Joseph (Joe) Fairchild Beam graduated from Franklin College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Originally from Philadelphia, Beam participated in the Black Student Union (BSU), submitted work to the Apogee (literary magazine), and worked with the College's WFCI radio station. Joe was awarded the Omega Psi Phi's Award for Broadcasting in 1974 and the Berta D. Knobe '91 Prize for Photography in 1976.
Upon graduation, Joe enrolled in a Master of Communication program in Iowa and returned to Philadelphia in 1979 to work at an independent gay and lesbian bookstore, Giovanni's Room. His writing has been published in several newspapers, such as the Philadephia Gay News, and self-authored anthologies, such as In the Life. Influenced by the work of Audre Lorde, Beam advocated for Black gay men and the wellness of marginalized communities and prisoners.
He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1988. His mother, Dorothy Beam, donated his papers to the New York Public Library; they reside at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. BEAM: Black Emotional And Mental Health Community was founded in Beam's name in 2015 by Yolo Akili Robinson.
Published in March of 1975, "Spirit of the Azure Sky!" was written by then-junior, undergraduate Joe Beam for inclusion in the Engish Department's Apogee.
Joseph Beam is the subject of chapter six in this ebook which recounts the lives of black gay men from the 1950s - 1990s.
This eBook is available to all FC students, faculty, and staff,...
This article is about the unpublished letters of Joseph Beam. It primarily focuses on Beam's correspondence with Kenyatta Ombaka Baki, prisoner and pen pal.
This article is available through subscription to all FC students,...
Joseph Beam is described as an activist on this page shared by A Project of Equality Forum for LGBT History Month in 2013 Information about his education, his writing, and his activism are shared.
BEAM: Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective is a nonprofit organization that provides training, grant funding, education, and resources for the "healing, wellness, and liberation of Black and marginalized communities."...
