Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Washington Blade - July 7, 2006
Greg Marzullo
This year's fundraising event is titled "Models of Perfection - Always Tested, Always Aware" and will feature food, drinks, dancing, a runway model fashion show, a performance by local dance company X Faction and a set by singer Rachelle Ferrel, a noted jazz and pop artist.
"We believe in giving back in the African-American community on HIV and AIDS," says Donna Payne, the associate director of diversity for HRC and a co-chair of the White Attire Affair.
Organizers are expecting 2,000 attendees this year, which is up from last year's number of 1,500. The beneficiary is the Whitman-Walker Clinic's Southeast location, the Max Robinson center.
The organization's minimum goal is to raise $10,000, which is the average of what they've raised annually during the previous five years.
The annual party was created by the Ummah Endowment Fund, a local HIV/AIDS prevention and education program focusing on the disease's effect on black communities, and it's through this organization that Derrick Brown, one of the founders of X Faction, got involved with the event four years ago.
Each year his company's dance performance has reflected the chosen themes and creates a story about the travails and triumphs of an individual or group. This year, though, it's taking a notably lighter tone.
"It's all about being fabulous and enjoying life," says Brown. The company is using Dorothy's arrival in Emerald City from "The Wiz," the soulful musical-theatre adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz," as the colorful outline for their performance.
WHILE THE celebration is important, HIV/AIDS education and fundraising are some of the main reasons for the White Attire Affair, says James Hawkins, the party's other co-chair who is also vice president of D.C.'s Black Pride.
"The event is primarily put together not only to educate people about HIV/AIDS and getting tested, it's also to bring together family and friends and co-workers to celebrate the art of giving," Hawkins says.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, African Americans accounted for 49 percent of the newly diagnosed U.S. AIDS cases in 2004. In 2002, HIV/AIDS was among the top three causes of death among black men between 25 and 54, and the disease was among the top four causes of death among black women of the same age group.
Payne says the alarming increase of HIV-infection among blacks is what led her to become involved with the White Attire Affair.
"As an African-American lesbian, there comes a time in your life that you have to give to your community," Payne says. "You cannot wait for everybody else to take care of your people."
For a $65 general admission ticket, guests have access to the main event and dance party, a pared down open bar (a full cash bar is available throughout the night) and hors d'oeuvres. The $100 VIP ticket adds seating to the concert and runway show, plus a VIP-only nightclub event. At the top of the line is the $200 Friend of Ummah ticket, which allows you to meet the entertainment, sit in an exclusive viewing area for the show, eat a full buffet meal, receive a gift bag and have access to a private lounge hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the event's sponsors.
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