Born out of BLACK, GAY, stuck at home (BGSAH), a community-driven initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic by Michael Ward and Joshua Henry Jenkins, Foreground (by way of BGSAH) creates regular space for community to connect around film, television, and theatre. The program’s inaugural screening of Punks by Patrik-Ian Polk gathered over 500 registrants, solidifying the hunger for spaces dedicated to Black LGBTQIA+ storytelling.

Since its inception, Foreground has hosted over 100 screenings featuring a wide range of Black LGBTQIA+ films, television, and theatre. We have welcomed distinguished guests such as filmmakers Patrik-Ian Polk, Micheal Rice, and Stephen Winter, theatremakers James Ijames and Djola Branner, performers Eva Reign, Darryl Stephens, and Rodney Chester, and cultural icons like Vanessa L. Williams, Jamal Sims, and Jazzmun.

Foreground’s programming continues to introduce audiences to new works, re-introduce often forgotten or underappreciated works, foster dialogue, and address community challenges.

What started as a response to isolation evolved into a larger mission: to preserve, amplify, and sustain Black LGBTQIA+ stories and support the next generations of storytellers.