served a purpose…” Wilbekin remarked right when the audience erupted in laughter. He himself couldn’t hold in his amusement, giving in to the infectious energy of the crowd.

“But I wanted more,” he said after everyone settled down. “I wanted more.”