FIT Presents: WE CALL IT BALLROOM

Thursday, June 25 · 6–7:30 pm

Bob Fisch Presentation Hall

Fashion Institute of Technology

Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month with fellow FIT alumni! Join us for an evening of ballroom culture, spotlighting its vibrant influence on today's world. The event begins with an exclusive screening of the visual album We Call It Ballroom (2025), followed by a conversation with filmmaker Odu Adamu and co-producer Michael Roberson. Roberson will also sign copies of his book, Ballroom: A History, a Movement, a Celebration, which will be available for purchase.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Created by Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ artists, performers, and community members, ballroom culture has roots in the Harlem Renaissance and expands far beyond its depiction in the media, music, and pop culture. Rooted in FIT's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and creative innovation, this special event offers historical context and contemporary perspectives on the legacy and ongoing evolution of the ballroom and the global house scene.

Odu Adamu is an award-winning Brooklyn-based Creator who marries words and visual presentation to express his vision.  His work is dedicated to sharing the authentic stories of Black LGBTQ/SGL people, and exploring the issues that impact our communities, and his films have been screened on three continents. Odu is the 2022 recipient of Inside Out Film Festival’s Pitch Please award (co-sponsored by Netflix), and a 2022 Queer Black Voices Fund grantee. In addition to his film work, Odu has served as a theatrical artistic director, and is also a published writer. 

Odu maintains a strong connection to community.  He is the founder and curator of GOT TO BE REEL, a nonprofit project that brings Black queer film into community spaces. Odu also mentors with a Brooklyn-based career development program for youth filmmakers.  And as a Musagetes Foundation Artist Fellow, Odu leads an initiative focused on developing a cross-border Black queer filmmakers collective.

Michael Roberson is a multifaceted figure in the LGBTQ+ community, serving as a theologian, public health practitioner, activist, artist, and cultural leader. He holds academic positions at C-RRED, The New School University, and Union Theological Seminary in NYC. Roberson is deeply involved in the House Ball Community, having founded four major houses and co-founded The Ballroom Freedom School. He co-conceptualized the House Lives Matters National Leadership Initiative and edits the "Arts Everywhere/Ballroom Freedom School" publication. His influence extends to mainstream media, having worked as a cultural consultant for the FX series Pose. Roberson's work focuses on uplifting Black/Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals through various platforms and initiatives.