Movers & Shakers: Reasons To Be Proud
Melonie and Melorra Green have been named the public poll choice for this year’s Pride community grand marshals. The 43-year-old twins and queer women run the African American Art and Culture Complex in the Western Addition, and have become staples and mentors in San Francisco’s arts scene for their work uplifting the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. Originally from Memphis, Melonie and Melorra have lived in the City for two decades and have produced over 80 exhibitions — they’ve also never been separated for more than two and a half weeks in their entire lives. Melorra is the co-curator of the show The Black Woman is God, which was a standout at the AAACC and SOMArts; and together, they curated Don’t Shoot: An Opus of the Opulence of Blackness for the Museum of the African Diaspora. Of their recent honor, Melorra notes, “San Francisco Pride has been a destination for people all over the world. But when they show up, what did they see? What did they feel? It has not always felt like a space for people of color or a safe space for Black people. We want to bring out the message of LGBTQ pride and equity, reminding everyone that the mission is not complete and needs to pivot.”
SOURCE
Nob Hill Gazette, 6/1/21.