CoBE - The Pines’ Committee on Black Equality
Join us in celebrating diversity and promoting inclusiveness in our community with the Pines' Committee on Black Equality (CoBE)
Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people were freed on June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law. While considered the longest-running African-American holiday, it was not designated a national holiday until 2021, the first legally observed holiday to be added since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Created to advise FIPPOA on ways to foster greater inclusiveness in the Pines, CoBE is taking the lead on some exciting initiatives. In 2021, they planned the first-ever Juneteenth weekend celebration in the Pines, part of FIPPOA's commitment to celebrating diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
By working together, we can create a more welcoming and inclusive community for all. Whether you're interested in joining CoBE or simply want to get involved in promoting equality and justice in our community, we invite you to join us in this important work.
Committee on Black Equality (CoBE):
Charles Montorio-Archer and Seneca Mudd (Co-Chairs), Kyetay Beckner, Angelo DeSanto, Doug Harris, Harry Hayes, Antonio Haynes, Victor Jeffreys II, Noel Kimon, Crayton Robey, Henry Robin, Robin Scott
JUNETEENTH: Boots on the Ground
Days of Reflection, Celebration and Resistance
FIPPOA, the Pines Committee on Black Equality (CoBE), and BOFFO present
JUNETEENTH: Boots on the Ground - Days of Reflection, Celebration and Resistance
Fire Island Pines | June 19 – 22, 2025
Fire Island Pines comes alive with a powerful weekend of art, music, movement, and memory, set against the vibrant backdrop of Juneteenth and Pride. “Boots on the Ground” is more than a phrase—it’s a call to presence; A Celebration of Black Queer Joy; and a commitment to the ongoing fight for freedom, equity, and truth.
Inspired by the beat of “I Got My Boots on the Ground”—an anthem pulsing through Black gatherings—this theme bridges generations of expression, from Tea Dance to line dances to the front lines, from joy to justice.
It is, too, a quiet call to arms. As we honor the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, we also celebrate LGBTQ+ pride—standing firm, standing proud, and standing together.
You’re invited! Come join us for these exciting events:
THURSDAY, JUNE 19th | 5–7 PM
BLACK PINES
Carrington House
BOFFO is proud to present BLACK PINES, the debut solo exhibition by multimedia artist Moses Leonardo. Through intimate, layered works, Leonardo explores race, gender, and spirit, creating a bold and thought-provoking visual experience.
Free | RSVP at www.boffo.art
Exhibit on view through Sunday, June 22
SATURDAY, JUNE 21st | 1–5 PM
CELEBRATION
225 Bay Walk
Celebrate community, Juneteenth, and Pride as BOFFO’s visionary Artist-in-Residence, Texas Isaiah, unveils bold new work. Then slip into a poolside conversation with the magnetic Raquel Willis, presented in collaboration with the American LGBTQ+ Museum. Stay for the Juneteenth vibes—soulful bites by Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too, co-founded by fashion and culinary icon Norma Jean Darden and red sips plus a signature Juneteenth cocktail crafted by Den of Thieves Whiskey.
Free | RSVP a www.BOFFO.art
SUNDAY, JUNE 22nd | 11 AM-Noon
SALON CONVERSATION
Radical Joy & Resistance: Defending Our Rights, Remembering Our Power
Whyte Hall
In a time when DEI, worker protections, healthcare access, and LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, how do we reclaim joy as an act of resistance while defending our rights? As part of the CoBE Juneteenth celebration weekend, this salon conversation will explore the intersection of racial justice, economic equity, and civil rights, centering Black queer voices in the fight for community empowerment. Dive into a powerful conversation moderated by changemaker Emil Wilbekin, founder of Native Son, as he leads a truth-telling discussion on the moment we’re living in and the future we’re shaping with media thought leaders:
Keith Boykin, MSNBC Contributor and Author
Richard Fowler, Fox News and Forbes Contributor
Eugene Scott, Journalist
Tem Aganga-Wiiliams, Esq., MSNBC Contributor
SUNDAY, JUNE 22nd | 3–6 PM
BOFFO SUNDAY SOUNDS: JUNETEENTH & PRIDE EXPRESSION
The Beach at Susan Walk | RSVP at www.boffo.art
Close out the weekend with a splash on the beach, featuring Battygyal’s high-energy beats, special guests - A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham dancers, and Sweet Tea sips from The Naughty Pine. This is not a performance—it’s an invitation for community and artists to celebrate FREEDOM, JUNETEENTH, and PRIDE as we dance through the sand, creating a canvas of joy, resistance, and reverence.
Get Up Outta Your Seat. Let Your Body Move.
Admission to each of these events is free and open to all.
Previous Events
Soul Train Elixir (2024)
Denizen is thrilled to announce the first of its Elixr celebrations for the 2024 season. On Friday, June 14th, we'll be hosting an extra special Juneteenth edition in collaboration with our friends at COBE (FIPPOA Committee on Black Equality).
It will be part retro, part futuristic, all fun, and run from 6-10 PM, featuring our dear friend, the inimitable DJ Stiletto.
Entry is open to all. Bring your phone for direct QR code donations to Black-led and Black-benefiting social change organizations.
The theme for this Juneteenth Elixr is Soul Train, celebrating the singular cultural phenomenon that created a space for Black Americans to celebrate and broadcast a unique identity through fashion, dance, music, and joy within the civil rights movement.
Stay tuned for more information and inspiration!
Broadway Inspiration Voices (2023)
For the third year in a row, FIPPOA’s Committee on Black Equality (CoBE) has planned a weekend of exciting events.
On Saturday, June 17th, FIPAP and CoBE are jointly presenting “Broadway Inspiration Voices,” a diverse community of Broadway artists united to change lives through music and service.
Come experience the Grammy® nominated and Tony® Honors award winning Broadway Inspirational Voices as they take you through a musical journey of Black influence through the lens of Gospel music, show tunes, and the music we hear everyday!
How to: You – A Musical Guide to Black Boyhood (2022)
Starting on June 16th and running all the way through the 30th, CoBE – in conjunction with Denizen - will sponsor the Juneteenth MakersFaire, a marketplace event to showcase the creative output of Black Queer designers working in design fields of apparel, accessories, object d’art, and visual art. The designers’ creations will be available for purchase at Denizen throughout the showcase’s run. Go to @DenizenFireIsland on Instagram for availability and trunk show dates.
On Saturday, June 18th FIPAP and CoBE will jointly present an intimate discussion about race, humanity and hope for the future with the writer and composer Joriah Kwamé and musical director Kimille Howard. Come here excerpts from their important new musical: “How to: You – A Musical Guide to Black Boyhood.” Cocktails 5PM with 6PM discussion at Whyte Hall. Tickets are free but must be reserved at FIPAP.org. In addition to CoBE and FIPAP’s sponsorship, this program is presented in association with Straighten Your Crown Productions and BOFFO. How fabulous to have so many Pines organizations behind a single Juneteenth celebration event! Run, don’t walk to reserve your free tickets!
JuneTEA & “How White Privilege Can Be Used To Advance Diversity Equity And Inclusion” (2021)
This year – for the first time the Pines will proudly celebrate Juneteenth!
The Black and Brown Equity Coalition (BaBEC) in the Grove is presenting a full weekend of activities. FIPPOA’s Committee on Black Equality (CoBE) is honored and proud to be a coalition partner.
In addition to three JuneTEA events at the Blue Whale, the Pines will be hosting a salon-style conversation entitled, “How White Privilege Can Be Used To Advance Diversity Equity And Inclusion” at Whyte Hall on Sunday, June 20th at 11 AM.