Individual | Inducted 2025
Adam L. McMath is a filmmaker, committed activist, and dynamic community organizer. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, he moved to Chicago in 2000 to study film, video, and theater at Columbia College Chicago. This interdisciplinary foundation sharpened his storytelling instincts and deepened his commitment to using the arts as a tool for cultural transformation and community healing.
McMath’s filmmaking is rooted in truth-telling, visibility, and a deep love for Black queer expression. In 2013, he directed “Miss UnderSTUD,” an acclaimed documentary exploring the lives of masculine-presenting lesbians in Chicago. He also directed a documentary on soul artist Marshall Titus, an openly gay “Star Search” runner-up whose four-decade career has earned international acclaim. McMath also served as Titus’s manager and supported several other independent artists, building platforms for Black LGBTQ+ creatives to thrive.
McMath’s music videos have aired on MTV and Logo and played in nightclubs worldwide. He has worked with homo hip-hop pioneer Tori Fixx and drag icon Cyon Flare, pushing queer artistry to the forefront of both underground and mainstream culture.
In 2014, he joined Black Alphabet NFP, an arts and media nonprofit serving the Black LGBTQ+ community, and in 2018 became its president and executive director. Under his leadership, Black Alphabet evolved beyond a film festival into a national arts and wellness institution. McMath expanded programming to include healing arts, free art therapy, and other creative mental health services. McMath also co-founded the Jamii Center for Arts and Media, a cultural hub partially funded by the City of Chicago. Operated by Black Alphabet, the center serves as a creative sanctuary for Chicago’s Black LGBTQ+ community and allies, offering year-round access to art, wellness, and liberation-focused programming.
Under McMath’s leadership, Black Alphabet has become a national and global brand, with initiatives reaching cities across the U.S. and as far as Uganda, where the organization hosted what is believed to be the country’s largest LGBTQ+ event in over 20 years.
Before leading Black Alphabet, Adam co-created Cocktails and Cufflinks, a trailblazing after-work series for Black LGBTQ+ professionals in Chicago, carving out joyful, affirming community spaces.