Native Son launches fellowship for Black LGBTQ+ storytellers during 10th anniversary weekend

 

Native Son launches fellowship for Black LGBTQ+ storytellers during 10th anniversary weekend

Native Son, the platform devoted to celebrating and connecting Black queer men, is marking its 10th anniversary with something more lasting than a toast, a step-and-repeat, or another beautifully lit room full of well-dressed people who know exactly where the camera is. 

The organization has announced the launch of the Native Son Fellowship, a new initiative supporting Black LGBTQ+ content creators, advocates, and cultural leaders whose work is at the intersection of wellness, representation, HIV awareness, and culture.

The fellowship, supported by Gilead Sciences, Inc., will debut during Native Son’s 10th Anniversary Awards Weekend, June 19–21. It arrives as both a celebration and a statement: that the people closest to their communities are often the ones best positioned to shape public conversation; challenge stigma; and move life-saving information with nuance, credibility, and care.

For Native Son and Gilead, the fellowship is also a natural extension of a long-running partnership rooted in community-centered storytelling. Over the years, the two organizations have worked together to elevate Black queer perspectives; create space for dialogue; and invest in trusted voices who can help make conversations about HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care more accessible and culturally competent.

“Gilead Sciences is proud to support platforms like the Native Son Awards that celebrate leadership, elevate culture, and amplify trusted voices across Black communities,” said Rashad Burgess, vice president, corporate responsibility, at Gilead Sciences. “Our work at Gilead is grounded in the belief that scientific breakthroughs only matter if they reach the people they are designed to serve.”

The inaugural cohort reflects the breadth of modern influence: artists, journalists, therapists, filmmakers, fashion commentators, and digital creators who know that culture does not move in a straight line; it moves through a photograph, a podcast, a caption, a panel, a look, a confession, a joke, a hard truth said plainly enough for someone to hear it.

The first Native Son Fellows are Osaze Akil, contemporary visual artist and experiential designer; LaQuann Dawson, photographer, filmmaker, and multidisciplinary artist; Frank Grimsley, content creator, motivational speaker, and winner of Season 4 of “The Circle” on Netflix; Shahem McLaurin, licensed therapist, social worker, and host of the “Freedom Collective Therapy” podcast; Trey Sherman, filmmaker, television producer, and co-host of “Just Press Play with Ell & Trey”; and Jay Tibbitts, fashion critic, style and culture commentator, and content creator.

During the anniversary weekend, the fellows will participate in a series of immersive experiences, including a Creator Lab and Story Incubator focused on culturally relevant health communications. They will also take part in Native Son House, attend the Native Son Awards, and join a fireside conversation featuring R&B singer and actor Terrell Carter and award-winning playwright and actor Jordan E. Cooper. After the weekend, the fellowship will continue through an advisory roundtable and ongoing content creation centered on health equity, HIV awareness, and community wellness.

For Emil Wilbekin, founder and CEO of Native Son, the fellowship is not a pivot. It is a deepening. “Native Son was founded to create opportunities for Black queer men to be seen, celebrated, and connected to one another,” Wilbekin said. “This fellowship builds upon that mission by investing directly in a new generation of storytellers and cultural leaders whose voices carry tremendous influence within our communities.”

That influence matters. In public health, trust is not a decorative word. It is infrastructure. It determines who listens, who seeks care, who asks questions, who feels safe enough to be honest, and who believes that prevention and treatment are meant for them, too. By equipping fellows with resources, access, and a platform, the Native Son Fellowship aims to push health conversations beyond the occasional awareness campaign and into the year-round spaces where culture actually lives.

The launch comes at a defining moment for Native Son. Over the past decade, the organization has grown from a digital platform created to increase visibility for Black queer men into a nationally recognized cultural institution devoted to advocacy, leadership development, mentorship, wellness, and community-building. Through panels, workshops, networking events, strategic partnerships, and intentional gathering spaces, Native Son has built more than a brand. It has built a room — and made sure the right people were not only invited in, but handed the microphone.

With the Native Son Fellowship, that microphone now carries a new assignment: Tell the truth, serve the community, and make sure the message reaches the people who need it most. 

For additional information on Native Son and its Pride events and initiatives, please

visit: www.Nativeson.us

The Native Son Awards will also be available to view on livestream via Native Son’s

YouTube or Facebook platforms.

#NativeSon #NativeSonAwards