BLK Vol. 4 No. 3: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is the 37th issue of BLK magazine published September 1992. The front cover is printed in color and features an image of Justin Fashanu. The athlete is dressed in a dark green tank top, dark pants, presumable trousers, and accessorized with a gold-colored necklace and a single stud earring. Fashanu is seated on a backwards red chair with a white, almost baby blue background. At the top and centered to the left, [BLK] is printed in bold, white, uppercase letters within a red rectangular box. Below and to the left of the [BLK] text box is the magazine issue information; in small, red text it reads [Vol. 4, No. 3 Whole No. 37 / $1.95 U.S., $2.95 Canada]. At the top and aligned to the right are the news sections listed in muted red text, [NEWS / CARTOONS / MUSIC / THEATRE / PEOPLE / BOOKS / WORD UP / BLK TEA / CLASSIFIEDS]. Centered and below Fashanu’s chest is the magazine headline in yellow text reading [Justice Fashanu / Top British Athlete Pays the Price / of Coming Out]. There are 68 numbered pages, stapled the center fold, with articles, advertisements, classifieds, black and white photographs, and cartoon illustrations throughout.

The inside of the cover features an ad [Prevention Is Better Than Cure]. The content opens with the section [WORD UP] by Leon Miller with five short articles: [AFRICAN FROGS GO TRANSSEXAUL], [THE BLACK BOOK IS WHITE] about the national directory of sexuality resources, [CHUCK D AND BILL C ON AIDS AS A CONSPPIRACY], [FAIRYLAND, JUNGLELAND, STUPIDLAND], and [NATIONAL GUARDSMAN PASSES FOR WOMAN].

This is followed by three letters to the editor in the section [BLK MAIL] on pages 2-5, with the [BLK] masthead on page 5. On page 6 is the section [BLK PEOPLE] by Michael Taylor about broad and general news regarding the Black gay and lesbian community. It is divided by city.

The cover story, which begins on page 8, is titled [Out of Fashanu / The first black gay footballer in England / to come out endures a personal sacrifice – and is / sacrificed by the black news media as well]. Written by Mark Haile, the article beings by talking about the ‘outting craze’ that has consumed the media. Haile then shifts to Fashanu, the first Black British football player to be traded for £1million, and the national reaction in England and Nigeria once he was outed. The article is accompanied by four photographs of Fashanu and several tabloid headings.

A feature article begins on page 14, titled [STATE OF THE ART / Sophisticated Duo’s First Releases From Spike Lee’s / New record Label] by DJ Marius. Marius conducts an interview State of the Art, comprised of Raymond Jones and Norma Jean Wright, who are a part of Spike Lee’s record label 40 Acres and a Mule.

A second feature article begins on page 16, titled [STONEWALL COMES TO / SOUTH CENTRAL], written by L. Lloyd Jordan. The article discusses the aftermath of the verdict regarding Rodney King’s assailants, particularly the difference in the words used to describe the events; “riot” used mainly by white Los Angelenos vs almost any other term like “rebellion” or “revolt” by Black Los Angelenos.

This is followed by the section [THEATER] on page 25, mention Pomo Afro Homos, Stanley Bennett Clay, and the Rainbow Repertory Theatre among many other individuals, institutions, and plays. On page 26 begins [MUSIC / by D.J. Marius] with one album review, [Adeva “Love or Lost” / (Capitol)]. The section [BOOKS / by Alan E. Miller], on page 29, discusses literature by Diane Bogus, Vega, Gloria Hull, and Michael Datcher. This is followed by [BLK BRIEFS] on page 30, providing articles in one or two sentences.

Several shorter articles appear under the section [BLK NEWS] complied by Alan Bell and Shawn Hinds. Beginning on page 33, these articles include: [Judge Rules in PWA’s Favor] regarding James Dorsey, [Baker Takes NAPWA Post] about A. Cornelius Baker and the National Association of People with AIDS, [HRCF Names Carter to Post] about Many Carter and the Human Rights Campaign Fund, [Black AIDS Efforts Launched / – Huntly Collins] about funding provided to Unity and the GALAEI Project, [Consortium Project Funded] regarding the Gay Men of Color Consortium (comprised of American Indian AIDS Institute, Bay Area HIV Support and Education Services, Comunidad Unida en Respuesta al SIDA, and Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Community HIV Project), and the Risk-Reduction Train-the-Trainer Project, [Family Holds Benefit] about the Family Foundation’s first annual AIDS benefit, [Nia Holds Sausalito Gathering] about the fifth annual Gathering for Lesbians of African Descent, [Blacks Red on Day o’ Green / – Eric K. Washington] regarding the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, [Joint Chiefs Oks Gay Ban / – Rex Wockner], [Carl Bean Hospice Opens / – Shawn Hinds], [Johnson Quits AIDS Panel] about Magic Johnson and the National Commission on AIDS, [Coalition Hosts Annual Dinner / – Shawn Hinds] about the Black Coalition on AIDS, [‘Change’ Comes to L.A. / – Shawn Hinds] regarding the fifth annual Creating Change Conference and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, [BGLLF to Long Beach in 1993 / – Shawn Hinds] about the sixth annual National Black Gay and Lesbian Conferences and Institutes by the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum], [Gay South African Murdered] about Sgxabai, chair of the KwaThema Township chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Organization of Witwatersrand, [British Group Nixes POC / – Rex Wockner] regarding OutRage, [Blacks Form New Demo Club / – Mark Haile] about Lesbian and and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action and the Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, [Prof Said to Be Name Caller], [North Carolina Begats Group] about Umoja: An Open Community of Lesbians and Gay Men of African American Descent, [BMX Plans 1993 Conference], [African Drug Gets Closer Look / – Shawn Hinds] regarding Kemron, an AIDS drug developed in Africa, and [Gentlemen Raise $35K / – Shawn Hinds] about Gentlemen Concerned distributing the money to organizations serving HIV+ African Americans and Latinos.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: September 1992
• Published by: Alan Bell, American
• Edited by: Alan Bell, American
• Subject of: Justin Fashnu, English, 1961 - 1998
• Subject of: Spike Lee, American, born 1957
• Subject of: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, American, founded 1986
• Subject of: Raymond Jones, American, 1959 - 2011
• Subject of: Pomo Afro Homos, 1990 - 1995
• Subject of: Human Rights Campaign, American, founded 1980
• Type: magazines (periodicals)
• Medium: ink on paper (fiber product)
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27.4 × 20.9 × 0.3 cm)
• Place made: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: London, England, Europe
• Place depicted: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Nigeria, West Africa, Africa
• Place depicted: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: San Francisco, San Francisco county, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Health
• Topic: Identity
• Topic: International affairs
• Object number: 2018.108.37ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Bell
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © BLK Publishing Company, Inc Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.