Input Fort Wayne: Celebrate Black History Month with films and events at Fort Wayne Cinema Center

Celebrate Black History Month with films and events at Fort Wayne Cinema Center

KARA HACKETT | MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023

INPUT Fort Wayne

As a biracial, LGBTQ-identifying resident of Fort Wayne, Cambry Hicks, 25, didn't always see himself in his community growing up.

That's part of the reason why, after graduating from South Side High School, he was eager to spend more time in New York City and work in fashion. While there, he interned at Hearst Media and got the opportunity to work with the Italian luxury fashion house Fendi during their ‘F is for Fendi’ campaign in 2017.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hicks returned to Fort Wayne, getting an apartment of his own Downtown, and he found the city changing in ways he could identify with---and wanted to be a part of.

"I would say even five or six years ago, we didn't have as many resources and things as we have now in Fort Wayne---not only for People of Color, but also for queer and trans people," Hicks says. "Fort Wayne is growing in a lot of exciting ways."

As Senior Curator at Cinema Center today, Hicks doesn't necessarily consider himself a film buff. But he's passionate about the arts and eager to help Fort Wayne realize the potential of its art house theater Downtown with fresh events that bring the space to life.

This year, for Black History Month, he has a calendar of films and events designed to illuminate a few of the many often-overlooked elements of the Black experience. He wants to elevate other Black voices and filmmakers who can bring these experiences to light.

"As a biracial person, Black and white, I always identify as 'biracial' for the simple fact that being a biracial person doesn't necessarily negate your Black experience, but also, you navigate it differently because you are sometimes more accepted in spaces, or you are looked at as 'the token Black person,'" Hicks says. "I try to check my privilege at the door. My goal is to always highlight Black voices and people who may not necessarily have a platform."