1 minute read
MORE THAN A BRAND The Black Family Reunion
Celebrate Black History And Focus On The Future Of The Community Special Interview With Bfr Executive Director Tracey Artis
The Black Family Reunion (BFR) returns to Cincinnati this weekend for its 35th year.
Advertisement
BFR executive director, Tracey Artis, says the annual celebration has been able to outlast similar events in other cities because of a combined effort from businesses, local government, and the Black community itself.
"Thirty-five years ago, 26 cities had the Black Family Reunion. We're one of the only original groups left. Rockford, Ill., has a Black Family Reunion and Atlanta is bringing theirs back," Artis said.
This year's theme is "Proud & Powerful" to represent the strength of the Black family in all of its forms.
Artis says this theme holds special importance because it inspired the Black Family Reunion's founder, Dorothy Height, to start the event decades ago
"When Dr. Height started the Black Family Reunion it was because she heard a journalist say the Black family was becoming extinct," Artis said. "She wasn't going to rest until she found that journalist to make sure she shared with him that it maybe a grandmother raising her grandchildren, or it may be two sisters raising their children. The family unit may look different, but it's still a family
The event is one of the remaining of the original cities to host them and organizers say it will be better than ever.
From the parade through Avondale to Sunday Service and the luncheon on Fountain Square, Cincinnati's Black Family Reunion is one of Cincinnati's largest family-focused events
The event brings communities and corporations together to focus on the "historic strengths and values of the Black family," organizers said in a press release.
The 2023 Black Family Reunion has nearly 50 major sponsors including the Cincinnati Reds, P&G, Tri-Health, Cincinnati Children's, and McDonald's.
It's among the few gatherings of its kind left in the country and one of the most popular with more than 10,000 people expected to flock to the Tri-State from across the Midwest
