The SF International Arts Festival is here and we are taking a look behind the scenes with some of its featured Black artists!

Duane Forrest is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter and multimedia artist. Over the past decade, he has released two full-length albums and toured extensively across Canada, Europe, and Central America, with his music receiving international radio play in countries including Canada, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Italy, Nicaragua, and the U.S.

Duane’s interdisciplinary work blends music, storytelling, and visuals.

Shows:
*Thursday, April 30, 7pm, Monkeybrains, SF
*Friday, May 1, 7:30pm, Theatre of Yugen
*Saturday, May 2, 3pm, Monkeybrains, SF
*Sun, May 3, 6:30pm, Theatre of Yugen

https://www.sfiaf.org/
https://www.duaneforrest.com/

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Michael Simeon, widely known as BlackGayComicGeek, is a NYC-based media personality and pop culture critic who champions Black LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy, sci-fi, comics, and horror. Frustrated by the lack of diverse voices in fandom, he launched BGCG to create a “Safe Gayven” — a space where Black queer nerds can see themselves in the stories they love. 

Across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcast guest spots, Michael breaks down the latest in genre media with humor, heart, and sharp analysis. Whether he’s reviewing superhero films, dissecting fantasy tropes, or highlighting overlooked queer characters, his content blends cultural critique with fandom celebration. 

Michael is also a member of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, where he advocates for more authentic, inclusive storytelling across entertainment. His work has been featured in CanvasRebel, Shoutout Atlanta, and Gaye Magazine. 

Through BlackGayComicGeek, Michael offers more than just commentary — he’s building a movement for visibility, joy, and justice in genre storytelling.

Instagram: @blackgaycomicgeek
TikTok: @blackgaycomicgeek
YouTube: @blackgaycomicgeek

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Trigger warning! - This episode discusses suicide ideation/self harm.

In an autobiographical and music-filled tour-de-force, award-winning performer Jacob Ming-Trent dares to rescue himself from the “slings and arrows” of his past. Born with a gift for poetry but rejected as unfit to play the poet, his search for home yields results both hilarious and tragic. Invoking artistic geniuses like Biggie, Tupac, and Basquiat, he takes us on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language and music. Directed by Tony Taccone, How Shakespeare Saved My Life begins with the Bard but becomes a ritual of communal salvation.

Instagram: @jmingsdynasty

iMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2850805

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From young bright-eyed model to PR Maven, Monique Webber embarked on her fashion PR journey with BCBGMAXAZRIA Group in 2000. After 12 years of successfully building BCBGMAXAZRIA Group into a Go-To brand for A-listers like Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Charlize Theron, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and more, her VIP expertise was highly coveted and she rose to prominence at leading PR agencies.

However, it was during the George Floyd movement that Monique recognized the need for proactive diversity efforts in the industry. This pivotal moment inspired her to launch MLWPR in August 2020, focusing on minority-owned, women-owned, and locally-owned businesses. MLWPR has been a beacon of hope for emerging brands, providing them with the platform and recognition they richly deserve. 

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As a published author, adjunct professor, organizational development specialist, and former school district educator with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Rachelle Rogers-Ard specializes in coaching agency leaders to dismantle racist policies, practices, and procedures that threaten organizational health. As principal lead of Harvest Consulting, she designs and facilitates customized leadership and racial bias training utilizing Social-Emotional best practices. As a certified Dare to Lead and The Leadership Challenge trainer, her work showcases the necessity for organizational Core Values to drive employee retention and outcomes.

She also showcases her talent as the director of the illustrious East Bay Anointed Voices, traveling Bay Area choir.

www.rachellerogersard.com
Instagram: @dr.rachellerogersard
www.linkedin.com/in/rr-ahc

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Christopher “Chris” Chatmon is CEO and Founder of Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO) an award winning nonprofit that supports school districts around the country to improve the educational and life outcomes of Black Boys. For 10 years Chatmon served as the first Executive Director, African American Male Achievement (“AAMA”) for the Oakland Unified School District (“OUSD”). The office of AAMA was the first of its kind in the country to operate within a Public School district. Chatmon also served as the first Deputy Chief of Equity and Sr. Advisor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in OUSD, Oakland, CA.

Chatmon is passionate about uplifting the African-American community and has dedicated his career and life work to creating pathways of success for Black Youth within Oakland and beyond. Chatmon has received numerous local and national awards and accolades for his work and service to Black Youth and the City of Oakland, CA. In 2023 The CAFE Group selected Founder and CEO, Chris Chatmon, to receive a 1954 Project Luminary Award in the category of Innovation in Teaching & Learning. In 2020 Chatmon was awarded the Oscar Wright Lifetime Achievement Award from OUSD and Oakland, CA Mayor Libby Schaaf honored Chatmon with The City of Oakland Mayor’s Proclamation July 1st “Chris Chatmon Day”. Education Week Magazine named Chatmon as a “Leader to Learn From” and Campaign for Black Male Achievement selected him as a “Social Innovation Accelerator” because of his commitment to improving life outcomes for all youth and especially African American males.

IG - KingmakersofOakland & KingmakersMusic
FB - Kingmakers of Oakland
https://linktr.ee/Kingmakersofoakland
www.kingmakersofoakland.org

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Meet Gina Woods!

She's a serial entrepreneur, investor, and business advisor, bringing a wealth of experience cultivating successful beauty brands with a focus on community reinvestment.

As the Co-Founder/Owner of Donna’s Recipe with Tabitha Brown, a renowned vegan beauty brand known for its premium ingredients and commitment to enhancing the hair and beauty care experience. Woods has introduced innovative concepts like the Allure award-winning Sweet Potato Pie Collection. Woods' business, Donna’s Recipe, is available in over a thousand Target stores and all Ulta Beauty locations nationwide and remains 100% self-funded. The brand’s sensational retail success resulted in its being honored as Ulta Beauty's Black Owned Brand of the Year.

In her capacity as a business mentor, she leads a business mastermind program empowering women to establish and expand their enterprises, contributing to the growth of numerous multi-million dollar ventures. Additionally, Woods established the LA Kids Entrepreneur Camp, a hands-on educational platform enabling young individuals to engage with experienced entrepreneurs and delve into the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

Stay connected with Gina:
Website: Ginalosangeles.com
Instagram: @ginalosangeles

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August 9-September 13

Candace Johnson’s Scat-ter Brain: The Music of ADHD  <<Ticket Link!
A musical celebrating neurodivergence, blending storytelling and song to challenge stigma and reframe ADHD as a creative superpower. 

Candace Johnson is a singer, actress, poet, voice instructor, and director of the University of California Berkeley’s Gospel Choir. She is also a voice coach for the Formally Incarcerated People’s Performance Project (FIPPP), a theater organization supporting artists impacted by incarceration. Johnson excels in opera, musical theater, gospel, and jazz. In 2018, she premiered her first one-woman show, VOX in a BOX, a musical biography about discovering her voice. Since then, she has written and performed seven original shows and continues to create new works.

Website: https://cjsings.com
Instagram: @iamcjsings

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Selena Wilson is a community-centered collectivist dedicated to giving back to the village that raised her--East Oakland. She currently serves as the CEO of the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) where she attended programming as a youth. In this role, Selena has leveraged her multifaceted skill set to enhance program effectiveness through evidenced-based practices, with a focus on trauma-informed, healing-centered care for Black and Brown youth.

Website: https://eoydc.org/
Org handle: @eoydc
Personal handle: @selenasmusings

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This is the FINAL WEEK to see "Fat Ham" directed by Margo Hall. A very Black, very Southern, very modern reimagining of Hamlet. Get TICKETS to "Fat Ham" at San Francisco Playhouse. https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2024-2025-season/fat-ham/

Margo Hall is the artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre and an award-winning actor/director/playwright. She returns to San Francisco Playhouse, where she directed [hieroglyph], Barbecue, Red Velvet, The Story, and most recently Nollywood Dreams. Other directing credits include Garuda’s Wing for The Magic Theatre, In the Evening by the Moonlight, Thurgood, and Soulful Christmas for Lorraine Hansberry Theatre; Friend of My Youth and Sonny’s Blues for Word for Word; and Brownsville Song, B-Side for Tray for Shotgun Players, where she also co-directed Bulrusher with Ellen Sebastian Chang.

Website: https://www.margohall.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margogot/

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Go see Kathryn Seabron in her 1-woman show "Angry Black Woman 101" at The Marsh in Berkeley, March 15 - April 13.
https://themarsh.org/shows_and_events/marshstream/kathryn-seabron/

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Kathryn Seabron (Playwright/Performer) began her theatrical journey as a stage manager for the legendary Lorraine Hansberry Theatre before expanding into directing for the Asian American Theatre, African American Theater Company, and Oakland Ensemble Theatre Company. Seabron later stepped into the spotlight, joining the cabaret and burlesque community, where she is widely known as Juicy D. Light. Under this persona, she has gained international recognition as a burlesque performer, choreographer, and leader of the award-winning troupe Rubenesque Burlesque. Her performance credits include AfroSolo, Playground SF, National Women’s Theater Festival, and San Francisco Fringe Festival, where she received a “Best of the Fringe” award. She also presented Angry Black Woman 101 at the Atlanta Black Theater Festival in 2024. 

IG: @juicydlight

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*Please excuse my voice, I was at the tail-end of a cold.

J.R. Rice is a Black man, writer, teacher, event host & curator, and spoken word artist, born and raised in Oakland, California. He has a B.A in Creative Writing and an English Education teaching credential from California State University of Long Beach. While studying abroad in Greece, he was mentored by the author, George Crane. His novel, Broken Pencils earned the 2024 Literary Titan Gold Book Award, 2024 Pencraft Summer Best Book Award winner for Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction, and the 2024 Hawthorne Prize Finalist for Best Fiction. 

W: www.jrrice.com
IG: @imjrice

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Lance Gardner is an award-winning actor, who was last seen on stage in 2019 in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of "The 39 Steps" as well as the co-production of "Skeleton Crew" at Marin Theatre and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. 

More details about his current role as the lead in "Waste" at Marin Theatre (Feb. 6 - Mar. 2) and photos can be found here: https://cbpr.co/press/waste/

He has previously performed with Marin Theatre in "Shakespeare in Love," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Equivocation," and more. Gardner has been seen on many Bay Area stages including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Company, San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, and City Lights Theatre Companyy, among others. Gardner was appointed Artistic Director of Marin Theatre in fall of 2023.

Well known for his many leading appearances on stage at major theatres around the Bay, he also served as president of the Board of Trustees at Aurora Theatre and was a live event producer at KQED before assuming this role at Marin Theatre. Marin Theatre’s 2024/25 season is the first programmed by Gardner, who has assembled a collection of acclaimed plays that offer Bay Area audiences their first looks at funny, engaging, entertaining, and compelling works that have been hits in Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, and in other parts of the U.S.

For full length episodes, become a member of the Patreon for $5 a month at Patreon.com/theblacklandscape. Members have access to full episodes, exclusive merch, giveaways, behind the scenes content and more.
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Robert Townsend, hailed as one of the "Godfathers of the Independent Film World," is a trailblazing actor, director, writer, and filmmaker with over 30 years in show business. Townsend is set to star in his solo show, Living the Shuffle, running at The Marsh Berkeley from January 31 to March 9.

For full length episodes, become a member of the Patreon for $5 a month at Patreon.com/theblacklandscape. Members have access to full episodes, exclusive merch, giveaways, behind the scenes content and more. 
Subscribe to the Patreon today.

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Zuhairah Washington is a Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School graduate and the former CEO of Otrium, a global, sustainable fashion marketplace recognized as one of the The Most Innovative Companies of 2023 by Fast Company Magazine.  She has scaled four multi-billion dollar companies and is widely recognized as a dynamic and visionary leader in technology.  She has over 20 years of business experience under her belt including executive roles as a Senior Vice President at Expedia Group, where she led a 1,000 person global team, steering billions in revenue and General Manager at Uber where she grew revenue for Uber’s fifth largest market from tens of millions to over $1B in under three years. 

Website: Zuhairahwashington.com
Instagram: @zuhairahwashington

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Diann Valentine founded SLAYYY Hair in 2021 after years of wearing braids and experiencing increased itching, scalp irritation, scabbing, and breakage regularly with her own scalp. Determined to find a healthier and non-toxic solution, she started developing what has become known as the SLAYYY Secret Sauce. After two years of intense research, trial and error, and invaluable feedback from the strong community of braiders around the country, SLAYYY was born. “Women deserve more care and respect for our contribution to the hair and beauty industry, and I’m so proud to champion this movement on behalf of my sisters and now able to offer black women a superior product while wearing protective styles.," says Diann.

In addition to SLAYYY, Diann is also the President and Creative Director of Glow + Flow Beauty, a beauty retail concept store with locations in Inglewood and Hawthorne, California. Glow + Flow Beauty is reimagining the shopping experience for black women and creating an environment in urban neighborhoods where they feel at home as valued customers. The expansion plan for Glow + Flow Beauty involves a franchise model of land and business ownership through collaborating with black women, financiers, and organizations. Diann believes that the best way to change the trajectory of a community is for the residents to own it, and every urban community needs a Glow + Flow.

Before entering the beauty space, Diann enjoyed an illustrious career as an internationally acclaimed wedding and event designer, having produced a plethora of celebrations for celebrities, high-net-worth individuals, and Fortune 500 companies across the globe. Her achievements include being a two-time author, international public speaker, and television host working to turn dreams into reality for women in love and those looking for love. With a flourishing business and career, Diann has achieved numerous accomplishments and has inspired many during numerous domestic and international public speaking engagements. Her love of personal touch and human interaction allows her to excite audiences and mesmerize them with her years of production and life experiences wrapped in an electrifying smile.

Website: https://www.slayyyhair.com/
Slay Hair IG: @slayyy_hair_
Glow + Flow IG: @glowandflowbeauty

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Destiny Muhammad is a Recording/ Performing Artist | Band Leader | Composer & Producer. Her genre ‘Celtic to Coltrane’ is cool and eclectic with a feel of Jazz & Storytelling to round out the sonic experience.
Destiny  collaborations, curations and commissioning  include: Grace Cathedral Christmas Concert Series Stanford Jazz Festival featured Artist,  Santa Cruz Symphony Recital Series, a San Jose Jazz Fest Jazz Aid Commissioned Artist, Guest/ Collaborator with Composer Marcus Shelby for Zaccho Dance ‘The Peoples Palace’ and  featured on KQED Podcast & Sunday Music Drop
Destiny is an Elected Governor  of the The Recording Academy, San Francisco Chapter, SFJAZZ Teaching Artist, ASCAP Songwriter Awardee, Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke Foundation Performance Plus Awardee and  California Arts Council Legacy Fellow.

Website: Destinymuhammad.net
IG: destinymuhammadmusic
tiktok: destinymuhammadmusic
youtube: DestinyHarp
Meta: Destiny Muhammad & Harpist from the Hood

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Rohan DaCosta is a multi-disciplinary artist from Chicago, based in Oakland, working primarily through photography, writing, and song. His book, The Edge of Fruitvale, was published by Nomadic Press on April 28, 2018, and has been since  nominated for a California Book Award and a Pushcart Prize. His portrait photography has been featured at The Flight Deck Gallery, Root Division Gallery, and Joyce Gordon Gallery, and Mercury Twenty Gallery. In 2018, he was awarded the Individual Artist Funding Grant by the City of Oakland for his arts exhibition, Trap : Trauma : Transformation. Rohan just completed his first term as a board member on the Alameda County Arts Commission.

Email: belongbetter@gmail.com
Instagram: @PlaydatePhoto

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Chi Chi Okonmah lives and breathes her passion as an established Bay Area Artist, Production & Stage Manager, Cultural Strategist, & CA Real Estate Broker.

Since moving to California in 2000, Chi Chi has successfully held management and consulting positions for some of the most prominent individuals & organizations in the Bay Area Performing Arts & Activists communities.
 
Chi Chi's work as a Cultural & Network Strategist aims to support & develop equitable, profitable, sustainable arts communities. She actively seeks opportunities to partner and collaborate with Artists, Arts Organizations and Supporters to create & promote radical change that positively & sustainably impacts BIPOC peoples and communities.

Websites: www.c2orhythmandarts.com
IG: @C2ORhythm&Arts; @c2o_realty
FB: /C2Orhythmandarts; /c2orealty1
YT: @c2orhythmandarts167; @c2orealty204
Linked In: chi-chi-okonmah

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Seen in "A Distinct Society," Kenny Scott (he/him) returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as Shawn, an avid basketball fan pursuing a career as a writer. An artistic company member of Oakland Theater Project and Shotgun Players, Scott has appeared in productions at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre, Magic Theatre, California Shakespeare Theater, Z Space, Crowded Fire Theater, Cutting Ball Theater, and New Conservatory Theatre Center.

IG: @kenny_scxtt
Get your ticket for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's "King James" here.

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Bosko Kante is a music producer, inventor, and mechanical engineer who has written and performed talkbox on Grammy Winning Albums by Dua Lipa and Kanye West including the #11 streaming song of all time “Levitating”.
When he was forced to lip sync his talkbox part instead of performing live on the American Music Awards with Kanye West, he decided to reinvent the talkbox and make it mobile. He co-founded music tech company ElectroSpit Inc., invented the Guthman Award winning ElectroSpit ESX-1 talkbox used by David Guetta and Stevie Wonder, produced and performed on songs with E40, Drake, Bruno Mars, and Big Boi, and gives back by helping musicians create their own music tech businesses that leverage AI and AR technology at the nonprofit Black music incubator “HiiiWAV” he founded in Oakland, California.

Instagram: @boskolive , @hiiiwav , @electrospit

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PHER, the Oakland native and global singing phenomenon formerly known as Chris Turner, is a rare artist fully versed in both the jazz tradition and classic soul, and equally comfortable in either universe.

As a Soul, R&B and Jazz artist, PHER is taking center stage with his upcoming album “Songs by PHER” complete and ready to be marketed to the world soon. For now, we are releasing singles from the album with the latest single releases, “Spice” and “Tomorrow Is Too Late” featuring Jesse Boykins III already making waves.

He gained invaluable experience in the Bay Area scene before decamping to New York, studying at the New School, and working with a staggering list of major jazz, soul, R&B and Hip Hop artists. Pher joined the faculty of his alma mater in 2013, the New School University Jazz program teaching voice, ranging from beginner singers to college students to pop artists that include Sean Kingston, 070Shake, and WolfTyla.
Pher’s 2013 debut LOVElife is a Challenge was a wildly successful mixtape documenting the evolution of his life as a man and as a father. He made a standout appearance on Snarky Puppy’s 2016 release Family Dinner Volume Two, performing his smash single, “Liquid Love.” PHER’s latest single, “Murky,” is close to surpassing 2 million streams on Spotify. It is an audio representation of a light at the end of the tunnel. It embodies the faith that it takes to continue on the journey of unconditional love.

Pher is honored to be a part of 3 Grammy awards as a vocalist, 2 awards on Esperanza  Spalding’s “Radio Music Society” album and 1 Grammy award for Jon Batiste’s “Hollywood Africans.” He has also toured and recorded internationally with his own group, as well as with music industry legends like Usher, The Roots, Robert Glasper, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Bootsy Collins, Sam Smith, Disclosure, Mike Posner, Bilal, Harvey Mason Sr., Eddie Palmeri, Eric Harland, Kris Bowers, Sean Kingston, Chrisette Michelle, Consequence, Lupe Fiasco and many more.

W: Linktr.ee/pher510
IG: @PHER510

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Nazelah Jamison (she / her) is a Bay Area-based performance poet, author, actor, vocalist and emcee. Her first book of poetry, Evolutionary Heart, was released on Nomadic Press in 2016, and reprinted and re-released on Black Lawrence Press in Fall 2023. Her work can also be found in The Racket Journal: Issue Fifteen (2020), Culture Counts Magazine (2021), La Raiz Magazine (2022),  Better Ancestors, Sparkle + Blink 115 (Quiet Lightning 2022) and others. In her spare time, Nazelah enjoys writing horror screenplays and saving the day. She hosts Thee Virtual Open Mic every 1st & 3rd Friday on zoom.

W: Nazelah.wixsite.com/nazelah
IG:  @supernaz_your_superfriend

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Nora Free is a Bay Area based artist (saxophone and flute) from a multiracial background. She's a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and did her PhD in Composition at the University of Pittsburgh. Free is returning to music after a long illness and the work she's now doing with Tiffany Austin at Wyldflowr is essential to her growth as an artist and her approach to working with the Oakland community which has embraced her.

W: Norafree.net
IG: @norafree.music
W: Wyldflowrarts.com
IG: @wyldflowrarts

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Oakland Black Music Week Artist!
Tiffany Austin is a vocalist, composer, educator, impresario and philanthropist, whose life's work is the liberation and inspiration of people of African descent. She has released two critically acclaimed jazz/soul albums, holds a Berkeley Law JD and is cofounder of The Diaspora Sessions (an immersive Black Art experience series), and the newly launched Wyldflowr Arts space in Oakland.

W: Tiffanyaustin.com
IG: @tiffanyaustinmusic
W: Wyldflowrarts.com
IG: @wyldflowrarts

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Monique and Angela, owners of The Pour Up wine company, started their wine company during the pandemic and have continued blossoming ever since. They have five different wine varietals that they sell online and at pop ups around the Bay Area. Their journey continues to an upcoming wine bar set to open in 2024.

W: https://linktr.ee/thepourupwine
IG: @thepourupwine
IG: @thepourupwinebar

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Ashlie Kego is a Nigerian-American self-taught artist based out of Pleasanton, CA. 
She is known for her vivid, eye-catching Afro Cubism Art.
She discovered her new talent of painting during covid, November 2020. With being locked up and nothing to do she decided to pick up a paintbrush and paint on a shirt. With the amount of positive feedback she received and the demand for people wanting their own painted shirts, she decided to start painting large canvases as statement pieces. What inspired her style of art, was her love for her Nigerian roots, African masks, bright colors and prints and patterns

W: https://ashliekegoart.com
IG: @Akegoart

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Nadine Rambeau is the Executive Director of EPACENTER (@epacenterarts), a creative youth development organization that works with East Palo Alto youth to amplify their talents and impact their world through art and design. EPACENTER is a LEED certified, 21,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art arts and cultural center featuring classrooms, a gallery, cafe, recording studio, dance studio, theater, and outdoor amphitheater. The name (pronounced “epicenter”) refers to the rich cultural energy of its home, the City of East Palo Alto (EPA). Along with an engaged community of residents, local leaders and dedicated staff, Nadine oversees the development of vibrant programming including digital, visual, and performing arts classes for youth, artist residencies, public art projects, cultural events, and educational and community partnerships.

Nadine has spent the past 25 years activating creativity as a catalyst for empowerment, economic equity, and social change in multiple communities across the United States. Prior to EPACENTER, she served as the managing director of the community arts and education division at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Before arriving in California, she played key roles in establishing accessible arts education programs for vulnerable youth at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Chernin’s Center for the Arts.

W: https://epacenter.org
IG: @epacenterarts
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/epacenter-arts

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Qing Qi is a notable Bay Area Rap Star and acclaimed performer. She makes grassroots anthems like “IDWIW” & “Big D” that permeate. Visual Artist, director, promoter, actor, Founder of femme rap community Putang Clan and events team #PuTangParty, Qing Qi is a Bay Area staple like beans and rice! Using her life experiences as inspiration, she speaks candidly about taboo topics with witty lyrics, catchy hooks, and authentic Hyphy energy over hard hitting beats. A Return to Black Wall Street Fellow, SFAC Cultural Ambassador, and advocate of cooperative economics, she is working to earn her descendants a lifetime of rest.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@qingqimusic1186
IG: @allhailtheqing

Terrence Paschal is an originally self taught dancer from Stockton California. His first influences were street dance forms that originated in Oakland, Turfing and Popping. He was also inspired by Brooklyn street dance forms such as Bruk up and Flexn. It was through exposure to these forms and fascination with Micheal Jackson that led him to explore Ballet and modern dance forms. Later on he worked with Embodiment Project where he was exposed to house dance and new methods of narrative based story telling; through movement and spoken word. Today he utilizes various different street dance modalities to find freedom in expression and through teaching he aims to help others find their own unique voice as well.

IG: @toonworld1990

HART Showcase
March 23, 2024
5pm & 8pm
The Ruth Williams Memorial Theater, Bayview Opera House, SF
Ticket Link: pushdance.org/hart
FREE Admission

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Jewelle Gomez (Playwright, Cabo Verdean/Ioway/Wampanoag, pronouns: she/her) is a novelist, poet, and playwright. She is the author of seven books including the double Lambda Literary Award-winning, Black lesbian vampire novel, The Gilda Stories. Waiting for Giovanni, her play about James Baldwin, and Leaving the Blues, about Alberta Hunter, were commissioned and premiered at NCTC. She has written for numerous publications including The Village Voice, MS Magazine, The Advocate, San Francisco Chronicle, and Black Scholar.

Unpacking in P’town Tickets:
https://nctcsf.org/event/unpacking-in-ptown/
IG: @vampyrevamp

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Meet San Francisco resident, Fred Pitts. His solo show “Aren’t You…?” recounts his hilarious journey to visit all 21 California Mission churches, where he discovers that being Black makes him an instant celebrity – the question is which one? 

Pitts has been performing in the Bay Area for over 20 years. He has worked with numerous regional theatres, including Shotgun Players, Altarena Playhouse, The Pear Theatre, Palo Alto Players, African-American Shakespeare Company, Custom Made Theatre Company, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, and EXIT Theatre, among others. Pitts also has numerous film and commercial credits. After being an Emergency Medicine physician for 20 years, he now works in drug safety.
Aren’t You…? is playing at The Marsh Berkeley February 10 – March 2, 2024.
Ticket Link: https://themarsh.org/shows_and_events/marshstream/fred-pitts-arent-you/
Facebook: Fred Pitts
Instagram: @frdpttsjnr

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OYSTERKNIFE—a name derived from Zora Neale Hurston’s essay “How It Feels To Be a Colored Me”—was formed in late 2017 out of a longtime creative friendship between Gabriele Christian and Chibueze Crouch. Nourishing a desire to subvert their collegiate theatrical training, which often ignored the complex Afro-Diasporic queer experiences, they found that interdisciplinary, somatic-based, experimental approaches made for fuller work, allowing them to interrogate sociohistorical norms and institutions while freeing their bodies.

Both members of OYSTERKNIFE bring a wealth of creative experiences, meshing theater, ritual masquerade, video, extemporaneous movement, song, and text. Central to every work they co-create are: an attention to archives (documenting the voices both seen and unseen), collectivism (who is here and who is missing that we need to invite), and multimedia immersion (seamlessly blending disciplines and breaking the audience/performer divide).

They have produced three full-length shows in the Bay: “mouth full of sea” dug into presumptions around complicity in the transatlantic slave trade; “mouth//full” excavated BlaQ testimony and African indigenous spiritual practices in the Christian Church; and the site-specific “Time of Change” narratively reanimated the majority Black Haight-Ashbury neighborhood that was eclipsed by the counterculture movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Email: oysterknifeperformance@gmail.com
IG: @_oysterknife_
Jan 28, 2-4:30pm – BlaQ Benedictions Workshop with brontë velez: black rapture – performance, discussion and storytelling

Feb 2-4, mouf//full  Performances

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**Trigger Warning! This interview includes topics of suicide & depression**

Toni Rochelle was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2005, she relocated to the Bay Area and immediately started modeling, appearing in fashion shows, magazines, and several (music) videos. Soon after, she started landing roles in independent films and stage plays.

Her biggest accomplishments were a Honda commercial and the opportunity to perform at the Edinburgh Theater Festival in Scotland. Toni has established herself as a talk show host for the entertainment show Off Tha Hook TV, where she shined interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at The ASCAP awards, BET Awards press rooms, and different events in Los Angeles.

She recently launched her platform called Ascending with Toni Rochelle. She believes that the platform, Ascending, presents people and energy that prevails through the struggle and continues to rise, thrive, and prosper. Moving on past pain, and hurt and still helping to build community and overcoming all obstacles will help with healing and wellness in the community.

W: https://ascendingwithtonirochelle.com
IG: Ascendingwithtonirochelle
YouTube: Ascending with Toni Rochelle

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Unique Derique is a longtime San Francisco Bay Area favorite whose dual careers merge the performing arts and healing with the belief that the world can be a brighter place, one breath—and one laugh—at a time. Internationally acclaimed “Clown Prince'' Unique Derique’s appearances have spanned the globe from South Africa to Scotland, Taipei, London, Paris, and Tokyo— and he has shared the stage with entertainers such as Bobby McFerrin, The Temptations, Laura Nyro, Jim Nabors, Tuck and Patti, Lou Rawls, and Sammy Davis, Jr. His clowny past includes the famed Pickle Family Circus, Children’s Fairyland, Prescott Circus Theatre, and Bread and Roses Presents.

 Past television credits include PBS-KQED, Univision, and the Disney Channel. Derique’s Fool La La plays annually at The Marsh with a delightfully different twist each season. When not entertaining audiences as Unique Derique, Lance McGee
is a Trauma-Informed Wellness Consultant and Mindfulness Coach providing support to school educators, administrators, staff and students. He also leads workshops on trauma-informed care practices and mindfulness for non-profit organizations, health clinics, colleges and educational
systems.

W: https://linktr.ee/uniquederique

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NPR award-winning storyteller Don Reed (Writer/Performer/Director) was a 2018 nominee for the Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Outstanding Solo Production, as well as the 2016 TBA winner and the 2017 TBA nominee for the same award.

The playwright/performer/director is also a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee and NAACP triple nominee for Best Actor and Best Playwright. His past works at The Marsh include East 14th, The Kipling Hotel, Can You Dig It?, That Don Reed Show, and Going Out. Reed can be seen in the Amazon Prime series Bartlett, where Reed plays the boss in a struggling ad agency alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton creator and star). He has worked in various roles in front of and behind the camera for
Warner Bros, Disney+, Marvel, Pixar, The CW, Sony, Lionsgate, and more. Reed has also
performed, written, and directed for film, television, and theater. As a producer, Don has coproduced noted director/writer Robert Townsend's (Hollywood Shuffle, The 5 Heartbeats, Eddie Murphy's Raw, The Last OG) one-man show Living the Shuffle for The Marsh. 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/don.reed.7796
IG: https://www.instagram.com/donreedwow

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Courtney Jones (she/her) is a 3rd generation Oaklander who is passionate about diversity, inclusion, giving back, and providing resources to distressed communities. Courtney is a co-parent of two daughters and the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco’s first Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion. Her professional career includes the previous operator of an independent consulting company and the Senior Business Strategy Consultant for Managing Diversity Together, LLC.

As an advocate for social justice and racial equity, Courtney helped found and co-chaired the Chabot Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Equity and Inclusion Committee and was the previous PTA President.  Courtney co-founded Girl Scout Troop 32099 eight years ago, and she enjoys leading her troop, which currently has over ninety girls. Courtney is a Commissioner and Communications officer for the City of Oakland's Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Community Tax Advisory Board. S

he is a 2023 Black Citizen’s Change Maker, a 2022 New Leader’s Council – Oakland cohort alumna, a 2021 Emerge California alum, the Emerge 2021 Northern California Class Vice Representative, and is running for Alameda County Board of Supervisors in District 4, in 2024.

Facebook: courtney,jones1211
Instagram: courtneyj_allday

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Born & raised in Oakland, CA.
Actor, Model, Costume Designer, Writer.
A Meisner trained actor who has the ability to transform himself into a variety of characters with strong ideologies.
Growing up in the diverse Bay Area, he was exposed to many different shades of people at a young age. That is where he found his love for people and their stories. In high school he participated in his first plays and musicals.
After college, Ryan worked as a stylist and costume designer, commercial actor. In the wake of 2020's pandemic, he decided to return to acting as his main love enrolling in the Meisner technique studio in San Francisco where he continues to study today.

Music Video: Reggie Becton "SADBOY"

IG: @Sir.thurston

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Ashley Jemison is bringing a new school vibe to smooth jazz. Covering the current styles of R&B and pop music of today while adding a unique improvisational twist leaves her audiences wanting more.

With a mother and father who were musicians it was inevitable that Ashley would follow in their footsteps. Working tirelessly to be at her own personal best she excelled quickly at playing the saxophone. In pursuit of her dream of playing music she continued her journey through studying music at California State University Los Angeles where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree. Despite studying music, her career was not fully realized until after her battle with Breast Cancer. Experiencing such a life changing diagnoses Ashley made it her mission that when she made it to the other side of the battle, she would wholeheartedly pursue her dream of playing music for the world.

Since making her career shift she has been invited back for performances spanning from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. With the back drop of smooth and soulful saxophone tone of Ashley easily takes the ambience to a new level. Provoking great emotion with every note she plays, it is guaranteed that you will not leave an Ashley Jemison performance without feeling moved to dance, smile or even to tears.  Uplifting the spirits and moving people is what truly pushes Ashley to give performances of a lifetime.

FB: www.facebook.com/ashleyjsax
IG: www.instagram.com/ashleyjsax
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ashleyjsax

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Mélia Mills is an Oakland native. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and is and is a writer, comedian, actress, and rapper. Mélia co-hosted the podcast “TALK LIKE A GIRL” on Feral Audio and was selected by Anna Deavere Smith to take part in her Performing Personal Narratives, Global Identities workshop. She has opened for Dave Chappelle, the “Jerry Seinfeld of France,” Gad Elmaleh, and collaborated with Sacha Baron Cohen on script and character development. Mills created, wrote, produced, directed, and acted in her ensemble piece, JUNETEENTH - An Emancipation Celebration! to a sold-out crowd at UCB. She was a writer and performer on UCB’s House Team, CHARACTERS WELCOME. 

Website:  Meliamills.com
Instagram: @meliamills

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For over a decade, David Mack has managed some of California's most innovative dance, opera and theatre companies, including: The Industry, Joe Goode Performance Group and Watts Village Theater Company. Additionally, he has consulted for a variety of performing arts organizations, including: Center Theatre Group, L.A. Dance Project and Ate9 Dance Company. Currently, Mack serves on the Boards of the Western Arts Alliance and San Francisco Arts Alliance.  Mack is Founder and Strategic Executive Officer of Artist Magnet, a social network for theatre and dance artists (which includes Theatre Magnet, a consulting firm for emerging arts administrators, and Artist Magnet Justice Alliance, an advocacy, professional development and fiscal sponsorship organization for emerging arts leaders).

Website: Artistmagnet.com
IG: @artistmagnet

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Ezra Myles (IG: @ezramyles) is a Multidisciplinary Artist, Arts Educator and Event Producer based in Oakland, CA.

Much like his birthplace of Newark, NJ, Ezra creates and curates art experiences that bridge the gap between the shared cultural legacies of the African Diaspora.
As the Executive Director of MylesBeyond Entertainment (@mylesbeyondmedia)  an event and media production company, and Artistic Director of the Carnival Dance Fusion Collective, MasFX Dance (@masfxdance), Ezra weaves visual art, digital media, spoken word, and dance to engage and empower BIPOC communities through the lens of Carnival as a multiethnic celebration of liberation, resilience, joy, and heritage. You can find more information about Ezra and his work at https://www.mylesbeyond.com

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Pendarvis Harshaw is a writer from Oakland. He currently works at KQED where he hosts the Rightnowish podcast and radio show that covers the arts, culture, prisons & people. Penn is currently really focused on Bay Area hip-hop history.

Rightnowish
Instagram: @ogpenn
Twitter: @ogpenn

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Netta Brielle is a R&B/ soul singer from Oakland. She was born in Berkeley and started performing at the age of five. Netta graduated from San Jose State University with a major in Musical Theater.

Netta released her first album, Electrik Rebel Sounds- The EP in 2009; the following year OMW 980 was released, followed by Love, Pain & Music Mixtape, 580 in 2015 and finally 880 in 2016.

W: Nettabapparel.com
IG: @nettabrielle 

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Marissa McGee is an author and educator. She released her debut title, Free the Curls in 2022. Teaching for over a decade, she’s read hundreds of children’s books. After visiting several stores and finding all the products for her hair type locked in a case, she decided she had a story to tell and picked up a pen. As an anti-bias educator, Marissa remains passionate about creating stories that serve as mirrors and windows for children.

She has spent her career in communities that have been historically underserved due to systemic inequities. She taught kindergarten, first, and second grade in Washington, D.C. After leaving the classroom, Marissa moved back to the Bay Area where she served as an instructional coach in Oakland. Now, she is a Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for two school districts in the Bay Area. Marissa earned a BA in Sociology and a MA in Elementary Education from Stanford University, where she currently serves as a lecturer.

W: FreetheCurlsFTC.com
IG: FreetheCurlsFTC
TikTok: @MarissaTeachableMoments 

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Ellen Sebastian Chang(she/her), whose creative practice spans 45 years, is a storied figure in the performing arts, as a multi-disciplinary director(theater, opera, dance, and installation) arts educator and lighting designer.
She has co-created with Deep Waters Dance Theater, 15 Episodes of House/Full of Blackwomen, that closed this past March 2023. Her credits also include acting as a Consulting Producer for “Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley” HBO and interviewee; “Fabulation”  by Lynne Nottage Lorraine Hansberry Theater with Margo Hall and Daveed Diggs, and the ongoing Creative Director and Teaching Artist for The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB).

Between 2013-2017, she was the co-owner and events planner for the award winning West Oakland restaurant FuseBOX, with co-owner and Chef Sunhui Chang.

She is currently serving as Resident Owner Board Member for East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative/Advisor for Esther’s Orbit Room Project/Artist Housing.

Rarely on Instagram (@afterzora),  to find Ellen, google her!

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Alexis is the founder of We Are Talking, a platform providing empowerment, motivation and education on the topic of personal finance through one-on-one coaching, group workshops and fun events. She founded We Are Talking because she LOVES talking about money. She especially enjoys talking about how to set up a strong financial foundation and maximize your funds. Her mission is to turn the often avoided conversation about money into one you won’t want to stop!
Instagram: @wearetalking_

Josie is a long time educator, life-coach, dancer, and social justice advocate. When she is not practicing or teaching, she can be found facilitating workshops that support leadership development, developing diversity and inclusion strategies for organizations, or designing workshops on social-emotional development, trauma sensitive practices, and personal development. Josie leans heavily on the ancient practice of Yoga to sustain her as she strives to change the world with the fullest compassion.
Instagram: @akiliwell

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Clay Xavier is a music producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Berkeley, CA. Coming from a musical family he experimented with many instruments as a child leading to his love and passion for music. Starting with saxophone Xavier quickly expanded to many different wind instruments including flute, clarinet, harmonica, and recently trumpet. Since 2017 as the COO & Co-Founder of indie label OakTownSoul he has produced and recorded hundreds of local developing artists. Along with the rest of the OakTownSoul team he is currently on a quest to unite the Bay Area music scene and foster the growth of a professional level entertainment industry not reliant on LA.

Personal IG: @ClayXavier
Business IG: @OaktownSoul

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Babatunji Johnson was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. Though never formally trained as a child, Babatunji was always moving his body to the beat. At the age of 15, he discovered the art of hip hop. Following over a decade of self-taught street performance, he has developed a unique approach to various styles of hip hop such as breakdance, popping, and krump. While cultivating his own movement language, Babatunji simultaneously trained in ballet, modern, and contemporary, going on to work and perform around the world with Alonzo King LINES Ballet for six years among other inspiring companies. In 2015 Babatunji was given a Princess Grace Award, as well as a Chris Hellman Award for his outstanding achievements and promise in the world of dance.

IG: @babatunji

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Generous, compassionate and encouraging are a few key characteristics to define Willem Leeks. He is known as the “gentle giant”, always matching his 6’7 external height with the height of love and compassion that he expresses to others daily. He is a transformative thinker and poet; Leeks love for poetry was commenced in his adolescent years, finding a love for rhythm of words.

W: Willemleeks.com
IG: @w_mr.leeks

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Marc Allen is an Oakland native and has been practicing photography professionally for ten years. Starting early with an education at the Museum of Children's Arts (MOCHA) and influenced by his mother, a talented musician, he has been an artist his entire life and always shifting and expanding his interests and mediums.

See Marc in person! - Trap Art - Jan 15, 2023
W: Marc Allen Design
IG: @Marc.My.Territory

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John Mason aka JM3 is a young Christian rapper born and raised in Pittsburg, CA.
Best known for his popular "God Step", he is making his way through the local music scene. Follow him on Instagram and check out his music on Spotify. The rapper's latest single "So" definitely is steeped in that Bay Area sound.

IG: @jm3fromthep

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Jazmyn K. Robinson was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She received her BS in Criminology from Fresno State University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California.

Jazmyn has served the community in several capacities and ultimately experienced emotional and physical burnout during her early 20s. Jazmyn suffered from obesity, depression, anxiety, and alcoholism, which required her to take an in depth look into the importance of personal health and wellness. Jazmyn explored several diets and trends with little to no success. In 2018, Jazmyn discovered and began to practice the Ketogenic Lifestyle resulting in a loss of 86 pounds, increased mental clarity, and a renowned aspiration to establish and achieve self-care goals.

Today, self-care remains a paramount practice and is acknowledged and encouraged by Jazmyn to all who are looking to redefine their life’s purpose.

W: www.hellaketo.net
IG: @hellaketo98

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Tonya Amos received a BA in Cultural Anthropology from U.C. Berkeley & trained four years on full scholarship at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. A member of Actors Equity Association, she has appeared with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater & Donald Byrd, was a member of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Footprints & Amy Pivar Dances, performed in the International Tour of “West Side Story”, the National Tour of “Sesame St. Live”, Sacramento Music Circus’ “The King & I”, and has been featured in numerous print ads & TV commercials.

She is the owner of Aspire Pilates Center, which has allowed her to work full time on bridging health and wellness and the arts with communities that traditionally don’t have access. She’s proud to help build cross cultural and intergenerational bridges with Grown Women Dance Collective.

W: Grown Women Dance Collective
IG: @GrownWomenDanceCollective

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Tammy Johnson is a dancer, producer, culture keeper, writer, equity consultant and godmother extraordinaire. Johnson directed living wage, welfare rights, public education and election campaigns as community organizer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has partnered with World Trust and spent a decade at Race Forward as a national organizer, trainer, writer, and policy analyst.

Johnson co-produced the television special Colorlines: Race and Economic Recovery with LinkTV. She was also the curator of creativesinplace.org, a listening project and digital platform that features the stores of Bay Area artists and their work.

Johnson specializes in raks baladi, also known as Egyptian style belly dance, and was a recipient of the 2016 Deborah Slater Studio 210 Residency Program and performed as part of ChimaTEK: Hybridity Visualization Mandala, a piece created by renowned performance visual artists Saya Woolfalk.

W: tjuniverse.com
IG: tammy.johnson.510

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Cherie Hill-Surya Devi is a choreographer and dance educator who practices and shares expressive and healthy processes to nourish the mind, body, and soul. A dancer most of her life, Cherie holds a graduate degree in dance and somatics and has taught dance for over ten years.

A creator of art that explores human expression through the body in collaboration with nature, music, and visual imagery, her dance company, IrieDance, has held multiple artist residencies and community partnerships throughout the San Francisco Bay Area/Ohlone land.

The named sun daughter is a meditator and initiate of inner light and sound and has followed a plant-based diet for over two decades. Her lifestyle informs her specialized approach to teaching and connecting the body with the soul. Cherie-Surya currently lives on Luiseño-speaking Payomkawichum land in the Temecula Valley, CA, with her life-long partner, and two children.

W: Move Da Soul
IG: @movedasoul

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Uzo Nwadugbo serves as the Executive Director of The Black Neighborhood organization, established in 2016. He was born and raised in East (got to be specific!) Oakland, California and always had a passion for giving back to others from a young age.

He went to Skyline High School and from there went on to get his BA in Communications at San Jose State University. He along with five other liked minded friends started The Black Neighborhood out of tragedy and now it's programs include educational scholarships for college students, meditative outdoor hikes, food + clothing giveaways and more!

W: The Black Neighborhood
IG: @theblackneighborhood

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Dani Offline is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer and songwriter. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she is currently based in Oakland, California.

IG: @dani.offline
Twitter: @dani_offline

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A native of Oakland, CA Traci Bartlow is an artist and entrepreneur with a longstanding career as an activist, business owner, photographer, dance educator, lecturer, curator, and cultural archivist.

As a dancer she has taught and performed internationally and produced many local events in the Bay Area. She is a founding member of Eastside Cultural Center, served on the board of trustees at City Center Dance Theater, and consulted with many arts and social justice organizations. 

Currently she is the owner of B-Love’s Guest House in west Oakland.  It is a boutique hotel with an art gallery and exquisite urban garden.  In the summer of 2022, B-Love’s Guest House premiered Oakland Picture Lady: Tales of a 90’s Girl, a collection of Ms. Bartlow’s photographs, collages, and short stories she created in the 1990’s.

Website: iamtracibartlow.com
IG: @TraciBartlow

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An Oakland native, performing vocalist, & culture, arts education and wellness advocate, Rashida Chase recognizes and embraces the power that music and culture hold and uses her voice as a tool for liberation. Rashida is the Director of AMP Oakland, a curated busker series piloted in Downtown Oakland in 2019 showcasing more than 300 artists, the same year she founded Liberated Culture, a cultural enterprise that supports local artists, bridges
intergenerational gaps, and uplifts the authentic culture of Oakland.

FB/IG: @rashidachasemusic

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Dieudonné Brou is a first generation Ivorian-American, West Oakland native who spent most of his early life trying to find his identity. As a young black male navigating historically marginalized communities in Oakland and the Bay Area, Dieudonné would soon find himself caught  in the school-to-prison pipeline. Dieudonné’s blended West African heritage & Black American experience helped shape his interest in shoe design, style and menswear.

Website
Instagram

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Shanice Monique Whittaker, MBA-HRM, is a christian, black woman who's purpose is to uplift and bring positive change to her community through her many gifts. Shanice is a praise dancer, Creative Director, empowerment coach, licensed cardio kickboxing instructor, seasoned HR leader, and entrepreneur.  

Her multi-faceted abilities allows her to present herself in various professional spaces. She inspires others to OVERachieve their dreams as the founder and sole owner of Soul Movement LLC; an alternative holistic wellness platform. Soul Movement provides services to engage the BIPOC community in physical, mental, and spiritual activity that will foster inspiration, creativity, and holistic wellness for developing creatives and entrepreneurs. 

Soul Movement LLC
Soul Movement by Shanice
@soulmovementllc
@visionyourvictory

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Jameelah Lane was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is an educator, entrepreneur, professional artist, and community leader. 

She is the CEO/Founder of MELANAID and co- founder/worker owner of the DEEP Grocery Co-op.
As a visual artist, professional dancer and poet/storyteller Jameelah is always learning new ways to uplift and transform the community.
Jameelah’s current interests are astrology, numerology, food sovereignty, gardening and nutrition education. Her long term vision is to Co-own land that will help sustain individuals and families in an ancestral and restorative healing living commune that supports an all-natural lifestyle.   

To keep in touch follow her on Instagram & Facebook
@karbonkween, @melan_aid, @thedeepgrocerycoop

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Nakia Dillard is the founder of Magnetic Woman Coach and Goddess Crowns By Nakia. She helps Black women put themselves first, be more bold and courageous, and leap into their next chapter. Through her services at Magnetic Woman Coach, she provides private coaching, workshops, and facilitating an annual group coaching program. Whether rocking their crowns or experiencing Nakia‘s coaching, women feel like the goddesses that they are. They know that they are cared for and more importantly, that they have the power within themselves to honor themselves their beauty, self love and purpose. 

Nakia Dillard has over 15 years of experience impacting the lives of others through her service in public health, youth development, as well as social and food justice work. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Community-Based Health Education. She is a Black woman walking in and committed to her calling.

Magnetic Woman Coaching
Goddess Crowns

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Sarah Crowell is a retired professional dancer who has taught dance, theater and violence prevention for over 30 years. She is the Artistic Director Emeritus at Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, where she served in different capacities from 1990-2020, including Executive Director. She founded and co-directed the award-winning Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company, which was the subject of two documentary films. Sarah facilitates arts integration, anti-racism and team building professional development sessions with artists and educators, both locally and nationally. She has received many awards, including the Bay Area Dance Week award, the Alameda County Arts Leadership award, and the National Guild for Community Arts Education Milestone award. She is a four-time finalist for a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater Education.    

Sarah performed and toured with Impulse Jazz Dance Company in Boston and the Dance Brigade in San Francisco. She also co-directed the dance/theater company i am Productions!

Instagram
Destiny Arts Center

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Poet, actor, creative and Classic Man, Michael Wayne Turner III has been described in “The Examiner” as “remarkable, dynamic and real....Turner is maximally obsessed with character...his impact resonates and questions churn long after patrons leave the theater.” The SF Chronicle describes Michael as one “with a magnetic deep-dyed earnestness and almost otherworldly innocence".

Instagram
Honor Road
Dandy Lion EP

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Rev. Vickia Brinkley is a Community Organizer and Clergy person, with a demonstrated history of providing service and problem-solving talents in the Higher Education, private sector and retail industries. Singer-songwriter and Social Justice ministry public speaker, she leads as the Pastor of True Faith Community Baptist Church in Antioch, CA.

Walk with Me album
True Faith Community Baptist Church
True Faith Facebook
True Faith Youtube Channel

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Derick Morgan is the Policy Associate for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. He provides leadership on campaigns to expand principles of truth and reinvestment at the state level. Before joining EBC's staff, Derick contributed to campaigns to end mass incarceration volunteering with the Ella Baker Center. He also helped create a sober social space for adults in Berkeley.  

Derick came to the US with his family and grew up in South Florida. His studies included economics and visual arts.

Ella Baker Center Website
Ella Baker Center Twitter

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Tayleur is a poet, New Yorker and Howard University alumna.  Curating beautiful moments and threads throughout segments of her life, Tayleur began her career on the corporate marketing and merchandising teams at AARP, Gap and Banana Republic.

Tayleur dedicated herself to becoming better at curating art-filled experiences for Black people through her organization, Gold Beams. Gold Beams curates events, experiences, programming and productions for Black creatives and her Black community at large. Her work with Oakland School for the Arts, events at the Oakland Museum of California and within Black Women-owned galleries are examples of this. Her goal is to be in inspiring spaces with inspiring people and to support Black creatives making careers from their art.

Gold Beams Website
Gold Beams Instagram

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Jasmine Malone was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically the unceded land of the Me-Wuk (Bay Miwok) peoples. She attended Delta Academy for the Performing Arts and worked front of house at local theatres in the bay. She misses dance/acting class!!! Jasmine has been writing short stories and poetry for as long as she can remember. In 2020, she performed her poetry on IG live with da poetry lounge.
As a co-founder of Black Vent Space, she plans her "scribble time" around writing social media posts and planning the next event!

Black Vent Space Instagram
Personal Instagram (@jasminexshantel)

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An Oakland native, Adesha made her solo debut singing for hundreds of people at The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco at the tender age of six. By age ten she had starred and co-starred in musicals, she sang a jingle for a commercial, and had performed solo at a few of San Francisco’s live music venues. Years of training from singing in church; vocal coaching from her mother Deltrina Johnson, a trained gospel singer; and numerous live performances would follow the training she received in her primary years. 

To date Adesha has performed at a long list of venues from San Francisco to LA. She has been the opening act for Ledisi, Goapele, Gospel diva Kim Burrell, Kase, Anthony David, Carl Thomas, Jazmine Sullivan and more. Adesha has released a full length album entitled Giving Love a Try, a re-mix E.P. of the Giving Love A Try album, 2 additional E.P.s entitled Feeling You and Things 2 Consider, and a single entitled Just Groove, all of which are available on ITunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify.

www.adeshamusic.com
www.instagram.com/adeshamusic
www.youtube.com/adeshamusic
www.facebook.com/adeshamusic

AlexisRose is an American inspirational pop singer-songwriter, born and raised in beautiful Oakland, CA.

Beginning at the age of seven, AlexisRose began singing and performing for friends and family. This led her to begin performing in church and then going on to win many vocal competitions in her community and schools. She was honored to star in leading roles for plays and musicals, open up for headliners such as Tony! Toni! Toné!, Goapele and other big names such as John Madden, Steve Mariucci, Tom Hanks, as well as audiences of thousands.

In 2017, AlexisRose released her first EP entitled Shades Of Love, an incredible project inspired by different angles of the heart. Her recently released single Radiant, is a beautiful expression about radiance for every woman under the sun. Check it out now on Spotify and most major sites.

https://www.alexisrosemusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/alexisrosemusic
https://www.facebook.com/alexisrosemusic

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Kevin Jenkins has served on the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees since December of 2020. Kevin is a proud alumni of the Peralta Community College District. He earned his Master’s of Public Administration from CSU East Bay and a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies and Planning from SF State University. Kevin has worked in local government for many years, working to influence systems to improve the lives of people from disenfranchised communities. Kevin currently works with local community based organizations to address societal inequities. His community involvement includes serving in leadership on the Alameda County Public Health Commission and Peralta Citizens Bond Oversight Committee.

Learn more about the Peralta Community College District Board here.

Learn more about the film, Last Chance U.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

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D’Shaun Campbell founded Succeed Consultant Firm to cultivate strong relationships with entrepreneurs and business owners. Campbell assists in vision execution from goal formulation to insuring process completion to success. Passion and undeniable skill presented D’Shaun with complimentary positions at multiple faith-based organizations including Dream Team Affairs, 1C13 Productions, Faith in the Bay, and currently Chief Operations Officer at Vision Center Church in Oakland, CA. 

Join us as we talk about faith, entrepreneurship, and doing the work!

Succeed Firm Website

Succeed Firm Facebook

Succeed Firm Instagram--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

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Professional dancer, choreographer, teacher, and small business owner (Raycreations Greeting Cards), Erik Lee's artistic work aligns with but is not limited to the culture of the Bay Area: socio-political activism, spirituality, and artistic explorations of the African diaspora. 

Join us as we talk about humble beginnings, the weight and joy of being a role model for children, and the undemanding ease of how he started his greeting card business.

Website
Ray Creations Instagram
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Tajianna Okechukwu (she/her) is an emerging actress and filmmaker. Join us as we talk about the duality of being behind and in front of the camera, bringing a Nigerian-American perspective to Hollywood, and that recent Jordan commercial!

Website
Instagram
Music Video: Janel Chanté - "Queen"
Jordan Commercial
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Ave-Ameenah Long is a travel photographer and nonprofit administrator. 

Listen in as we talk about global Blackness, travel photography, youth empowerment, and the movement for Black Trans Lives.

Avé-Ameenah Long Instagram: @Keep_it_diasporac

Oakland SOL Revival: Instagram @Oakland_SOL_Revival

Music Video: Qing Qi - IDWIW (I Do What I Want)--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

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Andre Spearman is a community organizer, Social Justice Warrior, nonprofit leader, and amazing father!
Follow him and his nonprofit, A Journey to Success, on Facebook

To learn more about labor unions, visit the SEIU Local 1021 website.
To learn more about the Faith in Action Network, click here.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

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Noah D. James III (he/him) is deaf/ hard of hearing. He is a Sickle Cell Warrior whose artistic voice has grown and flourished into curating performance art, poetry, and a thriving podcast. His mission is to encourage and uplift sickle cell, chronic, and mental health warriors to continue to to pursue life. 

He is the Co-Artistic Director of Visceral Roots Dance Company and has toured, taught, and thrived as a professional dancer for over a decade. His book, The Gift of Pain: Bookmarks of a Sickle Cell Warrior Vol.1 is available now on Amazon. Inspired by his own journey, Noah serves as a life coach and chronic pain advocate within various communities.

Book: The Gifts of Pain: Bookmarks of A #SickleCellWarrior Vol. 1

Website: VisceralRoots.org
Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter: @VisceralRoots @iNoahplace--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

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Regina Evans is a native of Oakland, is a Poet, Playwright, Actor, Entrepreneur, Modern Day Abolitionist and a Survivor Leader in the fight against sex trafficking. She is the Founder of Regina's Door, a vintage boutique located in downtown Oakland. Regina's Door is an artistic safe haven and healing sanctuary for at-risk youth, homeless youth, young Oakland Creatives and survivors of human trafficking.

Regina Evans:
Facebook.com/reginasdoor
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