Even before formally joining the staff of Miracle of Love as outreach coordinator, Mulan Montrese Williams was working with Orlando’s Transgender community. She opened her home as a safe-haven to trans sex workers, offering them condoms, bottled water, clothes, and emotional support. She also provided HIV testing after hours for those who could not make regular office hours at Miracle of Love volunteering for the group by providing outreach on the streets and in clubs.
She founded “Divas in Dialogue” a sisterhood for trans women of color empowering, building, and strengthening each other. “Divas in Dialogue” ensures that the transgender community has a seat at the table not just in the Orlando, FL area and nationwide.
She was recently recognized by the McKenzie Project during Women’s History Month as a trailblazer.
She is the outreach coordinator for Miracle of Love an organization founded by Lowell Stafford in 1991 for the distinct purpose of providing accessible HIV/AIDS prevention programming and supportive assistance to service the multicultural needs of communities in Central Florida.

Collections by Michelle brown

Divas in Dialogues' Mulan Rouge Montrese Williams

Eddie S. Pierce Jr. received his Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree from Chicago State University, home of the world-renowned Gwendolyn Brooks Writing Center. Ten years ago he began Rainbow Room Publishing LLC, not just to provide an outlet for his own books, but to provide a voice for the diverse Black literary community.  In addition to producing more titles and pursuing numerous other literary and artistic ventures, Pierce is currently overseeing the company's numerous publishing services and expanding the company's offerings in an effort to provide more opportunities for new authors and professionals in the creative arts.

Collections by Michelle Brown

Soaring High Over the Rainbow: Publisher & Author Eddie S. Pierce Jr

She's an internationally renowned concert pianist, an orchestral conductor, a spoken word artist, award-winning filmmaker, and talk show host and now Nina Gamble Kennedy can add author - Lambda Literary Award-winning author to her list of accomplishments with the publication of her memoir "Practicing for Love: a Memoir."
Born in Nashville, TN, Nina was presented in her first complete piano recital at nine years old. She received her first musical instruction from her parents who were both members of the historic Fisk Jubilee Singers.
After her 1987 New York debut at Lincoln Center, she embarked on her second European tour performing and residing in several European countries. She also served as conducting apprentice with the New York Philharmonic.
Kennedy is the subject of a mini-documentary titled Portrait: An American Concert Pianist, produced for broadcast on PBS. 
In 2006, she directed and produced an award-winning feature-length documentary film about her father who was also a concert pianist and had been a director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
She is the host of The Noshing with Nina Show, broadcast on MNN, BRIC (Brooklyn Information and Culture Network), and Bronx Network which recently won the 2021 B Free Entertaining Award.
In her memoir “Practicing for Love” Nina tells it all - sharing her life as a child prodigy, and musical genius from growing up in Nashville, TN to performing worldwide as a celebrated concert pianist, orchestral conductor, spoken word artist, filmmaker, TV host and more.

Pianist, Film Maker Now Award-winning Author Nina Kennedy

Instead of trying to say it all in one day, leaders from Michigan’s Transgender community and allies decided to host a six-day free online conference.  The hosts of TRANSGENDER DAYS OF EMPOWERMENT will focus on understanding the journey Monday through Friday and on Saturday celebrate a Day of Decision, Declaration, & Doing by taking ownership of our existence and boldly taking one more step forward in our journey of self-actualization and embracing our true selves.
Nyrobi Willow Mbaku is a member of the Transcend the Binary team she serves as Unity, Outreach, and Advocacy Lead. She will not only talk about her experience as an activist/bridge builder but the conference as well.
Transcend the Binary is BY AND FOR TRANS, NONBINARY, GENDER DIVERSE people. The organization believes that every member of our beautifully vibrant community deserves to self-actualize. The trans-led team provides community care and facilitates healing through social connections.

Collections by MIchelle Brown

TGDOE 2021: Six Days of Empowerment

Originally from Detroit, Marlon Brown heard the call to “Go West Young Man” and that’s exactly what he did! Brown and his husband Dani Tirrell left Detroit and settled in Seattle.
Marlon began Bessie’s Cakes named in tribute to his grandmother who was known in her family for making delicious signature cakes, pies, and cobblers. After years of continuing to bake cakes and cobblers for family and friends, Marlon was established Bessie’s Cakes to continue the legacy of Bessie Mae Ingram.
As a certified Equity and Social Justice practitioner, Marlon specializes in leadership coaching, facilitation/training and organizational development with an emphasis on equity and customer service. As a partner at Racial Equity Consultants LLC he creates and advises equity committees/teams and anti-racist curriculum development.

Equity and Social Justice Consultant Marlon Brown

May is Lupus Awareness Month and we are honored to celebrate another Lupus Warrior.
Diagnosed at age 19, Christina Hayes has more than survived her diagnosis but thrived becoming an advocate not only for other Lupus Warriors but for other social justice issues as well. 
Now in her 30's this mother advocates for paid sick leave with the Mothering Justice organization which has allowed her to tell her story of navigating employment while dealing with Lupus.
She founded "The Christina Project" to provide inspiration, comfort and care to patients with Lupus and Lupus related conditions that are hospitalized and their families. Love and support during hospital stays are imperative for healing and recovery which brighten the lives of the Lupus Warriors and their family.  
She is also active in and a big supporter of Lupus Detroit - A nonprofit dedicated to eliminating lupus as a health problem through advocacy & service - attending monthly support groups, the annual gala, and annual Lupus Walk. She is another amazing LUPUS WARRIOR

Christina Hayes Lupus Warrior

Pride in the Pews is reimagining what inclusion looks like in Black churches. Launched in 2020 by Pastor Don Abram, Pride in the Pews collects and shares stories of LGBTQ+ people in the Black Church and includes a group of eight historically Black religious denominations and other Christian groups that primarily minister to African Americans. 
Our guest Calvin Taylor Director of Partnerships and Program of Pride in the Pews, leads workshops in activities about statistics of LGBTQ+ members in Black churches. 
The organization will be recognized at this year’s Esteem Awards in Chicago.

Pride In The Pews 2023

It’s time for the annual Esteem Awards taking place Saturday July 1st at the Sidetrack Video Bar in Chicago at 3349 N. Halstead Street!
The FREE, yes free, event recognizes individuals, organizations and institutions doing great work in the African American LGBTQIA community that often go unrecognized. Honorees come from the Chicago area as well as nationally.
The 16th annual celebration takes place during Chicago’s Black Gay Pride weekend. Besides celebrating the honorees, guests will be entertained by local entertainers, have great refreshments and the opportunity to participate in raffles with beautiful, handcrafted gift baskets. And it is all free!!!!
It's a grand celebration planned, prepared and presented with love by our guest today – the one and only Mr. Phil Esteem!!

2023 Esteem Awards in Chicago

Wyatt O'Brian Evans is  a Journalist. Author. Radio Personality. Intimate Partner Violence & Abuse (IPV/A) Subject Matter Expert (SME), Advocate and Speaker. Voice-over (V/O) Instructor and Talent is currently celebrating the release of his latest novel “Shattered!” The latest installment in the Nothing Can Tear Us Apart series.
Wyatt is the quintessential Renaissance man. His work has been featured in various print and online media outlets.  Wyatt founded and is editor-in-chief of and a writer for Wyattevans.com, a leading online news, features, commentary, and entertainment media outlet for the LGBTQ+ Community and its Allies.

You can learn more about Wyatt his books, podcast, events and all about this renaissance man at his website wyattevans.com

Wyatt O'Brian Evans - A Renaissance Man & Author Interview

It's been a tough couple of years. COVID, some health issues and life caused us to take a break, go on hiatus, stop the conversations. But Collections by Michelle Brown - Blog Radio is back and ready to bring you the stories of individuals living between the lines, standing boldly in the crosshairs of their intersectionality and creating change, What better way to kick things off than to go back to how it  all begin. 
This is the episode where we spill the tea on Collections by Michelle Brown-Blog Radio. With the help of two listeners and friends we are going to tell it all, well almost all of the history, back stories about the show and yours truly its host. 
New music, new partnerships, new shows. SO sit back and enjoy the ride!!!!!

Spilling the Tea on Collections by Michelle Brown Blog Radio

Carrie Sinclair Vine is the Executive Director of the Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 2000 the Center's mission is to “provide a safe and welcoming environment for youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, or questioning their orientation, and their friends, by creating a space in which they are affirmed and offered non-judgmental support and access to personal, community, and spiritual resources.”
It offers programs and services for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies from throughout southern Illinois, including some who traveled an hour each way to attend.
They recently moved in to a larger space allowing the Rainbow Cafe to provide assistance to individuals of all ages .
Carrie Sinclair Vine is not just the Executive Director, she is co-Founder/ Board Member at GRIS- Golden Rainbows of Illinois South. She is deeply passionate not just about the Rainbow Cafe but the well-being of Carbondale as a safe haven for all.

Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ Center: A Safe Space in Southern Illinois

Naoml Washington Leaphart is the Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates, Government Fellow at Religion & Public Life at Harvard Divinity School and Minister at The Fellowship Of Affirming Ministries.
Her career has also included serving as Government Fellow at Religion & Public Life at Harvard Divinity School, Adjunct Faculty at Villanova University,  Director for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs in Philadelphia’s Mayor's Office of Public Engagement, and  Faith Work Director at National LGBTQ Task Force, which is where we first met,  among other stops along the way as a faith leader.
Although women in the past fulfilled primarily were limited to supportive roles in serving the church, today in most denominations you will find women leading the way as leaders not only in the pulpit but, but like our guest, in government, academia and other areas fighting for social justice.  
In these culturally polarized days why do we need women, particularly in the clergy, to lead?

Leapheart 2024: Still Strong Smart Bold in Faith

Karen Kendra Holmes has been showing up and making a difference in her community not just as a member of the transgender community but most of her life. Being of service to others is just what she does!
When not speaking publicly, Karen continues working with local police departments helping to bring dignity and respect to police interactions with members of the transgender community
She was recognized twice as "Soldier of the Year" by the State Guard Association of the United States and the Maryland State Guard Association.
This Award-Winning Public Servant and Transgender advocate shared her passion for helping others transition and to foster acceptance and support from those around them in a 2018 Tedx Talk.
She has been doing volunteer work with the Maryland Defense Force; done volunteer work with the American Red Cross for the National Capital Region and has been volunteering with Community Emergency Response Team in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Her latest endeavor "The Butterfly Project" housed in the Prince George's County Memorial library provides resources for Trans and Non-Binary Folks.

Karen Kendra Holmes Living Authentically/Making History

Senyah Haynes first introduced us to her series of children’s books “Jayla Jaunts” which follow the adventures of little Jayla and her magical Aunt YaYa as they travel around the country. Currently there are five books available featuring trips to Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Ariona and California with Colorado soon to be released.
Her two short films White Female and Crimson have both been shown at Film festivals and been winning awards. Her film White Female was born from the unrest following the murder of George Floyd. The film Crimson illuminates the issue of black women’s reproductive health.
She is also a contributor in Rainbow Room Publishing’s anthology “From a Black Perspective” Earlier volumes have included her artwork on the cover and as well as short stories.
From Chicago, Senyah is an independent artist, author and film maker, who wears several hats

One Singular Sensation Senyah Haynes

Dr. Tamara D. Hill is a versatile scholar with a strong academic background and a passion for the arts, literature and education.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Jackson State University, a Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Urban Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma, a Master of Arts in English Literature from Grambling State University and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Clark Atlanta University, where she also pursued a secondary concentration in Educational Leadership.
Her extensive body of work spans various publications, including contributions to Merge Literary Magazine, and a compelling three-part series for Perfect Sound Forever, an online music magazine focusing on the influence and impact of rap artists Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj in the music industry.
Dr. Hill is also one of the featured artists in the anthology trilogy published by rainbow Room Publishing :From A Black Perspective”

Dr. Tamara D. Hill  Bridging Generations

THIS: A SImple, Complex Love Story is the first Novel of Naomi Rivers, a wife-writing team. The name Naomi Rivers is the pseudonym used by these retired US military veterans for their  work developed over 20 years  deployment.
Their work has appeared in I-Heart's SapphicFic's anthology "Favorite Scenes from Favorite Authors." They are also featured authors in "From A Black Perspective: The Homeland" published by Rainbow Room Publishing.
They have recently expanded the work under the Naomi Rivers banner to include a line of greeting cards and totes featuring illustrations of Black Women reading.

This A SImple Complex Love Story 20 years in the making

An Advocate for Equality and Justice, Rev. Candy Holmes has been a voice for the LGBTQ+ community.  Brom and raised in Washington DC, Candy grew up in the church.  Musically gifted she sang in a number of different choirs and ensembles, ranging from classical to Gospel. 
She was ordained in the MCC in Washington Dc from which she retired. When Proposition 8 which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry passed in California in 2008, her advocacy moved to action. A photo on display of Candy and her partner Darlene, catapulted her in to the forefront of the national fight for marriage equality. She was invited to stand with President Obama as he signed the Presidential Memorandum granting federal benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees in 2009. She was asked to give testimony on behalf of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act to the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia. She became a spokesperson on behalf of marriage equality with the Human Rights Campaign, the National Black Justice Coalition, GLAAD, Many Voices, LGBTQ Task Force and gave interview/spoke across the country. Even in Retirement she remains a voice for the LGBTQ community most recently calling upon pro-LGBTQ Christians, other people of faith and of goodwill to stand with the Transgender community.

Candy Holmes: Faith and Activism Moving Hearts and Minds

Ken Mejia-Beal's focus has always been on giving a voice to the disenfranchised and addressing systemic inequality. He is the former Membership Chair at Howard Brown Health (Vernita Gray Council), an Equality Illinois Community Advisory Member, and as a WCPT Radio Personality/Published Columnist. In 2018, Mejia-Beal co-founded SNATCHED Radio, a podcast oriented toward LGBTQ+ Black and Brown communities to inform listeners about the latest news in policy, politics, and current affairs and to help people access resources and influence change. He was inducted into Chicago's LGBTQ Hall of Fame in 2024.
Ken made history in 2021 when he became the first openly LGBTQ+ political chair in the state of Illinois. He nearly flipped Illinois' 42nd district by a margin of less than 2,000 votes in the 2020 State Legislature elections, and he has continued planting the seeds of progressive change since. Ken has acted as a Campaign Board Member for Victory Fund (the largest LGBTQ+ political organization in the US).
In the wake of the 2024 elections. he has a lot to say about politics in Illinois, Nationally and within the Democratic party.

Ken Mejia Beal: Democracy's Next Chapter

Deneen Day is an EOL Doula/Grief Companion. She also helps families especially those with children navigate the challenges of having a family member with Alzheimer's while cherishing the memories along the way.
This is pretty heavy work and she finds peace that work/life balance in hiking.
Earlier this year she ticked off an item on her bucket list by hiking in Africa including  the land of the Assin Manso Slave River Site. This very sacred ground is where many of our African American ancestors who were captives were taken to take their last bath before being paraded on the auction blocks. Hiking and honoring the ancestors is one of her "Why's"
Upon her return she participated in another of her "Why's" Honor Flight Columbus. The organization honors and celebrates our nation’s senior Veterans with a trip to DC to see their memorials. She volunteers several times a year accompanying and providing support for these veterans 
In her work as an EOL/Doula/Grief Companion she reminds families that memories matter. In fulfilling one of her bucket list goals and supporting the veterans through Honor Flight Columbus she shares how she practices in her own life what she preaches - Memories Matter!

Deneen Day: Finding Balance Hiking in Africa & Serving in Her Community

Criss Christoff Smith lives a liberated life filled with self love. He is a trailblazer and advocate within the LGBTQ+ Community. His journey from a conservative upbringing in Jamaica to a proud transgender man in New York is inspiring. He thought he had it all until he found hos true self.
He's done it all - Wall Street? Conquered it. Gender binary? Disrupted it. He spent three decades on Wall Street breaking barriers as a lesbian. He thought he had it all—until he found his true self.
After his transition he pivoted towards his passions for acting and education. Deeply committed to community service, he volunteers and makes meaningful connections with LGBTQ+ Elders.
Criss is a visionary and life student always hungry for knowledge. He lifts up all he encounters, encouraging them to live their life authentically and without fear.
Criss was featured in the "Our in Living Color Campaign from Surface Level podcast - a love letter to the Queer Elders who walked so we could strut!!!

Criss Chrisstoff Smith - Living a Liberated Life of Self Love

On Saturday August 30th REthink the Narrative along with The Esteem Awards will once again bring Artists in the Afternoon to the Atlanta area. This year's program will be held at  the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Panels will include authors, filmmakers, photographers and more.
Dr. Derrick Tennial will again moderate the event.  He founded REthink the Narrative in 2011 after publishing his first book independently to help others publish their works. He partnered with Phil Esteem, founder of the Esteem Awards held each year in Chicago. Dr. Tennial already had a blueprint in his mind for Artists in the Afternoon and, together, they brought this annual event to the Atlanta area.
The free event will highlight written and spoken word, music, art, photography and award winning filmmakers. Attendees will be able to talk with panelists and purchase books while enjoying light refreshments

Dr. Derrick Tennial Hosts Artists in Afternoon 2025

Dr. Eve Austin Powers, also known as "The Sista Boi" is a Spiritual Energy Healer, Life Coach, LGBTQ Sex, Love and Relationships Coach, and PR Consultant.
A published author, her  articles and ghostwritten work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Heart & Soul Magazine, BET Centric, Foster Focus Magazine, Bronze Magazine, and many others. 
Her two self-help books are titled "Heal Your Anxiety Now!", and "The Trauma Breakthrough Guide & Workbook." 
She is the founder of the LGBTQ Sex, Love, Relationships and Empowerment Group on Meetup.com, and an ordained minister.
Dr. Austin Powers believes her divine purpose is helping people thrive sexually, emotionally, mentally, physically and spir


Dr. Eve Austin-Powers-The Sista Boi

Social Justice Photographer Belinda Brewer lives her life authentically. She identifies beyond the silos of masculine or feminine and on any day her expression is more about her creativity than what others expect.
On September 20th, she will be a panelist during the "Black Queer Women's Conference" taking place in Atlanta, GA.  Her panel "Masculine Lesbians: Identity and Advocacy" is intergenerational exploring different perspectives on life on the Lesbian identity conversation.
The conference taking place September 18-20 is hosted by The Black Educated Lesbians (BEL) organization. BEL was founded in 2014 by LaJoya Johnson as a safe place for Black Lesbians to network, engage in meaningful discussions and foster sisterhood. Today BEL has grown into a global movement with over 62 FaceBook groups including 29 local chapters spanning from Metro Atlanta to Mexico

Belinda Brewer: Breaking Gender Norms, Living Authentically


CoquieHughes is an award-winning independent filmmaker, writer, and director celebrated for pushing the boundaries of storytelling through bold, innovative, and emotionally resonant narratives. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Coquie has spent nearly three decades creating thought-provoking films that center Black, LGBTQ+, and urban experiences with honesty, heart, and depth. 
She is currently working on her film "Shee Too Bad For History" a film about the women of the Black Panther Movement and returned to the stage acting in a production of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible"  She will embark on an 111-city tour starting in Beverly Hills and ending on Broadway in 2026.
Outside of filmmaking, Coquie is the founder of Lights Camera Youth Action, a nonprofit organization that trains and empowers young people to work behind the scenes in film and television. She is also the visionary behind Pocket Set Studios, a media-tech startup specializing in tools, accessories, and educational experiences for smartphone filmmakers.
Above all, Coquie is a proud mother to two incredible children

​

Coquie Hughes: Filmmaker, Writer, Director, Artist

 Did you know that Atlanta is the largest metro area in the U.S. without an LGBTQ+ Community Center? Currently, the closest center is in Savannah, GA.
While over 200 brick-and-mortar LGBTQ+ centers exist nationwide, Atlanta—one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the country—still doesn’t have one.
Tracee McDaniel believe Atlanta deserve a TLGBQ+ Center and as an Ambassador has been apart of community discussions gaining community input and encouraging participation in the feasibility study.
The study was launched in January of 2025 and residents can participate in the survey through mid-October. It is a one-year exploration into the potential development of an TLGBQ+ Center in the city of Atlanta.
The study is an opportunity for Atlanta's vibrant community to dream big about what a community space would look like in the city. 






















Tracee McDaniel Ambassador for an TLGBQ+ Center in Atlanta

From a challenging beginning in the south where she was not accepted for her gender expression, Lee Hill went into the foster care system. As an adult she has provided a safe space  for others caught up in a system not always kind to those who don't fit societal norms.
She found her voice on the stage performing drag. As a Drag King she won several awards including MsTer KSGRA, King of Pride at Lehigh Valley and Great Lake National Showman at Large.
She also founded Changemaker, a  nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering marginalized voices through education and advocacy especially women, communities of color and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Besides her work as an author, seasoned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Lee is a regular panelists on the "QUEENS" podcast presented by the House of Peach where she brings her unique viewpoint on a variety of topics.
Strong, outspoken, inspiring, Lee Hill brings Queer Royalty to all she does,

Lee Hill: Fostering Community While Building Safe Spaces

Now a global movement spanning from metro-Atlanta Black Educated Lesbians (BEL) is a vibrant, empowering and supportive online community dedicated to connecting and uplifting Black Lesbians.
When LaJoya Johnson founded the organization in 2014 as a safe space for Black lesbians to network and engage in meaningful discussions she had no idea it would grow to over 62 groups on FaceBook with 29 local chapters.
In September, 2025 under Johnson's leadership BEL hosted its second Annual Black Queer Women's Conference in Atlanta bringing together Black Lesbians from across the country to network and have meaningful discussions on opportunities for growth in areas of financial literacy, health and wellness, personal development and leadership.  A third conference is being planned.
Not one to sit on her laurels, she continues to look for opportunities to build community that will fuel something powerful in the Black Lesbian community.
A nonprofit organization BEL is funded by donations and memberships from those committed to LaJoya's dream of providing even more safe spaces, stronger leaders and deeper community

LaJoya Johnson: BEL Gobal Movement Building Community

On November 11, 2025 Griot Circle will be celebrating a major milestone -its 29th anniversary.
Historically a Griot has been a storyteller who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of their village or family.
Griot Circle's Development Manager, Germono Toussaint, shares how the organization has turned this traditional meaning of griot to an acronym in its name to stand for GAY REUNION IN OUR TIME."
Officially recognized as a nonprofit organization in 1996, GRIOT CIRCLE remains one of the few organizations exclusively dedicated to serving the needs of older LGBTQIA+ people of color.
With the vision that all LGBTQIA+ elders  experience a just and abundant quality of life, GRIOT CIRCLE works to foster a physically and emotionally safe environment in all aspects of its programming services.

Germono Toussaint on Griot Circle 29 Year Celebration

A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Dr. Brandinicole Brooks-Harris has twenty years of experience in child welfare and mental health. She develops leaders by aligning clinical social work with effective leadership skills. She is also a certified perinatal mental health specialist and full spectrum doula and the Founder and Executive Director of Sleep Sweet Junebug, Inc., a nonprofit focused on providing mental health and doula support to families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Her first book, Black Single Mothers and the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Social Workers on Addressing Oppression, was published in 2013
She has engaged in discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion with focus on the experiences of Black women and LGBTQIA+ individuals. 
Her second book, Claiming Fire: Leadership, Identity, and Becoming as a Black Lesbian, is a self-published memoir of her own journey of becoming a Black Lesbian Leader based on her dissertation.  It is available to preorder now and everywhere in in 2026.


Dr. Brandynicole Brooks-Harris: Claiming Fire

Born in Brooklyn and proudly rooted in her Guyanese family, Dania Henry now calls Atlanta home. A proud alumna of Bethune-Cookman University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology she went on to earn her master’s degree in Elementary Education from Lipscomb University.
As an early elementary educator, she has nearly ten years of teaching experience. Dania is passionate about building equitable, curiosity-driven STEM and math learning experiences for Black and Brown students. 
She is also a creator and community storyteller. Dania co-hosts the Queer Perspectives Podcast, where she uplifts queer voices, explores identity, and turns lived experience into meaningful community conversation. 


Dania Henry: Activist and Educator Always Uniquely Herself

Like so many adults, Angela Denise Davis took piano lessons for many years as a child and was involved in middle school chorus but discontinued her music instruction after high school. She had a profound loss of vision in 2003 and became legally blind, which caused her to rethink how she could engage music. Angela ultimately discovered the ukulele in 2015, and it changed her life.
In January of 2019, she started teaching ukulele classes and formed The Ukulele Griot Collective.  The Collective focuses on awakening musical skills in adults in order to increase social engagement and foster joy in making music. Davis assists students in laying a foundation that will provide a framework for independent learning beyond group instruction. She believes that almost anyone can learn to play the ukulele and reap a wealth of benefits from music instruction.
Her work as a minister focuses on how the fusion of art and spirituality can enlarge the ground beneath our feet and enrich the ways we move in personal and social spaces.
Davis is also the creator, host, and producer of the ZAMI NOBLA Podcast. This podcast is for black lesbians over 40 who have always wanted a sound source that gets them

Angela Denise Davis Ukelele Griot

Kamora Herrington is Founder and CEO of Kamora’s Cultural Corner in Hartford, Connecticut.
She has offered cutting-edge community programs in Hartford for decades and is recognized for her groundbreaking work.
Kamora's Cultural Corner is a community space where people learn how to use their unique and shared identities to make genuine connections with others; Their work is driven by cultural humility The Cultural Corner serves, celebrates, and uplifts Hartford’s diverse families and individuals who are Black and Queer, as well as the larger community. The Cultural Corner is housed in the location of the former Kabbalah House community cultural center on Albany Avenue. Moving the Center into space with a history of welcoming marginalized communities into the larger Hartford community just made sense.
Before founding Kamora's Cultural Corner, Herrington was for 15 years the Mentoring Program Coordinator for True Colors. True Colors is a non-profit organization in Hartford that works to ensure that the needs of LGBTQ and general minority youth are recognized and served.

Connecticut Activist Kamora Herrington starts Cultural Corner

Famika Edmond is a Senior Public Health Educator for the HIV/STI Prevention Division of Detroit Health Department.
As a child, her mother brought Famika and her siblings to Michigan from New York. When her family found themselves homeless, Famika signed out of high school and went to work to help take care of the family. Six months later, after her family was able to get housing, she went back to school and received her GED. One of her goals was to attend a four-year college. She ended up getting accepted to four different colleges.
Famika attended Eastern Michigan University, where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Health
Administration. She also earned her Master’s in Health Administration and is returning for a second Masters in Public Health.
realized the need for women to have safe space to be able to express themselves and be supported by other women. She founded and created ‘For the Love of H.E.R. (Healing, Empowerment, Resilience), which is a five-week workshop in which participants are given the opportunity to examine their journey and its rising themes in order to identify experiences that have potentially blocked or slowed personal and or professional growth.

For the Love of HER founder, Famika Edmond

Tameka Ramsey is the owner and principal associate at T Ramsey and Associates. 
She’s also a mother and grandmother. Her eldest is an essential worker who with his wife are on the frontline during this COVID-19 epidemic. At home, she has a daughter going through the most unusual of senior high school year and a son growing up in this uncertain normal of homeschooling and social distancing.
You might say she is a renaissance woman with an eye on her community as she builds a future legacy for her family.
Tameka is a nationally sought-after consultant, that specializes in providing training and coaching to grow the capacity of organizations and small businesses, through technical assistance, strategic planning, and professional development.
She has worked tirelessly to strengthen grassroots organizations across the country that are committed to improving their communities for every individual.
She shares her personal experiences from childhood and motherhood. Not only do they serve as testimonies to her ambition and success, but they also spark inspiration as to how we can build a strong, lasting, thriving Black future and legacy.

Entrepreneur, Parent Tameka Ramsey Building Legacy and Community

Author, Public Speaker, Radio Host of Collections by Michelle Brown Blog Radio

Conversations: A Collection by Michelle Brown

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