> Hello_world!
I’m hoping this summer has been treating you well; my best wishes to folks starting college or a new semester, sounding like a good chunk of you!
Before we dive into some very exciting updates, I want to express my deepest thank you to everyone who’s supported me and the archive this year. This has, by far, been one of the toughest years of my adulthood–navigating unemployment and a very strenuous job market amidst the rising costs of, quite literally, everything. It is because of your love and support {B/qKC} has received its first major grant and, hence, has become my first salaried job in three years. And I have a part-time remote job as well–for my Midwest friends, I’m at Sixty Inches From Center as their Audience Development Coordinator!
Though I am grateful for these developments, they are safeguards in a world that becomes increasingly volatile and unpredictable. My heart goes out to anyone who’s navigating the same challenges I am. Community holds us and advocates for us in our darkest moments.
Please remember you are loved.
TABLE_OF_CONTENTS
{B/qKC} receives a $150,000 multi-year grant!
Our new merch, supporting Starla Carr in the loss of her partner >
Soakie’s Historic Marker events coming September 26
{B/qKC} featured in photobook Sex, Clubs, Dissent by Amelia Abraham
Snippet from the archive
Support our work!
{B/qKC} has received its first major, multi-year grant!
The grant, $150,000/2 years, has been accepted by our fiscal sponsor, Counterpart, and shall be disbursed to us soon!
From now through July 2028, {B/qKC} will be supported by a $150,000 grant–expanding our archival collections, educating on using open-source technologies with archival science, and experimenting with a pilot program to create a network of Black queer archives!
More info will come soon around the donor and budget–potentially from our fiscal sponsor, Counterpart, who accepts the grant on our behalf! We hope to be as transparent as possible through this exciting time so you all can see how this critical funding is spent across our project. :)
Stay tuned!
Learn more about {B/qKC}’s funders >
{B/qKC} launches our new merch: “partner-pleasers”
100% of proceeds go towards supporting Starla Carr’s healthcare and her partner’s EOL costs.
Oddities Prints is honored to create a limited edition ribbed tank in collaboration with {B/qKC}: a community archive of Black queer Kansas City history. This tank celebrates the installation of a new historic marker in Downtown Kansas City commemorating Soakie's, an Italian sandwich shop and Black gay bar in Downtown from 1993-2004.
This tank, doubly, honors Starla Carr, who licenses a collection with {B/qKC}. Starla was instrumental in documenting Soakie's' history and supporting the community. 100% of proceeds from this tank top will go towards supporting Starla Carr's healthcare and paying for end-of-life costs for her late partner, Iris.
Yes you read that right in the merch block: Soakie’s is officially getting a historic marker!
Come celebrate with us on September 26th!
We are very, very proud to announce that Soakie’s will be getting a historic marker in Downtown–being commemorated with a day of events on September 26th!
Sponsored by a plethora of organizations, attendees will be able to attend a reveal, celebration and after party that day.
Stay tuned for way more details within the next week!
Don't get caught lackin', learn about Soakie's! >
Did y’all know {B/qKC} got flewed out to London? Kinda?
We were featured in Amelia Abraham’s beautiful new book “Sex, Clubs Dissent” and virtually presented at ICA London!
Very excitingly, {B/qKC} collaborated with journalist and author Amelia Abraham to contribute two photos to her newest work, Sex, Clubs, Dissent: Visualising Queer Nightlife.
As part of Amelia’s book tour, I had the opportunity to join them and co-contributor Sweatmother in sharing our work at ICA London for a talk on May 13, 2026. Sweatmother and I also shared video histories from our archival work; I shared Frequency: An Interview with Starla Carr (2025).
Snippet from the archive
tishacoll035 || INNER COVER, INNER BACK – "Mr. & Miss Black Mid-America" at Soakie's
Did you know that Tisha Taylor founded her own pageant production company? Did you know that you can read a zine all about it on our archival site?
Check it out here >
Support this work!
Okay so clearly we been doing the damn thing, okay!! We always appreciate the extra support where y’all can. It’s for this reason we’ve been able to do things like making all the celebration events for the Soakie’s Historic Marker completely free-of-charge! We refuse to price our own community out of the very events they’re supposed to serve.
{B/qKC} is fiscally sponsored, which means all contributions are 100% tax-deductible and go directly to supporting the work I do as a Black queer artist and the sustainability of this project.
By supporting {B/qKC}, you’re investing in my work as an artist and memory worker and in the long-term preservation of Black queer Midwestern stories. Together, we can build a future where our histories are celebrated and never forgotten.
With love,
Nasir