Black Men's Xchange National Announces Annual Leadership Summit

New York - Black Men's Xchange National (BMX) has announced its Annual BMX National Leadership Summit & Retreat, themed "Healing, Strategic Intelligence, Self-Love & Discovery" for May 6-9, 2011 at the West Sonoma Inn and Spa in the beautiful California coastal community of Guerneville, CA. The BMX National Annual Leadership Summit & Retreat aims to strengthen, heal and nurture the legacy of same-gender-loving (SGL), bisexual, gay-identified and heterosexual Black men. The experience strives to ensure a healthy, powerful and vital future of leadership and social justice for men from diverse walks of life.

Since 1989, BMX has been a sanctuary for thousands of same-gender-loving men to express, heal and overcome past traumas while developing leadership skills and becoming clear thinking assets to their respective communities. As the nation's first and largest national African American/Black organization affirming the worth and self esteem of same-gender-loving (SGL) and bisexual males, BMX National conducts activities that promote healthy self-concept, constructive decision-making, cultural affirmation and critical consciousness.

In conjunction with the planned retreat, the organization has produced and released a telling film short entitled "Making the Invisible Visible" available for viewing below: 

  The video poignantly and powerfully parallels the theme from Ralph Ellison's classic novel, "The Invisible Man" as indicative of the plight of the same-gender-loving man in modern day society.

"We are here and we are not invisible, nor are we the stereotypical and derogatory images often displayed in the media," offers BMX National Coordinator Malcolm Harris. "BMX's Annual Leadership Summit & Retreat presents a wonderful opportunity for Black men from across the country and globe to further grow and evolve. We are in pivotal times, where it is increasingly important to affirm our role and integrity in the Black community and beyond."

Black Men's Xchange was recently funded by the Center for Disease Control's Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) program. As part of CDC's innovative campaign, CDC has launched a $10 million, five-year partnership with 16 of the nation's leading African-American organizations. The Leadership Initiative seeks to harness the collective strength and reach of traditional, longstanding African-American institutions to increase HIV-related awareness, knowledge and action within black communities across the United States. The CDC's selection positions BMX alongside other legacy community black organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and American Urban Radio Networks.

Same gender loving (SGL) and bisexual Black men, ages 18 and up, are invited to attend BMX gatherings in cities across America including New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago, Bay Area, Miami and the headquarters in Atlanta. BMX has membership in several states, including Houston, Texas; Washington DC; Detroit Michigan; Denver, Colorado; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On a bi-quarterly basis BMX also conducts events that involve people of diverse cultures, racial groups, women, and heterosexuals to enlighten one another regarding cultural differences and shared perspectives.