Black Boston’s unofficial family reunion has come and gone again! The 31st Annual Ebony Winter Gala went down Friday, December 14th at the Hynes Convention Center. The city was buzzing with energy as those planning to attend were busy getting themselves together. If you’re anything like me, you sat this one out, but found yourself patiently waiting for folks to start flooding your timeline with all of their dope photos; and that they did! I was able to live vicariously through many of you and I felt like I was right there. I’d also be amiss to not shout out those of you who recorded the full 112 performance - y’all are the real MVPs!

Now, very few people actually know this, but the Ebony Winter Gala did a lot for me in terms of informing the direction of The Other Boston (formally known as Boston Come Through or BCT). The Other Boston was always an events list, but it was my attendance at the 2015 Gala that solidified my decision to create a platform to highlight the best of Black Boston. I caught wind of the Gala like most folks do - by word of mouth. A cousin’s Facebook post, and a quick search led me right to the event page. I knew I wanted to go, so I secured my ticket, and now all I had to do was figure out what to wear. I had never been to an event of this caliber, so I wanted to make sure I came correct. This led me to search for pictures from prior years on social media and various organization’s websites (I would later come to know that it’s a multitude of organizations that band together to bring us this huge event).

Finding those photos were hard. It didn’t seem there were any official ones, and the gala website didn’t seem to be updated either! Instagram provided some inspiration and from there I figured it out. The day of, I took off from work early to get ready, because we all know beauty takes time. This particular year, the Gala was at the Boston Convention Center and there were about 3,000 of us melanated folks in attendance. I had a great time, and it was dope because I kept running into folks I hadn’t seen in forever.

However, once the night was over, I was disappointed by the fact that all I had to show for it was my Iphone pics and some Snaps. Considering the size of the event, how much money I spent and the amount of time and effort put into the evening, I really wanted to be able to wake up over the course of the weekend and have the option of looking through some online album with the hopes of finding a photo of myself. Call me bougie, but a lady was trying to have high society moment!

But alas, this is Boston - a city where our community is largely ignored, but in this case, where we don’t even demand the attention. It’s crazy that violence in our communities are always broadcast for the world to see, but here, in this instance, 3,000 beautiful black people in their best threads gathered together and shared nothing less than good vibes all night! I had so many questions; like where was the media? How come Channel 7 hadn’t pulled up to get some b-roll for the eleven o’clock news? Where was the mayor or at the very least the city council (and not just the black ones either)? It felt like everybody and their mother showed up but nobody cared.

It was that day, I decided that Black Boston would have a presence and a voice. I’d create a space that would be for us and about us. A one stop shop for all things pertaining to us in Boston; that was over two years ago, and I’m still building that dream. In the meantime, here are some of my suggestions to the folks who put this event on every year:

Hire multiple event photographers and post these photos in a central location ASAP! Name the last event you went to that didn’t invest in a photographer to document the night? I’ll wait.
Let us know what we’re supporting. If I’m not mistaken, I believe one of the organizations that hosts the gala does host a scholarship award ceremony earlier in the evening, but that information is not verified. If there is a larger overall goal to the evening, that’s pretty dope and I’d want to know. Just saying.
Can we get an official hashtag?! Social media is an amazing tool in that using a hashtag can help with marketing efforts while also making it easy for people like me to find content related to the gala. When you leave people to their own devices, it’s usually not a good thing.
Speaking of marketing - why isn’t this event marketed better? You’d be surprised how many people have discovered the gala by word of mouth; and although this could be considered a good thing, it doesn’t make sense considering how long this event has been running and how small this city really is. Better marketing will keep people coming back for the experience, while attracting new attendees every year. I’m not going to lie but my timeline was a little dry this year, and there were plenty of folks I expected to attend but did not. It leads me to question the numbers.
Where is the media representation? Granted I created Boston Come Through to be able to fill the gap of positive media coverage in our community, but I would still like to see the Ebony Gala make the 11 o’clock news, or a write up in the Boston Globe or even a mention in the Improper Bostonian. This is the one night we all come out - the educators, the artists, the business owners, the influencers, etc. - so we need to call attention to that!
Lastly, can y’all let Mayor Walsh know his attendance is expected next year?!

Whether or not any of these changes are implemented next year, I plan to be in attendance. I had a lot of fun when I went in 2015, and to be honest, it’s the one night of the year to show out. It’s my personal opinion that Boston can be super cliquey and a city where people rarely traverse different circles; however, the Ebony Winter Gala is probably the only event where all those circles and people collide. If you’ve never gone, I definitely recommend that you do. I mean, it is a Black Boston rite of passage.

XOXO

Genevieve Angelique

P.S. -See below for some looks from this year’s Ebony Winter Gala! Thank you to everyone who agreed to let me use their photos!

Pictured: Shawniece & Jepthe from Married at First Sight came through! — **Pictured: Shawniece & Jepthe from *Married at First Sight* came through!**

Shawneice’s Outfit Details: Hair/wig by Jon Renau, Dress by Missguided, Shoes: DSW, Fur shawl: Amazon & Earnings: H&M

Jepthe’s Outfit Details: Suit, Shirt & Tie by Express, Socks: Miltons & Shoes: Steve Madden at Macy’s

Pictured: @taylorlarainee & @adena_j — **Pictured:** **@taylorlarainee** & **@adena_j**

**Pictured: Felicia Okonkwo (L) & Laura Onyeneho**

“I attended the 2018 Ebony Gala, the last time I attended was about 4 yrs ago and 2 yrs prior that. It was a great Prom night for people of color. Everyone looked amazing and beautiful. It was at the Hynes convention, a very big venue might I say. I probably missed alot of more people that even,because of how huge it was and all the people that attended. I am in the blue dress with a few friends. My outfit was from Macy's and shoes from DSW. Overall,it was a great night to be dolled up and see new and old faces.” - Felicia

**Pictured: Felicia okonkwo (L) & Friend**

Pictured: Chris Wiley / IG: @chriswileythepoet / Facebook: Chris Wiley — **Pictured: Chris Wiley / IG:** **@chriswileythepoet** **/ Facebook: Chris Wiley**

“This is my second time attending the Ebony Gala. I was first introduced in 2017 by a fellow friend that is an ARCHITECT. I reside in Dayton, Ohio and yes I fly all the way out here just for the Gala. The 30th anniversary (2017) edition was such an amazing experience I had to return! I’ve never attended a Gala that was this large and diverse. I was thoroughly impressed with how polished everyone looked and how well everything was put together. Food was delicious, DJ’s were really good, and the variety of different ballrooms is a really nice surprise, as it helps you stand in an atmosphere you feel most comfortable in. As a small business owner (contractor) I was able to make some great connections and build new relationships in Boston, Massachusetts. This event is definitely something to look forward to attending every year As it highlights some of the city’s best business professionals.” - Chris Wiley

**Pictured: Lex Bastien of Beauty Lounge by Lex**

Pictured: JP Booker / IG: @the_difference378 — **Pictured: JP Booker / IG:** **@the_difference378**

“I am wearing a fashion nova dress -Glam on a budget lol! I was introduced to The Ebony Winter Gala back in 2012 and I had the time of my life so much so I’ve been coming back pretty much every yr since and bringing new people with me every time.” - JP Booker

**Pictured: Tiffany Ellis Niles (L) & Dana Benton-Johnson**

“I wore Kennedi Koture (IG: @KennediKoture) at the Ebony Gala this weekend. I think the event was great. Everyone looked divine and the energy was amazing.” - Jessica Thomas