BLQ Medium Present
A Cultural Salon Experience
An Event Series Reshaping Indianapolis and Central Indiana
What is a Cultural Salon?
As Founder and CEO of BLQ Medium, I see the salon as more than a gathering; it is a space where culture, creativity, and community come together. While the salon tradition emerged from 17th-century European intellectual movements, Black Americans have long created their own salon spaces through churches, barbershops, living rooms, cultural centers, and community gatherings where ideas are exchanged, culture is preserved, and movements for social change are born. Through BLQ Medium's Cultural Salon Experiences, we are reimagining this tradition for Indianapolis and Central Indiana by creating intentional spaces for dialogue, artistic expression, cultural preservation, and authentic community connection.
Join us for an evening of film, conversation, and community as award-winning filmmaker Michael Rice presents his acclaimed documentary, Black As U R.
BLACK AS U R A Cultural Salon Experience
BLACK AS U R poses to Black America a highly confrontational and much avoided question. Why do we as a people protest against racial injustice, but disregard the injustices experienced by black queer people? After all, we are just as black as you are. In this incendiary documentary, filmmaker Micheal Rice takes the audience on a journey through the homophobia that characterizes many black spaces, both contemporarily and via an autobiographical look into his
own upbringing in the south. BLACK AS U R is the first step in confronting the African American community about queerphobia, via the sharing stories of queer black people
Micheal Rice Bio
Michael Rice is a filmmaker, producer, choreographer and creative director for stand and film. His uncompromising Vision is to bring the stories and art of LGBTQ Communities of Color to the forefront of society. Rice has over 15 years’ experience working across multiple platforms. From television to regional theater. Rice has worked with a slew of different production houses, agencies and noted artists in his career such as IMG, WME, Big Fish Entertainment, Chadwick Boseman, Jnaet Hubert, Composer Bill Lee and Theatre Guru Woodie King Jr.
Rice’s New Documentary Black As U R has already received global notoriety for bringing matters of Black Trans issues, self - affirmation and highlighting the subject of homophobia in Black spaces. Black As U R has toured in such countries as the UK, Portugal, Germany, Canada, Italy, and the United States. Making History as the Inaugural Winner of the “Out In the SiIence Award from the largest LGBTQ film festival in the world, Frameline in 2022. Micheal’s work is a fusion of Art. Love. Reflection and Activism from behind and in front of the lens.
Noted Awards
- Mayoral Award for excellence in Film: City of Baltimore
- Panavision Award: Outstanding Feature Film
- Micheaux Film Festival Award: Outstanding Documentary
- Columbus Black International Film Festival Award: Best Feature Film
- Agliff Award: Prism35
Jazzy Connections
A SALON EXPERIENCE: JAZZY CONNECTIONS
BLACK AS U R poses to Black America a highly confrontational and much avoided question. Why do we as a people protest against racial injustice, but disregard the injustices experienced by black queer people? After all, we are just as black as you are. In this incendiary documentary, filmmaker Micheal Rice takes the audience on a journey through the homophobia that characterizes many black spaces, both contemporarily and via an autobiographical look into his
own upbringing in the south. BLACK AS U R is the first step in confronting the African American community about queerphobia, via the sharing stories of queer black people
Coming Soon
What is a Cultural Salon?
As Founder and CEO of BLQ Medium, I see the salon as more than a gathering; it is a space where culture, creativity, and community come together. While the salon tradition emerged from 17th-century European intellectual movements, Black Americans have long created their own salon spaces through churches, barbershops, living rooms, cultural centers, and community gatherings where ideas are exchanged, culture is preserved, and movements for social change are born. Through BLQ Medium's Cultural Salon Experiences, we are reimagining this tradition for Indianapolis and Central Indiana by creating intentional spaces for dialogue, artistic expression, cultural preservation, and authentic community connection.
Coming Soon
Let’s Create Together
Support BLQ Medium in reshaping Indianapolis and Central Indiana’s artistic landscape. Your donation helps us continue building spaces for creative expression, cultural storytelling, and community-driven artistic growth across the region
Donation Opportunities Available Soon