** This video was pre-recorded **

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** Recorded Live at People Get READy Bookstore - September 12, 2021 **

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Anna Nyakana @Niyah_Zuri

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Guest 1:   Dr. Don C. Sawyer III is the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.  He is a tenured associate professor in the department of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences and an assistant clinical professor in the Frank H. Netter, MD, School of Medicine.  He teaches courses on Race, Education, Popular Culture, and Social Research Methods, including the university’s first course dedicated to the sociological study of hip-hop culture.  His scholarly focus is on race, social justice, urban education, hip-hop culture, and formerly incarcerated citizens’ reentry experiences. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology and M.S. in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Psychology from Hartwick College.    

Dr. Sawyer has served in various capacities as a university administrator.  With over 20 years of higher education experience, he has held positions in residence life, admissions, multicultural affairs, fraternity and sorority affairs, student activities, experiential learning, student leadership, and STEM retention.   Throughout his career, he has worked diligently to nurture healthy relationships between academic and student affairs. He understands that collaborative partnerships create an environment conducive to the successful recruitment, retention, education, and graduation of civically engaged students.
 

Guest 2: Devon Glover - Devon Glover is a teacher, rapper, poet, playwright and actor from Brooklyn, New York. He performs Shakespeare's Sonnets through Hip-Hop as The Sonnet Man in schools and theatres worldwide. Devon has appeared on NBC, BBC, and at Conferences and Festivals worldwide, including Stratford, Ontario, and Stratford-upon-Avon. He has taught with Stratford Shakespeare, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and Shakespeare Behind Bars. Devon has written adaptations of Shakespeare for various companies. In the Spring 2019, Devon was commissioned by the University of Warwick and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to write a hip-hop adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”  For more information, visit www.SonnetMan.com

Guest 3: Josh Brown - AnUrbanNerd has been writing and performing for the past 10 years. The purpose of his art is to show that "your gift is not your own". He used to rap as a joke with his friends but he keep it low key. Now he is comfortable sharing his passion for music and remains his goofy self. He took up the name AnUrbanNerd to embrace what he used to try to hide. At the end of the day everyone has a gift that they need to share with the world.

Guest 4: Frederick Douglass-Knowles II - is an Educator and Activist fervent in achieving community augmentation through literary arts. He is the inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Hartford. His works have been selected as a finalist for the New England Frederick-Douglass Knowles II is an Educator and Activist fervent in achieving community augmentation through literary arts. He is the inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Hartford. His works have been selected as a finalist for the New England Association of Teachers of English (NEATE) Poet of the Year Award, as well as a nominee for a Pushcart Prize. He is a recipient of the Nutmeg Poetry Award, and the 2020 Connecticut of The Arts Fellow in Artist Excellence for Poetry/ Creative Non-Fiction. Frederick-Douglass is the author of BlackRoseCity, and an Associate Professor of English at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT.

Guest 1: Yalan Sesay 

Hailing from New Jersey, Yalan Sesay is a 27 year old vocal percussionist and poet who resides in the Ward 8 District of Washington, DC. From a young age Yalan has been practicing and honing his craft of beatboxing in various street performances, and open mics. He recently just started poetry under the tutelage of the legendary DC Spit Dat founders Dwayne Lawson-Brown and Drew Anderson. When he isn’t working on his crafts Yalan can be found working on his Martial Arts skills practicing Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Most of the time he can be found working hard for his community by positively influencing the lives of youth that are in transition from the streets as a Career Pathways Specialist for the Covenant House of Greater Washington. Through his art forms Yalan wishes to positively inspire and expose others to different ideas.  

Guest 2: MK Calero

Primarily a Young Adult fiction writer but I also enjoy writing poetry. I studied English in college and later received my MFA in Creative Writing back in 2017 (from Lesley University). I love and understand the importance of words and stories and have dedicated my life to this craft. Aside from writing poetry, I am currently working on a YA fantasy trilogy.

Guest 3: Lawrence “Logic” Taylor

Age 31

Rapper/ poet/writer/creator / Clothing line Outcasts and Weirdos and working on 2 other lines called Know Your Worth and Hippie Life dropping in June. Writer working on a novel and a short film about single fathers.

Guest 4: Julien Mein “Brother Bear”

A 20 year old  poet and spoken word artist from Hartford, CT. 

Guest 5: Phillip C. Alexander

born and raised in Bridgeport, CT. Poetry is my passion and I love to study my craft so I display it to the best of my ability. I look forward to what the future has in store so stay tuned and follow me for more content @philcalexander

Stacy is the membership director for the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and has also worked in marketing and community engagement roles for Bad Boy Records, MTV, Morgan Stanley and General Motors. She is also a licensed cosmetologist in the State of Connecticut.  

You can find Stacy's articles about her family, the arts, culture and growing up as a young Black woman in predominantly white spaces syndicated in 5 major Hearst-owned newspapers throughout the state, including the New Haven Register and the Connecticut Post. 

A boy-mom with two sons, Stacy is a graduate of Hopkins School, has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University. She is also an alumna of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.

Follow her on social media @stacyreports, and to receive a free electronic copy of her book "Processing Pain, send her an email at stacygrahamhunt@gmail.com. 

Abigail C. Onwunali (she/her/hers)- Actor/Poet/Writer. Abigail is a second-year
MFA Acting student at the Yale School of Drama. In undergrad, at the University of Texas at Austin, she is one of the most accomplished performers in the history of forensics, having won 13 collegiate national titles across four different interpretation categories over her 4 year career. She has been a sacrificial poet for many events including Texas Grand Slam and Slam Mania hosted by Write About Now.

a.k. payne (she/they) is a playwright, artist-theorist and theatermaker whose people
are rooted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her plays love on and engage the interdependencies of Black pasts, presents and futures and seek to find/remember
language that might move us towards our collective liberation(s). She holds a B.A. in
English and African-American Studies from Yale College and is currently pursuing an MFA in playwriting from Yale School of Drama. akpayne.com

Dr. Sawyer has served in various capacities as a university administrator.  With over 20 years of higher education experience, he has held positions in residence life, admissions, multicultural affairs, fraternity and sorority affairs, student activities, experiential learning, student leadership, and STEM retention.   Throughout his career, he has worked diligently to nurture healthy relationships between academic and student affairs. He understands that collaborative partnerships create an environment conducive to the successful recruitment, retention, education, and graduation of civically engaged students. 

The coloring and activity book includes black line illustrations, as well as prompts for children to write stories of their own family traditions.  

Rare antique and contemporary Gee’s Bend images of quilts are included throughout both publications.  

A 27-year veteran in the field of education, Tangular A. Irby is also the granddaughter of Gee's  Bend quilters, Pearlie Kennedy Pettway and Jensie Lee Irby. Tangular Irby grew up admiring the  beauty of the quilts gifted to her by family. Quilting became a way to honor the legacy of her  maternal and paternal grandmothers, Gee's Bend quilters, who passed on long before their  creations were recognized as more than just a means to keep their families warm. Pearl and Her  Gee’s Bend Quilt is inspired by countless family conversations over the decades and the artistry  of Gee’s Bend resident, quilter, and relative of the author Mary Leathea Pettway.  

When asked why she quilts, Mary Leathea said,  

“I made my first quilt over 40 years ago. As a young mother, it was my stress reliever.  Some people drink. Some people smoke. I connect with myself when I quilt. I do it my way, no one else's way. I do not use patterns. I don’t need anyone’s permission. I can see a cabinet and get an idea. I know when it is done because I feel complete. I feel free.”  In an interview, the author could discuss: 

• The history and legacy of Gee’s Bend Quilting 

• The author’s relationship to Gee’s Bend quilters 

• The inspiration for the children’s book, and why she decided to write it now

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Joshua De Sousa from Orange, New Jersey, is a ghostwriter, preacher, and newly published author! He is the owner of a writing ministry and business, Sousa Scribal Solutions, where many have benefited from his visionary skill set as a ghostwriter, writing coach, and the founder of the Supernatural Scribes Writing Conference! This is also Joshua’s newly released book and devotional, Dew Drops of Destiny, is available on Amazon both in paperback and Kindle. His first ever Christian Fiction black superhero novel entitled The Kairos Knight, was released in December 2020.

Episode Guest Info:

Guest 1:    Kenji Jasper is an author, journalist and screenwriter whose work has appeared in Essence, Ebony, VIBE and on National Public Radio.  His first novel, Dark, was a Washington Post bestseller and he has earned praise for his books, Cake, The House on Childress Street and his co-editing of the anthology, Beats, Rhymes and Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip-Hop. He’s been featured in the collections Brooklyn Noir, DC Noir, Atlanta Noir and The Speed Chronicles from Akashic Books. His next novel, Nostrand Avenue, the first part of trilogy, was published by Kensington Books in the Summer of 2018.

Guest 2:   Christopher Chambers is a Washington, D.C. native and a Professor of Media Studies at Georgetown University. He’s written the award-winning bestselling Angela Bivens novels from Random House Sympathy for the Devil and A Prayer for Deliverance; his short story “Leviathan” was nominated for a PEN/Malamud Award for short fiction. He co-edited the popular The Darker Mask with author Gary Phillips published by MacMillan and featuring writers Walter Mosely, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Mat Johnson, Naomi Hirahara, Victor Lavelle, and award-winning artists like Shawn Martinbrough. He is the author of pulp novel Rocket Crockett and the Shanghai She Devil, and a contributor to Black Pulp .He is a contributor to the bestselling and Anthony Award-winning political/pulp/speculative fiction anthology The Obama Inheritance, published by Three Rooms Press, and the upcoming Black Panther, Tales of Wakanda, by Marvel. His “new-noir” crime novel Scavenger has been starred by Publisher’s Weekly as “groundbreaking” and “No holds barred.”  

Guest 3:    Lisa D. Gray opens doors and helps other writers of color claim space in writing and publishing by curating several reading series in the Bay Area. She curated two seasons of The Bloom for 14 Black Poppies Arts Collective, which provided more than 50 writers of color with an outlet to share their work. Lisa has interviewed authors Devi Laskar, Jodi Picoult, Natalie Baszile, Renee Swindle,  Elmaz Abinader, Jacqueline Luckett and Faith Adiele in conversations that tackled topics around craft, inspiration, and writing practice. Lisa won the 2018 Edgar Award named for Robert L. Fish and the Henry Joseph Jackson Prize for Distinguished Fiction in 2014. She was a Fellow at the San Francisco Writers Grotto where she is now a member, and has earned writing scholarships to attend The Fine Arts Works Center, The Voices of Our Nations Foundation, and the Vermont Studio Center where she completed a residency. She is currently a fellow at The Ruby San Francisco and holds degrees in English and Creative Writing from Spelman College and Mills College. 
She is a writer and leader who believes that it is necessary for black women and women of color to write and share our stories so that others do not erase or control our narratives. She is completing her first novel, Stolen Summer and is in search of an agent and publisher for her collection of short stories that focuses on black children coming of age from the 1950’s to present day.

Lauren Simone Publishing House is a black-owned, mother and daughter,
publishing service. The mission of Lauren Simone Publishing House is to publish the works of diverse authors and illustrators. Lauren Simone Publishing House is invested in engaging children in stories written by nontraditional authors; expanding the diversity of groups not often represented in literary
works; educating and improving children's understanding of their academic and
social experiences and empowering young authors and illustrators by giving them a platform to highlight their artistic skills and build their portfolio, esteem, and marketability. 

Our goals are: 
1. To connect diverse authors and illustrators to create black, brown, and multicultural, diverse, and inclusive children's books for all to enjoy.  
2. To provide awareness and access to black,
brown, and diverse books, toys, games, and accessories. 
3. To collaborate with book clubs, schools, libraries, art galleries, museums, and science centers to host fun and educational activities, events, and programs.

Today's guests is:
Juanita - Creative Artist /Founder Cultured AF (As Fuck) New London, CT

Cultured AF is a social hub and creative platform. We are artists & creatives producing content, building community, and curating unique experiences that bridge the gap between the art world and black culture.

https://www.culturedaf.life/

Sun is one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter New Haven established in 2015. BLM New Haven’s mission is to demonstrate integrity through educating individuals of all ages, while helping increase their knowledge on Laws as well as their individual rights.

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Dyme Ellis ( https://www.facebook.com/DemigoddessGhaya ) is a Queer Black New Haven-based organizer and artist emerging into a career as an administrator, curator, and founder. A poet, visual artist, and producer of experimental music, Dyme intentionally grounds their work in their wellbeing and re-education of marginalized groups, centering BIPOC LGBTQ- spectrum. Currently Dyme is migrating poetry from the page/stage to walls and windows, harmonizing the powers of spoken word and graffiti, thus reclaiming and declaring safe space for queer, trans, people of color in New Haven.

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Tymani Rain ( https://www.facebook.com/Nala143 ) is a 23 year old all around performing artist. At 7 years old she started off playing violin, and taking African dance classes along with jazz, tap, and ballet. She did creative writing her whole life, but found her passion age 13 during her first open mic performance at the NuyoRican. Since then she has taken on the world with her lyrics. She hosts an open mic called Grown & Sexy Poetry in CT and has performed at The Black Lady Theater, Poetz Realm, Kuumba Kickback, Love Jones and many various open mics and showcases. She just hopes to enlighten and inspire with her art.