Whitney Jones is the founding father of Gradual Drag, an occasion she curates yearly. She wished a spot that might cater to her wants, so she created one. She quickly came upon that others had been craving an analogous house and shortly she began throwing Gradual Drag occasions across the metropolis of Atlanta and even hosted her first one in New Orleans. Whitney Jones took A Seat At The Desk to inform us all about Gradual Drag and occasion curating.
Black intimacy and cultural preservation, why are these two features essential to you?
As a single Black girl, I believe that it’s actually essential to recenter the conversations about what it means to be a single Black girl, a single Black man. You already know, I believe that there’s numerous dialog taking place on the web the place it looks like there’s numerous aggression and Black of us, you understand, actually being combative with one another. And I wish to see extra of us being comfortable with one another, being susceptible and being intimate. And I believe that there must be areas that cater to these kind of experiences.
Why New Orleans for the primary occasion outdoors of Atlanta?
The primary cause is as a result of that’s my birthplace. So I used to be born in New Orleans. I grew up in Atlanta, however my household is there. My dad is initially from New Orleans, born and raised. So I’m in New Orleans a couple of times instances a 12 months. So I’m there usually, and likewise as a result of gradual drag. The origins of gradual drag of the time period is gradual drag of the dance, gradual drag is definitely born from New Orleans. And so it made sense to when it was time to begin increasing, to take it again to its birthplace. I imply, its birthplace and my birthplace, so New Orleans, and we had been very nicely obtained. I imply, I believe that when we begin to transfer across the nation, it’ll have that very same kind of reception, as a result of Black individuals, truthfully are actually form of craving for areas, for intimacy, to be Black and completely satisfied.
What goes into curating the proper playlist?
Oh, that’s a terrific query. I might say the sentiments. It’s like, it’s how the music makes you are feeling. So like, once I’m placing collectively a playlist for me, like I take into consideration myself because the listener first. I do know that some individuals most likely like to maneuver in a approach of, what do different individuals wish to hear? However for me, I’m going off of my vibes, like, what do I wish to hear? What makes me completely satisfied, what feels good for me? So the very very first thing is determine what my temper is. And so once I create, like, gradual drag playlists, I take into consideration how I wish to really feel once I’m listening to it. They’re so many 70’s gradual jams, you understand, so it’s actually simply form of mining by all of it.