GRIOT Circle, Inc.

12/11/2025

12/10/2025

Holiday Bookmark Art Project
Join us for a holiday bookmark making art project. Create your own personal bookmark that can be given to loved ones during this holiday season!
Date: Thursday, December 11th
Time: 1:30PM - 3:00PM
Location: 25 Flatbush Ave, 3rd Floor
Please email Melissa Parke, melissa@griotcircle.org to RSVP

12/04/2025

GRIOT Circle is thrilled to announce the appointment of two dynamic new leaders to our Board of Directors: Kalima McKenzie-Simms and Arthur Fitting.
Together, their passion and experience will help guide GRIOT as we continue to expand our reach and support for LGBTQ+ elders of color. Welcome to the family!"

Short bio- Kalima joins the GRIOT Circle Board as a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, bringing a deep commitment to safety and inclusion across the lifespan. Currently serving as the Manager of LGBTQ Programs at the NYC Department of Education, Kalima works to ensure that all students—regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—feel seen, safe, and supported.
Her advocacy is rooted in her own coming-out journey. Prior to her role at the DOE, she spent eight years at PFLAG NYC, where she educated school communities and provided vital support to families navigating their own acceptance journeys. Her leadership has been widely recognized; she was honored in GO Magazine’s '100 Women We Love' Class of 2021 and named one of Business Equality Magazine’s '40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40' in 2020

Arthur joins the GRIOT Circle Board of Directors bringing over 25 years of expertise in healthcare and a deep commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Arthur has dedicated his career to addressing healthcare disparities, beginning as a frontline nurse in NYC during the height of the AIDS crisis. He is a recognized expert in gender-affirming home healthcare and integrating culturally sensitive practices into senior care.

Arthur is no stranger to the GRIOT family; his appointment to the Board follows an eight-year partnership with the organization. As a strategic ally, he was instrumental in establishing a bridge between GRIOT and Visiting Nurses of NY (VNSNY), providing critical health-focused programming for members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Arthur helped build essential mental health support services for the GRIOT community. Most recently, his collaboration on surveys regarding older adults of color directly impacted and help shape GRIOT’s Senior Initiative with a renewed focus on mental health support and advocacy.

He joins the Board with a focus on strengthening our policies, bringing fresh perspectives to senior care, and securing new resources to keep our programs thriving.

12/03/2025

We are thrilled to be offering a decorating class at 25 Flatbush! Our wonderful volunteer and facilitator, Alfonso Suarez, will be helping us make 25 Flatbush Ave feel like home.
Join us every Monday from 11:00 AM–12:30 PM to decorate our space, learn about interior design, and much more!
If you’re interested, please contact our Program Assistant, Melissa Parke.

12/01/2025

Today, on World AIDS Day, we pause to remember. As GRIOTs, we are the keepers of our community’s history. We carry the stories of the friends, partners, and chosen family we lost too soon. But we also carry a powerful testimony of survival.

LGBTQ+ elders of color have been at the forefront of this fight for over four decades. We faced the disruption of the epidemic with resilience, building networks of care when the world looked away.

The theme for 2025 is "Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response." For us, transformation means ensuring our elders are not just surviving, but thriving. It means fighting the stigma that still exists and ensuring equitable healthcare for our aging community.

We honor the legacy of those who fought for us to be here today. We commit to continuing the work until the epidemic is ended for good.

12/01/2025

🎉✨ Harlem, the countdown is officially ON — just ONE WEEK until our Holiday Party and Fundraiser! ✨🎉

Get ready for a night full of joy, celebration, and holiday cheer at on December 5.

We’re celebrating the season and showing up for Harlem LGBTQ youth — and your early RSVP and donation help us make an even bigger difference before the year wraps up.

Expect a festive night packed with:
🎁 Raffles and surprise giveaways
👚 Ugly sweater and holiday hat contests
🎶 Live performances from
🍸 Great food and drinks all evening

Entry is free with a household product donation or $10 at the door, but don’t wait — secure your spot and donate today at HarlemPride.org

Let’s make this a holiday celebration to remember! 🌈🎄

12/01/2025

GRIOT Circle is participating in this year's Brooklyn Gives Campaign, and I’m writing to personally ask for your support. This year’s campaign is especially meaningful because GRIOT has moved into a permanent home at 25 Flatbush Avenue. It is the first space in Brooklyn dedicated to LGBTQ elders of color, a place to find connection, safety, wellness, and community.

Your gift to Brooklyn Gives will directly support our seniors through wellness programs, peer-led support groups, counseling, advocacy workshops, and daily check-ins that reduce isolation. Every contribution strengthens this new home and makes it possible for elders to be seen, heard, and supported.

If you recently supported us through our 29th Anniversary Celebration or in other ways, thank you.

We invite you to take one more step by becoming a fundraiser and sharing our Brooklyn Gives page with your network. The platform includes easy templates, so you can create a fundraising page in just a few minutes and personalize your message.

I’m happy to walk you through it. A few shares can go a long way in reaching people who care about Brooklyn’s elders.

Please take a moment today to give to our Brooklyn Gives page and share it with someone who cares about Brooklyn’s LGBTQ+ elders.

GIVE TODAY!
https://bkgives.brooklyn.org/organizations/griot-circle

11/21/2025

Thank you to all who attended and supported GRIOT Circle's 29th Anniversary Celebration and Reception.

The evening was truly special. It was an atmosphere filled with joy, pride, and community.
As we came together, we celebrated three extraordinary honorees who truly represent GRIOT Circle's mission of advocating for LGBTQ elders of color, City Council Member Crystal Hudson, Kenrick Ross and Imani Rashid.

And the night was made more special by emcee Ty Milburn and especially by Lavender Light Gospel Choir who raised the roof and got everyone out their seats!

A special thank you to the GRIOT staff who in addition to providing support to our members, rolled up their sleeves to make this a special day. In particular a huge thank you to Development Manager Germono Toussaint who literally made wine out of water as he helped secured a great space, designed the space and established relationships with the entertainment and the host of the evening!

Please enjoy the pictures from the magical day!
To view the entire collection please use the link below.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zpZte5k6XtmCqcAu7

Thank you again for being part of the GRIOT Circle family. We are deeply grateful to have you in our community.

11/20/2025

This is such a great reel from Kendrick Ross and Brooklyn Community Pride Center who were privileged to honor at our 29th Anniversary Celebration and Reception!
We are all Brooklyn strong together!

11/20/2025

We Need Your Voice
Today is the start of Out: The Community Survey!

This Survey is asking for the voices of LGBTQIA+ Community to share their experiences in order to capture community changes in this historic moment. Answers to the survey will directly help inform our next steps in advocacy.

Our community needs your voice; by sharing your experiences you will improve things for all of us in the future!

11/05/2025

The clock is ticking! This is the FINAL WEEK to secure your spot at GRIOT Circle's 29th Anniversary and Celebration
Join our celebration
Tuesday, November 11th
6 PM - 8:30 pm
The Loft Brooklyn- 345 Adams St.

This celebration is more than a party—it's a critical fundraiser. Your support directly funds the affirming services (meals, case management, peer support) that combat hunger and isolation among our LGBTQ elders of color. We must not take their well-being for granted.
Don't miss this evening of resilience and connection. See the impact we're making and help us continue our vital work!
Purchase Tickets or Donate Here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E349768&id=12&formid=125&Preview=true