Thanks to Media Burn, footage of the House of Avant-Garde’s Unity Ball (1991) and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball (1992), can now be viewed online!
Commentary and footage from the actual Balls hosted by the House of Avant-Garde. Stephanie Coleman, videographer.
The House of Avant-Garde, established in the 1980s by Aaron Pierre Brown and Wardell Ford, was the first Chicago ballroom house. The House was a safe haven for predominantly Black LGBTQ+ youth, providing them with mentorship and a vibrant community in which they were able to fully express themselves.
“This is a house of love here. And that’s the reason that we’re here. We’re also here to show people that you can do and you can be whoever you want to be without any fear, because there is always going to be someone there to give you the support that you need. That [person’s] going to be just like you, that kindred spirit that you need so you can feel some type of connection. So you can feel some type of belonging. So don’t be afraid to be who you are.”
Watch the full Unity Ball video at mediaburn.org/video/having-a-ball-with-the-house-of-avant-garde.
Watch the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball at mediaburn.org/video/2nd-vouge-ball-vhs-1.
