As the organizer and producer of DC Black Pride, the Center for Black Equity lauded that statement in this year’s theme, “Black Pride is Freedom.” The program, entitled “Do We Need Black Pride?,” strives to empower individuals with the stories of Black queer leadership that defied the status quo in D.C., a nod to the ideals that birthed the Black Pride Movement he considers himself a beneficiary of. “If you’re looking at history, the impact that not just the Black community, the Black queer community, has had on this country and the world, it’s important that we navigate and make sure we have these spaces,” Hutton told The Informer.