Lincoln Center’s ‘Brother to Brother’ Forum Brings Blackness, Queerness, and Masculinity to the Forefront of the Conversation

To be a Black man in the United States is to always be on a battlefield, whether you want to or not. We’re demonized when we speak, when we express ourselves, and even when we exert joy. Regardless of where we are in society, to be a Black man, queer or straight, is to always have a double consciousness applied to the world we live in. We’re reminded of that continuously when the life of a Black man is senselessly taken away. A few Black queer educators, curators, and dancers have a few things to say about that.

New York City’s Lincoln Center will host “Brother to Brother: A Forum on the Black Masculine Body”, an open forum that will explore the intersection of Blackness, queerness, and masculinity inside and outside of the world of the arts. The forum brings together Kenneth Murphy, Isaiah Blake, Omari Wiles, and Robert Mason in conversation.

An artist, dancer, ballroom community activist, educator, and member of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Murphy will act as a co-moderator for the conversation. Blake, a history educator and artist, will join as another co-moderator. Rounding up the rest of the panel are Wiles, artistic director of Les Ballet Afrik, father of the House of Oricci, and a competitor on season 2 of Legendary, and Mason, an actor, model, educator, and recent alum of the acclaimed The Juilliard School. 

Since the appointment of Shanta Thake as Lincoln Center’s Chief Artistic Officer, the world’s leading performing arts center is moving towards diversifying its program and performance offerings. Access, selection of programming, and representation play an important role in creating interest in attending performances. When people feel represented they feel more inclined to participate and under Thake’s strategic vision, Lincoln Center and its 11 resident arts organizations are striving to meet people where they are and provide art for all. 

The “Brother to Brother” forum will take place on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7:30PM EST at the Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium. You can learn more about the forum and Lincoln Center here.