L Austin-Spooner (they/them) is a black & white biracial transmasc-identifying college freshman in Boston. After joining BAGLY in 2018, L has taken on the role of Welcome Meeting Facilitator, member of the Trans Youth Summit planning committee, and now as a co-chair! In their free time, they love painting, drawing, skateboarding, and taking care of their pets.

Julia R. Golden (they/them) is the Interim President of Trans Resistance MA, an award-winning educator and scholar activist. Much of the work Julia has created has centered Trans/Queer and/or BIPOC communities. From policy writing to creating educational institutes to creating workshops around self-reflection and joy. Julia is no stranger to challenging higher education to be more inclusive of Trans individuals on a regional and national level. Julia is a doctoral candidate at UMass Boston where they study secondary racial battle fatigue and compassion fatigue.

Max McLune (they/he) is a Jamaican-American poet and storyteller. They recently graduated from Hampshire College where they studied creative writing and cultural studies, with particular focus on racial justice and queer theory. Presently, they have two collections of poetry, Days in Eden and Nightmares & Daydreams. They currently serve as a youth leader at BAGLY where they facilitate weekly meetings for LGBTQ+ youth of color.

Micah Rosegrant (they/them) is a wordsworker who carves queer divinity through breath, word, and movement. Micah is the Co-Director of Emergence at Arts Connect International, co-founded Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB) and serves on the steering committee for the Asian Pacific Islander Arts Network. They craft art for healing with communities like BCYF Grove Hall Senior Center, Pao Arts Center, Central Square Theater, American Repertory Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, and StageSource. Find them glitching//transcending gender online @micah_pdf

Jhona Xaviera (they/she) is a Dominican-American, Boston-based multimedia chimæra who weaves together visual and performing arts into stories that embody the multiplicities of their Afro-Caribbean trans experience. They received a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in 2020 and have infiltrated gallery, performance, research, and virtual spaces in Massachusetts and North Carolina. As their muse, guide, and highest self, they channel Asyra: the many-faced goddess you may only wish to worship. 

• Honor TDOR and Trans Awareness Week:
  • Join Trans Resistance MA and partners for a vigil and memorial in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Saturday 11/20  on the Simmons University academic quad. The event will include a live stream, performances, speeches, and a slideshow in remembrance of loved ones, and will specifically honor and acknowledge Jahaira DeAlto, of blessed memory. Follow @transresistancema on Instagram for details and updates.
    
  • Learn more about the purpose and history of TDOR at gsanetwork.org/resources/transgender-day-of-remembrance/.
  • Read about the experiences and stories of transgender people via Transgender Awareness Week, A Book List, curated by Boston Public Library.
  • Visit tdor.co/ to read and share art, poetry, and zines from the Trans Day of Resilience art project.
• Take Action for Trans Justice:
  • Help Trans Emergency Fund continue their mission of ending homelessness for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming individuals! Do you have a room opening up in your apartment or house? Trans Emergency Fund would love to connect you with community members seeking housing. Email info@TransEmergencyFund.org
  • Support and digitally sign the Transgender Emergency Fund’s initiative to launch the Transitional Housing Program: https://transemergencyfund.org/transitional-housing/
  • Advocate for the RIGHTS Act (An Act to Promote Rehabilitation, Including Guaranteed Health, Treatment, and Safety for Incarcerated LGBTQI+ People) to improve conditions of confinement for LGBTQI people and those at risk for, or living with, HIV. You can learn more about this bill (S.1566 / H.2484) on the RIGHTS Act Factsheet from Black and Pink MA. Lead sponsors on this bill are Rep. Jack Lewis and Sen. Julian Cyr.
• Learn More
  • Check out Fenway Health’s infographics for Trans Awareness Month featuring statistics about the experiences of transgender and gender diverse people. View and share the images at fenwayhealth.org/transgender-awareness-month-2021/
  • Visit bagly.org/resources for links to resources for trans youth related to healthcare, legal aid, academic success, and more.

The Flavor Continues

Brian Lim (he/him) Co-Founder & Operations Director

Brian Lim, artist name Brian Pistols, stepped into the Breaking scene at ten years old. Fast forward two decades and his journey would find him as a multi-faceted resource in the Massachusetts Breaking community, whether it was practicing the craft for the love of it, competing, performing, organizing, hosting, judging, or teaching.

Brian has won competitions both on a local and national level most recently the Absolute Skills USA Tour Finals in 2018 and Cypher Cup in San Jose, California in 2019. He has also appeared at the prestigious Red Bull BC One, considered a global industry standard for elite Breaking competitors in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 in Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston again, and Philadelphia respectively, making him easily recognized in the Breaking community throughout various areas of the country and abroad.

His ongoing community work since then would eventually be recognized by Next Level USA, sponsored by Meridian International and the US Department of State, where he served as an Artist-Educator, Hip Hop Diplomat, and Cultural Ambassador teaching Breaking in Russia in the summer of 2019. In 2020, he would be the recipient of the first ever Teknyc B-Boy/B-Girl Scholarship in partnership with the United Hip Hop Vanguard, a grassroots crowdfunded scholarship awarded to one person in the USA for upholding the cultural values and integrity of Breaking culture. 

Today, Brian serves as a Co-Founder, Operations Director, and Artist-Mentor at The Flavor Continues (TFC), Massachusetts’ first and only community-led nonprofit organization serving Street and Club dance communities, established in 2019; to learn more about TFC and what they are up to, follow them at @theflavorcontinues on social media or visit www.theflavorcontinues.org.

Jinyi Duan (they/them) Co-Founder & Executive Director, The Flavor Continues

Jinyi started their dance journey in San Diego at the age of 20 with choreography. Their first introduction into the street and club dance cultures was through House dance, immediately falling in love with it for the history, community, and individuality it offered. It was the first space they felt that they actually belonged. The community challenged them to be a better version of themself each day and offered a safe space when they couldn’t find any. It gave them a pathway, mentors, and other likeminded individuals. The more they got involved in it, the more they became convinced that we have the blueprint to society in the future. All this drove them to co-found The Flavor Continues. Achievements and participation: Paul Ambrose Scholars 2019, Institute of Nonprofit Core Certificate 2022, Harvard Business School x ACOM, GivingTuesday, Creative Community Fellows: New England, 585 Advisory Board.

BAMS Fest 

Catherine T. Morris (she/her) Founder & Executive Director

A mother, entrepreneur, and visionary, who works at the intersection of arts, culture and creative placekeeping. Over the last 20 years, Catherine has spent her time and energy producing shows, as well as mobilizing and engaging local audiences to experience the arts. 

Catherine has been a presenter, panelist and moderator with SPARK Boston, Podcast Garage, Berklee College of Music, Emerson College, Northeastern University, Simmons University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Museum of Fine Arts. She is a 2018 National Art Strategies Creative Community Fellow (The Barr Foundation), and has served on grant review panels for the Cambridge Arts Council, The Lewis Prize for Music, and the Boston Neighborhood Fellowship (The Boston Foundation). 

Catherine is an alumna of Temple University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management in Philadelphia, PA, and received her Masters of Science from Simmons University (Boston, MA). It is Catherine’s hope that BAMS Fest becomes a pipeline to Boston’s arts and culture ecosystem and creative economy in a manner that minimizes implicit bias, closes the racial wealth gap, inspires hope, and positively impacts the livelihoods of future creatives.

Tim Hall (he/him) Collaborating Artist & Former Core Team Member

Tim Hall is an educator, artist, and entrepreneur, from Detroit, MI, who now resides in Boston, MA. He began playing alto saxophone at the age of 10. In college, Hall found poetry and used this form of creative expression to share his thoughts on paper. Tim Hall draws inspiration from his lived experiences – charting the nuances of blackness, masculinity, and the beauties of life. 

As a musician, Hall has shared stages with world-renowned recording artists such as The Nappy Roots, Carolyn Malachi, Bilal, Chris Turner, and Aloe Blacc. His poetry has been heard at Boston’s Hub Week, The Museum of Fine Arts, Berklee College of Music, Outside the Box Festival, Bridgin’ Gaps Festival, and many other venues and poetry slam communities around the Boston/Greater Boston area.

​Hall currently works at Berklee College of Music as the Assistant Director of the Career Center, is the co-owner of HipStory – a digital media production company dedicated to creating and showcasing the work of marginalized identities within media, and Events Coordinator for BAMSFest. Additionally, Tim can be found performing with local artists Cliff Notez, Oompa, VQnC, and Will Dailey, as well as session and work-for-hire opportunities. Most recent, he was nominated for “Session Musician of the Year” by the 2018 Boston Music Awards. Tim Hall’s work can be found in his self-produced spoken word EP entitled Colors Of My Soul, and in his self-published book titled Trust The Process, both of which released in 2016.

Pao Arts Center/Asian Community Development Corporation

Cynthia Woo (she/her) Director, Pao Arts Center, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center 

Cynthia has been the inaugural Pao Arts Center Director at BCNC since Jan 2017. She has more than fifteen years of experience in the non-profit arts, and arts education sector. Prior to joining the staff at BCNC, Cynthia worked at the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, LynnArts Inc, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and Boston Center for the Arts.

Lily Xie (she/her) Artist, Residence Lab Co-Facilitator

Lily Xie is a Chinese-American artist and educator whose socially-engaged work explores desire, memory, and self-actualization for communities of color. In collaboration with local residents and grassroots organizers, she facilitates creative projects with a focus on public space, housing, and racial justice. The work they create together often takes the form of illustration, print media, video, and installation. Most recently, she was a member of the inaugural cohort of Radical Imagination for Racial Justice, a program from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the City of Boston. Lily is part of New England Foundation for the Arts’ Creative City 2020 cohort for artists creating socially-engaged public art, and has been awarded grants from The Boston Foundation’s Live Arts Boston program, the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture Transformative Public Art, NEFA’s Public Art for Spatial Justice, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Transmedia Storytelling Initiative. Lily’s work has been displayed at the Boston Center for the Arts, Pao Arts Center, Weisner Gallery, and Unbound Visual Arts.

Jeena Chang (she/her) Director of Community Programs & Design, ACDC

Jeena Chang is the Director of Community Programs & Design at Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC). Her role is to build power among residents, especially working-class youth and immigrant families, to shape Boston’s Chinatown and Malden. She leads ACDC’s placekeeping strategy to translate “soft power” (arts and culture) into “hard power” (land use, financial investment, political power). Jeena first joined ACDC in 2014 as a youth worker…although she was often mistaken for a youth. She explores how artmaking heals social amnesia in public spaces and extends Chinatown’s footprints to counter cultural erosion and rapid displacement along the edges of the neighborhood. 

 Get involved with BAMS Fest:

• Donate to BAMS Fest to invest in a future of racial and social change, program accessibility, and spatial justice, created by Boston Black and Brown artists.
• BAMS Fest is accepting vendor applications until May 1—take your business to the lawn and become part of a new festival tradition that unites communities of color and supports our local talent!
• Check out this panel conversation “Black Boston: Transforming the Arts” on WBUR CitySpace toward amplifying new voices and new approaches to the Arts. 

Get involved with The Flavor Continues:

• Donate to The Flavor Continues and support Street and Club Dance culture and community in Boston.
• Volunteer with The Flavor Continues on project coordinating, fundraising, and more, to help expand the impact of Street and Club Dance:
• Read this Q&A with activist, community organizer, choreographer, and advocator of “street dance activism,” Shamell Bell

Get involved with Pao Arts Center and Asian Community Development Corporation:

• Donate to the Pao Arts Center and Asian Communtiy Development Corporation to help ensure arts, culture, and housing security in Chinatown for years to come
• See Lenora Lee’s movement piece “Convergent Waves” at Pao Arts Center centering the stories of displacement and gentrification in communities across the country
• Join AsianCDC and APIsCAN in taking action to support data equity in Massachusetts, a critical issue to increase visibility and equity in AAPI communities.

Inda Craig-Galván (she/her) writes stuff – mostly plays and TV.  Her work often explores intra-racial conflicts and politics within the African-American community. Grounded in reality with a touch of magical realism that fucks with time & memories. Inda’s currently developing new works of theatre on commission with The Old Globe and Roundhouse Theatre. Produced plays include a hit dog will holler (Skylight Theatre & Playwrights’ Arena co-production, Los Angeles), Black Super Hero Magic Mama (Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles), and I Go Somewhere Else (Playwrights’ Arena, Los Angeles). Inda is the recipient of the Kesselring Prize, Jeffry Melnick New Playwright Award, Blue Ink Playwriting Prize, Jane Chambers Student Award for Feminist Playwriting, and Stage Raw Best Playwright Award. Inda’s plays have been included on the Kilroys List (twice) and Steppenwolf Theatre’s The Mix. Inda has developed & presented work at Ashland New Play Festival, Orlando Shakes, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Black Swan Lab, The Old Globe Powers New Voices Festival, Kitchen Dog Theatre New Works Festival, Black & Latino Playwrights Conference, WomenWorks, Humanitas, Chalk Repertory Theatre, Skylight Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Trustus Theatre Playwrights Festival, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Intiman, and others. Aside from theatre, Inda is a writer on the upcoming JJ Abrams series Demimonde (HBO), and previously wrote on Happy Face, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Rookie. She is in development with Universal TV Studios to write and executive produce Cotton Club Princess, adapted from the novel by Karla Diggs. a hit dog will holler, Inda’s 4-episode fiction podcast adapted from her play, premiered March 16, 2022 on Radiotopia.fm or wherever you get your podcasts. MFA in Theatre: Dramatic Writing, University of Southern California.

Dr. Monica White Ndounou (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Theater at Dartmouth College and the founding Executive Director of The CRAFT Institute which convenes The International Black Theatre Summit and administers the Pay-It-Forward All-Career Level Mentorship Program along with various initiatives designed to create culturally inclusive ecosystems throughout the world of arts and entertainment by transforming formal training and industry practices while promoting equitable access. In addition to being a scholar-artist, she is also the past President of the Black Theatre Association (BTA) (2016-2018), immediate past Vice President of Advocacy for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) (2019-2021) and currently serves on the board of The August Wilson Society. She is also a founding member of the National Advisory Committee of The Black Seed, a national strategic plan to create impact and thrivability for Black theater institutions and initiatives. She is an alum and guest lecturer of The Black Arts Institute and a co-founder of CreateEnsemble.com, a digital platform for creative artists of color.

Latoya Gayle (she/her) has been an advocate for Boston’s families for the past 10 years. She served as founding Executive Director for Boston School Finder, and was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Phenomenal Moms, a Boston-based organization that aimed to reduce educational, social, and economic opportunity and achievement gaps by increasing engagement in schools and communities among parents and families of color. Gayle is also a Racial Equity Strategist and on the Board of Embracing Equity, a social change agency dedicated to centering racial justice in education through racial and ethnic identity development, critical consciousness, and critical action. She has also worked closely with Disruptive Equity Education Project (DEEP), a professional development and strategy organization that is focused on the intentional, developmental, and complex work that is associated with changing mindsets around equity and dismantling systemic oppression and racism. In response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Armaud Arbery, she co-founded and produced March Like a Mother for Black Lives Boston, a powerful and empowering rally that took place at Boston’s historic Copley Square on June 27, 2020. Calling on all mothers to stand in solidarity against anti-blackness and racism, March Like a Mother featured a diverse panel of speakers including Boston’s new mayor, then city councilor Michelle Wu, Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins, and Rep. Liz Miranda. Organized in just three weeks, the rally assembled 20 partners and sponsors and more than 500 socially distanced attendees and hundreds of live streams. Gayle lives with her family in Boston and has four children.

Nikki Tennermann (she/her) is a health and human services leader with a background in complex care, early childhood development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Identifying as an anti-oppressive clinical social worker, Nikki practices from a social justice standpoint. She pays particular attention to race/ethnicity, culture and beliefs as they impact care delivery and practices in English and Spanish. Nikki maintains a small telehealth private practice in the greater Boston area that focuses on BIPOC and LGBTQ mental health. Throughout her career, Nikki has consulted professionals on reducing bias in clinical judgment through critical exploration of self. She has developed curricula for trainings on unconscious bias and racial identity development and has investigated how social determinants of health impact individuals with chronic medical conditions. Nikki has a BA in psychology and Spanish, Bard College, an MSSW in Advanced Clinical Practice, Columbia University and a certificate in CBT, Boston University. Nikki is a Project Director with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and was previously the Administrative Director for the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Summer L. Williams (she/her/hers) is an award-winning director and Co-Founder/Associate Artistic Director of Company One Theatre in Boston. Her most recent directing credits include sandblasted by Charly Evon Simpson with Vineyard Theatre and WP Theater, Off-Broadway, The Arboretum Experience at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T), Daddy Issues at Salt Lake City Acting Company New Play Sounding Series, and the Digital World Premiere of Downtown Crossing at Company One Theatre. 

Regional credits: Wolf Play at Company One Theatre, School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Miss You Like Hell with Company One Theatre and OBERON at American Repertory Theater, the World Premiere of Leftovers at Company One Theatre, Wig Out! with Company One and OBERON at A.R.T.; Smart People at Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY and Geva Theater in Rochester, NY; Barbecue at Lyric Stage Company of Boston—Winner of the 2018 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director; Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. at Company One Theatre; Bootycandy at SpeakEasy Stage Company; An Octoroon and Colossal with Company One Theatre—Winner of the 2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for both productions. Intimate Apparel at Lyric Stage Company of Boston; Shiv as a part of The Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy; Shelter of Last Resort by Miranda Craigwell as a part of XX PlayLab 2014; the New England Premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s We Are Proud To Present A Presentation About The Herero Of Namibia, Formerly Known As Southwest Africa From The German Sudwestafrika Between The Years 1884-1915; Idris Goodwin’s How We Got On; Lynn Nottage’s By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston; The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or The Secret Of Sweet as part of The Brother/Sister Plays (2012 Elliot Norton Award nominated for Outstanding Production and winner of the 2012 IRNE Award for Best Play); Neighbors, Grimm; The Good Negro; Voyeurs De Venus (Winner of 2009 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director); The Bluest Eye (IRNE and Elliot Norton Award nominated); The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot; Spell #7 (IRNE nominated); Jesus Hopped The A Train (2004 Elliot Norton Award for Best Fringe Production); and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (IRNE nominated).

LEARN MORE

• Learn about the ongoing legislative efforts in Massachusetts for Child Care Reform and care for all families.

• Read We Live for the We: the Political Power of Black Motherhood by Dani McClain, a book in conversations with mothers on the frontlines of movements for social, political, and cultural change.

• Check out The National Black Women’s Justice Institute’s Factsheet on the Mental Health of Black Girls.

TAKE ACTION

• Support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s legislative agenda, which expands access to justice for all by promoting policy that ensures dignity and compassion for families impacted by violence.

• Donate or get involved with March Like a Mother for Black Lives, Mothers for Justice and Equality, Neighborhood Villages, and other local organizations that are doing on-the-ground work to support mothers and families across the state.

• Save the Date for the Mothers Against Violence National Conference on October 13-14, 2022, and follow Mothers for Justice and Equality for updates on how to volunteer or participate.

FIND SUPPORT

• Parents can follow @blackmomsblog, @TheMomPsychologist, and @TheConsciousKid on social media to find community and support in their parenting journey!

• Download Liberate, a subscription-based meditation app designed for and by the Black community.

• Use the directories below to find culturally-conscious therapists and mental health support for communities of color: 

• InnoPsych

• The Loveland Foundation

• DMH Multicultural Mental Health Resource Directory

• Therapy for Black Girls

Jenese Brownhill, LICSW, Director of the Juvenile Justice Division at JRI, oversees the development and expansion of programs such as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance (MOVA) and Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA). Jenese has spent much of her career providing mental health services to system-involved youth and families in community based settings. She is dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing and future of justice-involved youth, adults and families to develop safer communities. Outside of JRI, Jenese is an Adjunct Professor at Boston College School of Social Work. She has been a contributor to Social Work Today regarding the continued needs for justice-involved youth and families and to encourage diverse and qualified social workers to explore this area of practice as a meaningful career path. Jenese holds a Master’s in Social Work from Boston College.

Tonasia Jones (she/her) is a Boston based Disruptor, Program Director, and Creator (Actor/Director) whose work focuses on diverse collaboration and inclusive storytelling to conquer the societal divides through new and reimagined work.  Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, in recent years she has ventured to work in places such as Washington DC, Alexandria Virginia, Ashland Oregon, and England. Her roots in classical theater have given her opportunities of traveling England, Washington DC, and New England Areas.  Her administrative work has enabled her to work for amazing New England Theater organizations such as Arts Emerson (Creative Producer), Huntington Theatre (Casting/Producing Apprentice), Bad Habit Productions (General Manager), Brown Box Theatre Project (Artistic Outreach Manager), The Theater Offensive (Programs Coordinator), and StageSource (Program Director).  Her Acting and Directing work has enabled her to work freelance at New England theaters & universities such as Greater Boston Stage Company, Suffolk University, A.R.T, Fresh Ink, The Theater Offensive, Speakeasy Stage Company, Huntington Theater, and more. Tonasia holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College, and is dedicated to collaboration and changing the perspectives of diversity, ethnicity, and gender norms through theatre.  Utilizing theater to make those uncomfortable conversation happen. She strives to make today’s theatre genuinely reflect and mirror the world as it is “now”. Outside of theatre Tonasia has passions for hiking, Rosie (her american bulldog), dim sum, and embroidery.  

OJ Slaughter is a Boston based Photographer, Creative Director, Community Organizer, and Creative Consultant who uses a hands on approach to service their community. Their attention to detail and research skills allows them to be a step ahead of trends and creative content. They strive to create work that is cohesive to brands and artists design needs. Their work for major news organizations like WBUR and curation skills that have been noted by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Center for the Arts, and the Institute of Contemporary Art prove that they can organize and curate spectacular events at any scale. Talented with a digital camera, social media skills, empathy, resilience and the Adobe Suite, they are well equipped for any challenge that is thrown their way. 

OOMPA is a nationally-acclaimed, Boston-born, poet, rapper, and educator, who is forever representing the queer, black, orphaned, hood kids n’ them. She was named one of NPR’s 2020 Slingshot Artists to Watch and her engaging, interactive performing style won her the Boston Music Award for Live Act of the Year in 2019, following her 2018 Unsigned Artist of the Year victory among an unprecedented 12 total nominations. In a 2019 feature, WBUR’s the Artery describes the lyric-focused rapper as having a “natural tenderness with language” and calls her verses “funny…incisive and memorable.” Oompa showed this poetic prowess as the winner of the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam and a finalist in the 2016 National Poetry Slam. With the release of her newest album, Cleo, Oompa has sold out the Sinclair and a number of other Boston venues. She has been featured by NPR, the Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, WGBH, digboston, and NBC 10 and is the recipient of the 2019 Brother Thomas Fellowship, enriching Boston and the world beyond with her work.   

>> Take care of yourself this winter.

• Massachusetts General Hospital’s Mental Health Resources for Black, Indigenous and People of Color >> bit.ly/mgh-bipoc 
• Self.com’s Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country >> bit.ly/self-black-mental-health
• Join us for our Better Future: Joy + Wellness programs, in partnership with The Theater Offensive >> bit.ly/bf-joywellness

>> Take a joyful selfie.

• Use #BetterFutureC1 and let’s spread some happiness.

Listen:

• Justice Resource Institute’s Justice in Action Podcast
• Black Mental Health Matters with Dr. Kerry-Ann Williams, 1 p.m. on Sundays on 98.1FM The Urban Heat

Violence in Boston Impact Center

VIB’s Social Impact Center was established to prevent and reduce the impact of violence by addressing immediate and basic needs: housing, food, clothing, and public safety for the disenfranchised residents of the City of Boston. Learn more about the Social Impact Center here.  

About Land Acknowledgements:

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.” –  Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

More info:

• Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.
• Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.
• The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. Donate to grassroots organizations within the Navajo community, such as: Food Baskets for the Elderly, Navajo Strong, and Orenda Tribe Covid Response.

Chastity Bowick (she/her)
Chastity Bowick is a New England-based activist, civil rights leader and transgender health advocate. She is currently the Director of the Transgender Emergency Fund, the leading crisis agency for transgender communities in Massachusetts, and she is committee member of the Boston Medical Center Transgender Task force. Chastity was a committee member of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition 2014-2018, prior to which she led the transgender health programming at AIDS Project Worcester. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Advancing Equity Award presented by The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth; PrEP for Pride Community Service Award by Fenway Health and Lee Entertainment (June 2018), 25 Most Influential LGBTQ+ People of Color in Greater Boston by Get Konnected (August 2020), Audre Lorde Trailblazer Award by Fenway Health (October 2020), Lavender Rhino Award by History Project (October 2020), and TDOR Resiliency Award by Trans Resistance MA (November 2020). Chastity is honored to have received these awards but if she could, she would trade them in to provide those less fortunate with health, nutrition, and housing.

Trap Beat Tranny (they series and she series)
Trap Beat Tranny (TBT 4 da cissies!) is a Boston-based trans trap doll rappin as protest for Black queer/trans liberation. She eats trap beats up like cis dudes wish they could, spittin rhymes as rituals and singing songs as spells. Trap Beat Tranny gives high energy rap performances with catchy and witty lyrical hooks that make you wanna throw ass or throw hands (or I’m throwin yo ass OUT!) But They don’t choose Violence, They live in a world where Violence seeks Her-so She writes about it. Trap Beat Tranny’s debut album CYBERBULLY drops March 26, 2021-so follow her on Spotify, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp to make sure you don’t miss the release!”

Athena Vaughn (she/her)
Athena has been a leading figure in the LGTBQ community for over fifteen years. Driven by her faith & her lived experience as a black, trans-woman,  Athena is committed to fighting for the rights & dignity of Transgender & Gender Non-Binary and  people everywhere. Athena began her work in social justice at Boston Glass and AIDS Action. Currently, she is the Transgender health care access coordinator at Fenway Health Institute advocating for greater health care access to Transgender and LGTBQ individuals. She also works as the Assistant Director at Transgender Emergency Fund. Athena is an advocate, a leader and an activist. Athena is passionate about creating safe spaces for other members of the LGBTQ+ community: often doing so by organizing local balls for trans and queer individuals to express their full selves and sits on the New England Ballroom Collective as the current president. She is also an ordained Minister under watch care at Community Tabernacle of Deliverance in Lynn.

• Support the Trans Emergency Fund at TransEmergencyFund.org
  • If you are a transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming person who is currently experiencing or has experienced homelessness, you can help realize Trans Emergency Fund’s new housing program by filling out a confidential survey at TransEmergencyFund.org/Survey
• The 2021 Trans Resistance March & Vigil is on June 12 at Franklin Park!
  • Join the planning committee at bit.ly/trans-resistance-2021
• TBT’s new album CYBERBULLY comes out March 26!
  • Find links to her music on all platforms at trapbeattranny.com

About Land Acknowledgements:

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.” –  Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

More info:

• Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.
• Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.
• The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. Donate to grassroots organizations within the Navajo community, such as: Food Baskets for the Elderly, Navajo Strong, and Orenda Tribe Covid Response.

Support the Trans Emergency Fund’s Transitional Housing Initiative!

• Learn more, digitally sign your support for the program, or make a donation at transemergencyfund.org/transitional-housing
• If you are transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming, and you are currently experiencing or have experienced homelessness, you can also help by filling out a confidential survey at transemergencyfund.org/survey

Take action by using Black and Pink MA Policy Advocacy Toolkit at tinyurl.com/BPMAToolkit

Stay up to date with the Mayoral election: check out the Boston Mayoral Candidate Forum and hear about each candidate’s positions on policies and issues facing the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community at https://fb.watch/622r4LGUW1

Resources for queer and trans youth:

• Boston GLASS operates drop-in community centers for LGBTQ+ youth of color between the ages of 13–25 that provide support groups, educational workshops, social events, access to computers and internet, food, toiletries, clothes, games, and more. During the pandemic, many of their services have shifted online, so check out their current list of virtual services. 
• BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, is a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization. Their website hosts a wealth of resources for LGBTQ+ youth on mental health, medical care, legal help and more.
• This map of resources compiled by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth is meant to help youth, families, teachers, and providers find LGBTQ services near them.

About Land Acknowledgements:

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.” –  Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

More info:

• Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.
• Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.
• The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. Donate to grassroots organizations within the Navajo community, such as: Food Baskets for the Elderly, Navajo Strong, and Orenda Tribe Covid Response.

Ben Hires (he/him) joined BCNC as CEO in June 2020. Since his first job as a youth counselor at a therapeutic program, Ben has significant experience in nonprofit leadership and serving young people and families. He held leadership positions in programs, strategy, and external relations at the Boston Children’s Chorus where he played a key role elevating the choir’s social justice mission to bring diverse young people and their families together. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Boston Public Library, he established and maintained building strong relationships across education, cultural, and civic engagement sectors in order to advance the Library’s mission of providing educational and cultural enrichment free to all Boston residents. Prior to being the CEO, Ben volunteered as a mentor for BCNC’s College Access Program for youth and as a member of the Pao Arts Center Advisory Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Political Science, a Master of Theological Studies, and a Master of Science in Arts Administration all from Boston University.

Melissa Li (she/her) is a composer, lyricist, performer, and writer based in New York and Baltimore. She is a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award, a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow, a 2019 Lincoln Center Theater Writer-in-Residence, a 2019 Musical Theater Factory Maker, a 2019 Macdowell Colony Fellow, and a former Queer|Art|Mentorship Fellow. Musicals include Interstate (New York Musical Festival, Winner “Outstanding Lyrics”), Surviving the Nian (The Theater Offensive, IRNE Award Winner for “Best New Play” 2007), and 99% Stone (The Theater Offensive). Her works have received support from The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Village Theater, Musical Theater Factory, National Performance Network, New England Foundation for the Arts, Dixon Place, and others.

Cynthia Woo (she/her) has been the inaugural Pao Arts Center Director since Jan 2017. Cynthia holds a Master’s in Art History from Tufts University with a certificate in Museum Studies. Before coming to BCNC, Cynthia worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Center for the Arts and LynnArts Inc

Michelle Wu (she/her) has been a voice for accessibility, transparency, and community engagement in city leadership. First elected to the Boston City Council in November 2013 at the age of 28, Wu is the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Council. In January 2016, she was elected President of the City Council by her colleagues in a unanimous vote, becoming the first woman of color to serve as Council President. Councilor Wu was the lead sponsor of Boston’s Paid Parental Leave ordinance and Healthcare Equity ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity — both of which passed unanimously through the Council and were signed into law by Mayor Martin J. Walsh. She also authored Boston’s Communications Access ordinance, which guarantees translation, interpretation and assistive technology for access to city services regardless of English language proficiency or communications disability. Wu got her start in City Hall working for Mayor Thomas M. Menino as a Rappaport Fellow in Law and Public Policy, where she created the city’s first guide to the restaurant permitting process from start to finish, and was also a driving force to launch Boston’s food truck program. She later served as statewide Constituency Director in the U.S. Senate campaign of her former law professor, Elizabeth Warren. As a former restaurant owner, legal services attorney, and legal guardian of her younger sister, Wu understands firsthand the barriers that families and communities face.  She has a background in community advocacy, having worked at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center in Jamaica Plain, providing legal advice to low-income small business owners, as well as at the Medical-Legal Partnership at Boston Medical Center on immigration law cases for survivors of domestic violence. In 2016, Councilor Wu was honored as one of Ten Outstanding Young Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and as part of Marie Claire magazine’s New Guard: The 50 Most Influential Women in America. Michelle Wu graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She is fluent in Mandarin and Spanish, and lives in Roslindale with her husband Conor and her sons Blaise and Cass.

Kit Yan (they/them) is a Yellow American New York based artist, born in Enping, China, and raised in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Kit is a 2019 Vivace Award winner, Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow, 2019 Lincoln Center Writer in residence, a 2019 MacDowell Fellow, 2019-2020 Musical Theater Factory Makers Fellow, a 2019-2020 Playwright’s Center Many Voices Fellow, and a 2019 NAMT selection for Interstate. Kit’s forthcoming musical works along with collaborator Melissa Li include a production of INTERSTATE at Mixed Blood Theater in March 2020, a first draft commission of MISS STEP from 5th Avenue Theater, a commission from Keen Company for a Keen Teens one act musical, and co-commission from Company One and Pao Arts for a new chinatown based musical. INTERSTATE, won 5 awards at the 2018 New York Musical Festival including Best Lyrics. Kit’s show QUEER HEARTACHE has won 5 awards at the Chicago and SF Fringe Festivals. Kit’s forthcoming playwriting works include a rolling world premiere of their play t(estosterone) a documentary play based on interviews with trans people about hormones developed in the Civilians R&D lab and produced at the Artists’ Theater of Boston and The Hub in D.C., a forthcoming reading of their new play Mr. Transman, an alternative pageantry play in NYC, and a workshop of a new play Pepper at the Playwright’s Center about childhood sexual abuse and the intersection of trans identity. Their work has been produced by the American Repertory Theater, the Smithsonian, Musical Theater Factory, the New York Musical Festival, Diversionary Theater, and Dixon Place. They have been a resident with the Civilians, Mitten Lab, 5th Avenue Theater, and the Village Theater. In 2018 Kit founded Translab an incubator for Transgender and Non-binary voices in the American Theater along with MJ Kaufman and supported by WP Theater and the Public Theater.

Fill out the 2020 Census and spread the word to five friends!

Census data affects our communities in many ways, such as the free and reduced school lunch program, affordable housing, hospital funding, and emergency assistance. You have the power to help by filling out your census. 

Participate in Pao Arts Center’s “Love Letters to Boston Chinatown”

Pao Arts Center is taking part in The Love Letters to Chinatown Project to help celebrate and strengthen the API community of Chinatown and Greater Boston. Pao Arts Center is collecting love letters: poems, stories, illustrations, paintings, etc. inspired and dedicated to Boston Chinatown to help uplift our neighborhood during these difficult times. They will be translating these letters and posting them up around the neighborhood as they receive them. 

Support BCNC’s Brighter Futures Campaign

During these extraordinarily difficult times, BCNC serves a particularly vulnerable population – low-income and recent immigrants disproportionately impacted by the current crisis.

Families count on BCNC to provide:

• Counseling and support groups
• Daily academic support and arts enrichment lessons for children
• English classes and 1-on-1 advising
• Translation of critical resources
• Distribution of financial aid and meals
• Projects to respond to anti-Asian racism

About Land Acknowledgements

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.” – Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

Actions:

• Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.
• Print and customize your own #HonorNativeLand Art  
• Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.

Ramona Lisa Alexander (she/her) is currently the Director of Programs at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative for the Fairmount Cultural Corridor (a creative place-making initiative).  Additionally, she is the Co-Chair for Boston Creates, a citywide cultural cultural planning process, under Boston’s Chief of Arts and Culture. Prior to joining DSNI & FCC team she worked as the Manager of Performance Programs in the Education Department at the Boch Performing Arts Center in Boston. She is an award winning actress, enthusiastic about using theater as a model for social change while encouraging others to think out-side their own “.universe of six blocks.” (Ntzoke Shange).  A vibrant theatre performer, educator, community organizer and consultant.  Alexander has worked with various organizations, integrating the therapeutic aspects of theater, movement, and writing with community outreach and development. Alexander has also directed over 15 youth centered theatrical productions for various arts organizations that include; D.R.E.A.M Studios (Springfield, MA), Underground Railway Theatre (Cambridge, MA), Portland Play house (Portland, Or) Church of God in Christ (Benton Harbor, Michigan) and the National Black College Alliance Boston Chapter. Alexander holds an MFA from Brandeis University, studied Caribbean Folk Dance at the Edna Manly School of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica, and participated in the Guthrie Theatre Experience Training Program in Minneapolis.  Alexander also holds a certificate with the BEST Initiative’s  Youth Worker Training program

Kara Elliott-Ortega (she/her) is an urban planner and cultural organizer focusing on the role of arts and creativity in community development. Prior to becoming the Chief of Arts and Culture, she served as the Director of Policy and Planning for the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. Kara’s work to implement Boston Creates, Boston’s 10-year cultural plan, includes creating new resources for local artists, developing a public art program, and supporting the development of cultural facilities. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Kara received her bachelor’s from the University of Chicago and her Master in City Planning from MIT.

Tim Hall (he/him) is a musician and performance poet from Detroit, MI, now residing in Boston. His poetry draws inspiration from his lived experiences – charting the nuances of blackness, masculinity, and the beauties of life. He’s an Assistant Professor in the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music, was nominated for Session Musician of the Year by the Boston Music Awards (2018, 2019), received a 2019 Artist Luminary Award from local youth arts non-profit Zumix, and was honored by WBUR’s Artery 25 as 1 of 25 millennials of color impacting Arts and Culture in Boston.

Fill out the 2020 Census

Census data affects our communities in many ways, such as the free and reduced school lunch program, affordable housing, hospital funding, and emergency assistance. You have the power to help by filling out your census. 

Register to vote! 

Massachusetts’ State Primary Election is September 1, and the registration deadline is August 22. Find your voting info: https://www.rockthevote.org/

Massachusetts Voter Table compiled election turnout data for Upham’s Corner in comparison to the City of Boston as a whole, over the past several years, which is visualized below: 

Upham’s Corner Main Street Community Preservation Act Virtual Meetings

Join Upham’s Corner Main Street this month for a Community Preservation Act Meet and Greet on July 21st and 28th from 12pm to 1pm. Learn more about the Community Preservation Act, and share your project ideas with the CPA team! Please RSVP by emailing thadine.brown@boston.gov. You will receive a login link after you sign up.  

Upham’s Corner Health Center hosts a food pantry every Wednesday at 2pm at 415 Columbia Rd, Dorchester.

About Land Acknowledgements:

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.”– Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

More info:

• Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.
• Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.
• The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. Donate to grassroots organizations within the Navajo community, such as: Food Baskets for the Elderly, Navajo Strong, and Orenda Tribe Covid Response.

Ashley-Rose (she/her)
Ashley-Rose is a Haitian-American educator, writer, and restorative justice specialist from Boston, MA. She has worn many hats, including being the Lead Organizer responsible for implementation of Participatory Budgeting in Boston, to teaching S.T.E.A.M, peacemaking and poetry in schools, drug rehabilitation and community centers for over 15 years. Ashley-Rose has earned countless accolades for her work in the arts and organizing, including winning the Boston Music Awards Spoken-Word Artist of the Year, San Diego National Poetry Award in 2016, the OneIn3 Impact Award for being the most influential person under age 35 in Massachusetts, and also being honored as the Extraordinary Woman of the Year for the City of Boston. She currently works at Suffolk University creating curriculum and trainings for educators, corporations and institutions in the areas of restorative justice, arts and science.

Monica Cannon-Grant (she/her)
Monica Cannon-Grant is an Activist and Community organizer From Boston. She has resided in the Roxbury area for 17 years. In 2016 she was a Candidate for State Representative for the 7th Suffolk District losing her election by 90 votes. She was the Executive Director of The Tito Jackson Community Fund where she has organized his Annual turkey where they gave away 4,000 turkeys last year.

Monica sits on the Advisory Board for an organization named Community Call. Monica is a Former Chair of the Young Adult Committee for the NAACP and current member. Monica believes in the Motto “Our Community Our Responsibility” which is why she is the CEO/Founder of the Violence In Boston Inc Non Profit whose mission is to improve the quality of life & life outcomes of individuals from disenfranchised communities by reducing the prevalence of violence and the impact of associated trauma.

She also was the Lead organizer in the Fight Supremacy March to counter-protest the “Boston Free Speech Rally” in 2017 and One of the Lead organizers for “Hands Off Our Pride counter-protest to Straight Pride. As a former Black Lives Matter Activist, On June 2nd Monica organized 55,000 people to protest the murder of George Floyd and the many others murdered by Police across the country. On June 22nd she led a protest for Rayshard Brooks.

Summer L. Williams (she/her)
Summer L. Williams is a Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director of Company One Theatre in Boston, and award-winning director. Her most recent directing credits include Wolf Play at Company One Theatre; School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play at SpeakEasy Stage Company; Miss You Like Hell by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Erin McKeown with Company One Theatre and OBERON at American Repertory Theater; the World Premiere of Leftovers by Josh Wilder with Company One Theatre; Wig Out! by Tarell Alvin McCraney with Company One and OBERON at A.R.T.; Smart People at Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY and Geva Theater in Rochester, NY; Barbecue at Lyric Stage Company of Boston—Winner of the 2018 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director; Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. at Company One Theatre; Bootycandy at SpeakEasy Stage Company; An Octoroon and Colossal with Company One Theatre—Winner of the 2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for both productions. 

Regional credits: Intimate Apparel at Lyric Stage Company of Boston; Shiv as a part of The Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy; Shelter of Last Resort by Miranda Craigwell as a part of XX PlayLab 2014; the New England Premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s We Are Proud To Present A Presentation About The Herero Of Namibia, Formerly Known As Southwest Africa From The German Sudwestafrika Between The Years 1884-1915; Idris Goodwin’s How We Got On; Lynn Nottage’s By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston; The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or The Secret Of Sweet as part of The Brother/Sister Plays (2012 Elliot Norton Award nominated for Outstanding Production and winner of the 2012 IRNE Award for Best Play); Neighbors, Grimm; The Good Negro; Voyeurs De Venus (Winner of 2009 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director); The Bluest Eye (IRNE and Elliot Norton Award nominated); The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot; Spell #7 (IRNE nominated); Jesus Hopped The A Train (2004 Elliot Norton Award for Best Fringe Production); and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (IRNE nominated).

Volunteer with Violence in Boston

Help Violence in Boston prepare their Social Impact Center for its grand opening on September 7!

>> Email violenceinboston@gmail.com to volunteer.
>> Learn more about the Social Impact Center here.

2020 Census

September 30. That’s when the U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census — a full month sooner than previously announced. The bureau now has less than two months left to try to reach people of color, immigrants, renters, rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups.

Census data affects our communities in many ways, such as the free and reduced school lunch program, affordable housing, hospital funding, and emergency assistance. You have the power to help by filling out your census. 

>> If you haven’t already done so, fill out your census at my2020census.gov and spread the word to five friends.
>> In Massachusetts, you can sign up to phonebank with MA Voter Table and MassCounts at bit.ly/vbm-signup
>> It’s not too late to apply for a temporary part-time position with the 2020 Census at 2020census.gov/jobs

Register to vote! 

Massachusetts’ State Primary Election is September 1, and the registration deadline is August 22. Find your voting info here.

About Land Acknowledgements:

Company One Theatre is based in Boston, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Wampanoag and Massachusett People.

“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.”– Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement

More info:

>> Download Native Land Digital’s Native Land Map to identify the territories your city or town is built upon.

>> Learn about the Mashpee Wampanoag’s fight to retain their current land in trust and sign their petition to show your support here.

>> The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. Donate to grassroots organizations within the Navajo community, such as: Food Baskets for the Elderly, Navajo Strong, and Orenda Tribe Covid Response.