Coming Together in Community

The Southern Unity Movement  of Atlanta GA, organizers of the Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast, a long-standing Atlanta based Black ALGBTQ advocacy organization, is saddened by the recent loss of Maurice Jamal. 

A pioneering trailblazer and multi-hyphenate creative artist, Jamal broke barriers with his art. His portrayal of authentic and diverse Black and Black gay characters, and his approach to Black and Black gay storytelling, humanized the Black and Black gay experience at an important time.  Because of him, and many others that followed, he reminded us that we were never meant to be relegated to the shadows. 

“I recall meeting Jamal for the first time He was so exciting and excited that his film, Ski Trip was being featured during Black Gay Pride in Atlanta. His energy and positivity was so encouraging. I thanked him for following his dreams. Now he sits with the ancestors. You did good Jamal  aka “ Mo”.

R. Darlene Hudson 

An actor, writer, spoken word artist, producer, and director, many came to know his name following the release of his widely beloved and critically acclaimed movie, "Dirty Laundry," which starred actresses Jenifer Lewis and Loretta Divine, Terry Vaughan and Rockman Dunbar. But he was also responsible for the 2004 cult classic, Ski Trip, in which he also starred. He also wrote for shows including the Dave Chapelle Show, and established GLO TV, an urban LGBT online television network he led for several years. 

We celebrate Jamal for his courage, creativity, commitment to himself and the Black LGBTQ community, and his legacy and life’s work. We also send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and cherished loved ones as they remember and reflect.