Art Mickalene Thomas American multidisciplinary artist whose paintings, photographs, collages, installations, and films center Black women and explore beauty, sexuality, gender, race, intimacy, and representation through references to art history and popular culture. Read More Keisha Scarville Keisha Scarville is an American photographer and mixed-media artist whose work explores migration, memory, family history, loss, and diasporic belonging through photography, collage, textiles, archival materials, and artist books. Born in Brooklyn to Guyanese parents, Scarville draws extensively on Caribbean heritage. Read More Naima Green American photographer, artist, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice explores intimacy, safety, self-recognition, place, and pleasure through photography, sound, installation, and experimental film, with a particular focus on Black and queer communities. Read More Lhola Amira Lhola Amira is a South African queer, non-binary, plural artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores ancestry, spirituality, colonial history, land, memory, and collective healing through Appearance, installation, photography, video, and film. Their work draws on southern African Nguni spiritual traditions and challenges conventional understandings of identity, history, and the body. Read More Alanna Fields American photographer, archivist, and visual artist whose work preserves and celebrates the histories, communities, and everyday lives of Black LGBTQ+ people through documentary and fine art photography. Read More Kia LaBeija Kia LaBeija is an American multidisciplinary artist, photographer, performer, and storyteller whose work explores identity, memory, sexuality, family, HIV, Blackness, womanhood, and queer experience through photography, performance, collage, installation, and film. Read More Michèle Pearson Clarke Trinidad-born Canadian artist, writer, and educator whose multidisciplinary practice explores Black and queer experiences through photography, film, video, and installation, with a focus on grief, intimacy, masculinity, vulnerability, and diasporic identity. Read More Zanele Muholi Visual activist and photographer best known for documenting and celebrating the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities through powerful portraiture and self-representation. Read More Ingrid Pollard Ingrid Pollard is a British photographer, multimedia artist, and researcher whose work examines race, identity, migration, landscape, colonial history, sexuality, and belonging. Born in Guyana in 1953 and raised in Britain, Pollard has developed a photographic practice that challenges conventional representations of the British landscape and Black British experience. Read More

People Categories List Social Change Voices engaged in challenging inequity, protecting rights, organizing communities, and pushing institutions toward change. Read More Art Artists and creative practitioners working across visual, material, digital, performance, and experimental forms of expression. Read More Screen & Stage Creators working across film, television, theater, performance, and the many roles behind the scenes that bring stories to life. Read More Literature Writers and literary voices working across poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, memoir, criticism, and publishing. Read More Lifestyle People exploring the ways we live, care for ourselves, build relationships, express identity, and shape our everyday lives. Read More Media & Journalism Journalists, hosts, commentators, and media creators reporting, analyzing, documenting, and shaping conversations across traditional and digital platforms. Read More Music Artists and music professionals creating, performing, producing, composing, and shaping sound across genres and disciplines. Read More Sports Athletes and professionals working across competition, training, coaching, administration, media, and the broader world of sports. Read More

Queen Latifah Biography Queen Latifah emerged from New Jersey's late-1980s hip-hop scene as one of the first major women rappers to establish herself on her own terms. Her debut album, All Hail the Queen , was released in 1989 and combined hip-hop with reggae, soul, jazz, Afrocentric imagery, and social commentary. "Ladies First," her collaboration with Monie Love, became an early statement of women's authority and solidarity in hip-hop. Her 1993 album Black Reign included "U.N.I.T.Y.," which addressed misogyny, harassment, violence against women, and disrespect and won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Latifah expanded into film and television while continuing her music career. She became a household name as Khadijah James on Living Single from 1993 to 1998 and appeared in films including Set It Off , The Bone Collector , Chicago , Bringing Down the House , Beauty Shop , Last Holiday , Hairspray , and Girls Trip . Her performance as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her career later expanded further into producing and television leadership. She portrayed blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie and served as an executive producer on the project. She also starred as Robyn McCall and served as an executive producer on CBS's The Equalizer , which ran from 2021 to 2025. Her career has been recognized with a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Primetime Emmy Award, Hollywood Walk of Fame star, New Jersey Hall of Fame induction, Kennedy Center Honor, and the National Medal of Arts. BQW Impact Queen Latifah's work has had particular significance within Black queer cultural history through her portrayal of Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims in Set It Off . Cleo is a masculine-presenting Black lesbian woman whose style, confidence, relationships, humor, sexual agency, and refusal to conform to conventional femininity made her a lasting cultural figure for Black lesbian, stud, butch, masculine-of-center, and gender-nonconforming audiences. The character remains one of the most recognizable examples of Black lesbian representation in mainstream American film of the 1990s. Her connection to Black queer cultural memory also extends through Bessie , which connected Latifah's contemporary career to the history of blues singer Bessie Smith and was directed by Black lesbian filmmaker Dee Rees. Latifah has also participated in public LGBTQ-inclusive moments, including officiating a mass wedding at the 2014 Grammy Awards and publicly acknowledging Eboni and Pride during her 2021 BET Awards acceptance speech. Notable Works All Hail the Queen (1989) Queen Latifah’s debut album, establishing her as a major voice in socially conscious, women-centered hip-hop. Living Single (1993 - 1998) Latifah starred as Khadijah James, the editor of an independent magazine and the central figure in a Black women-centered ensemble sitcom. Set It Off (1996) Latifah portrayed Cleopatra “Cleo” Sims, a masculine-presenting Black lesbian whose representation became deeply significant to Black queer audiences. Bessie (2015) Latifah portrayed blues singer Bessie Smith and served as an executive producer on the Emmy-winning HBO film directed by Dee Rees. The Equalizer (2021 to 2025) Latifah starred as Robyn McCall and served as an executive producer on the CBS action drama. Learn More Queen Latifah, Kennedy Center Institutional profile covering Queen Latifah's career and recognition, including her Kennedy Center Honor. Queen Latifah, GRAMMY.com Official Recording Academy profile documenting her Grammy history and music career. Queen Latifah, Television Academy Television Academy biography covering her television performances, producing work, and Emmy recognition. Bessie, Television Academy Television Academy resource on the HBO film, including Latifah's performance and executive producer role. Queen Latifah, National Endowment for the Arts Institutional profile documenting Latifah's career and National Medal of Arts recognition. Previous Next

Princess Weekes Biography Princess Weekes is an American writer, cultural critic, editor, YouTube creator, and public speaker whose work examines popular culture through the lenses of race, gender, sexuality, history, and media representation. An openly queer Black woman, Weekes creates essays, videos, and commentary exploring film, television, comics, literature, and fandom. Her work focuses on how stories shape ideas about identity, culture, and representation. Weekes gained recognition through her writing on comics, fantasy, and popular culture before joining The Mary Sue as an editor and staff writer. During her time at the publication, she wrote articles covering media representation, genre storytelling, adaptations, and issues affecting marginalized communities in fandom and entertainment. Her writing combines cultural analysis with historical and social context to examine the narratives found in popular media. Weekes has expanded her work through her YouTube channel, where she publishes video essays about literature, fantasy, film, television, history, and cultural representation. Her videos explore topics including race in entertainment, colonialism in popular media, historical interpretation, and the development of fictional characters and stories. She has also contributed writing to publications including The Mary Sue, The Washington Post, and Polygon, and has participated in panels, podcasts, and public discussions about diversity, publishing, fandom, and entertainment. Through her writing, videos, and public engagement, Weekes contributes to conversations about representation and inclusion in popular culture. Her work highlights the contributions of Black creators, women, LGBTQ+ communities, and other groups whose experiences have often been underrepresented in mainstream media. By combining accessible storytelling with cultural criticism, Princess Weekes continues to examine the relationship between entertainment, history, and identity. BQW Impact Princess Weekes brings an African-American perspective informed by Caribbean heritage to literary and cultural criticism, using writing and digital media to examine representation, race, gender, sexuality, and popular culture. Her work across journalism, video essays, and literary programming contributes to broader conversations about representation in books, film, television, and speculative fiction. Notable Works The Mary Sue Writing and editorial work covering literature, film, television, fandom, race, gender, and LGBTQ+ representation. Princess Weekes YouTube Channel Video essays examining representation, popular culture, feminism, race, gender, and sexuality. It's Lit! PBS Digital Studios literary video-essay series co-hosted and co-written by Weekes and Lindsay Ellis. It's Lit! [Unabridged] PBS Digital Studios podcast hosted by Weekes featuring conversations with authors, discussions of influential novels, and topics related to books and literature. PBS Books Readers Club PBS literary program featuring Weekes as a host discussing books, authors, and reading culture. Learn More The Mary Sue: Princess Weekes Her author and editorial archive at The Mary Sue . PBS: It's Lit! Official PBS page for the literary video-essay series co-hosted and co-written by Weekes. PBS Books Readers Club PBS collection featuring Weekes's literary programming. Princess Weekes on YouTube Her video-essay channel covering representation, popular culture, feminism, and related subjects. Previous Next

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. A cultural directory and digital archive highlighting the people, work, stories, and communities shaping Black queer life. Dedicated to showcasing all of the amazing Black Queer Womxn around the world. Explore the Network Voices engaged in challenging inequity, protecting rights, organizing communities, and pushing institutions toward change. Artists and creative practitioners working across visual, material, digital, performance, and experimental forms of expression. Creators working across film, television, theater, performance, and the many roles behind the scenes that bring stories to life. Writers and literary voices working across poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, memoir, criticism, and publishing. People exploring the ways we live, care for ourselves, build relationships, express identity, and shape our everyday lives. Journalists, hosts, commentators, and media creators reporting, analyzing, documenting, and shaping conversations across traditional and digital platforms. Artists and music professionals creating, performing, producing, composing, and shaping sound across genres and disciplines. Athletes and professionals working across competition, training, coaching, administration, media, and the broader world of sports.

People Directory List Adaku Utah Social Change Aishah Shahidah Simmons Social Change Alexis De Veaux Social Change Alicia Garza Social Change Amandla Stenberg Social Change Angelique V. Nixon Social Change Arlo Parks Social Change Ayanah Moor Social Change Be Steadwell Social Change Bri Hall Social Change Brittney Griner Social Change Cappie Pondexter Social Change Charlene Carruthers Social Change Cheryl Clarke Social Change Chinyere Ezie Social Change Dai Burger Social Change Deborah Anne Dyer (Skin) Social Change Dionne Brand Social Change Ericka Hart Social Change Gabrielle Civil Social Change Imani Rupert-Gordon Social Change Jacqueline Woodson Social Change Janelle Monáe Social Change Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (Doechii) Social Change Jerrie Johnson Social Change Jovanka Beckles Social Change Junauda Petrus Social Change Kehlani Ashley Parrish Social Change Kelsey Lu Social Change Khadijah Queen Social Change Kim Jackson Social Change Leilah Babirye Social Change Lhola Amira Social Change Lori Lightfoot Social Change Adejoke Tugbiyele Social Change Akwaeke Emezi Social Change Alexis Pauline Gumbs Social Change Alyssa Thomas Social Change Andrea Ritchie Social Change Anita Dolce Vita Social Change Audre Lorde Social Change Barbara Jordan Social Change Bessie Smith Social Change Briana Lawrence Social Change Camae Ayewa Social Change Cara Page Social Change Cherise Alexandria Gary (UNIIQU3) Social Change Cheryl Dunye Social Change Crystal Cheatham Social Change Danielle Moodie Social Change Dee Rees Social Change Dope Saint Jude Social Change Fikile Vilakazi Social Change Gina Yashere Social Change Ingrid Pollard Social Change Jade Fox Social Change Jasmin Savoy Brown Social Change Jennifer Mullan Social Change Jerrilynn Patton (Jlin) Social Change Joy James Social Change Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera Social Change Keisha Scarville Social Change Kenita Placide Social Change Kia LaBeija Social Change Koleka Putuma Social Change Lena Waithe Social Change Linda Magano Baumann Social Change Aderonke Apata Social Change Alanna Fields Social Change Alice Walker Social Change Amaarae Social Change Angel McCoughtry Social Change Arlan Hamilton Social Change Autumn Breon Social Change Barbara Smith Social Change Beverley Palesa Ditsie Social Change Briann January Social Change Camonghne Felix Social Change Chamique Holdsclaw Social Change Cheryl Boyce-Taylor Social Change Chinelo Okparanta Social Change Crystal Hudson Social Change DeWanna Bonner Social Change Diana De Brito (IAMDDB) Social Change Dr. Sami Schalk Social Change Franchesca Ramsey Social Change Gloria Wekker Social Change Irene Monroe Social Change Janaya Future Khan Social Change Jasmyne Cannick Social Change Jennifer Witcher (DJ Minx) Social Change Jewelle Gomez Social Change Joy Oladokun Social Change Katorah Kasanova Marrero (Young M.A) Social Change Kelela Mizanekristos Social Change Khadija Mbowe Social Change Kierra Johnson Social Change Layshia Clarendon Social Change Leone Ross Social Change Linda Villarosa Social Change

Social Change Alicia Garza Organizer, civil rights leader, author, and political strategist best known as co-creator of the Black Lives Matter movement and for advancing Black political power through community organizing. Read More Mandy Carter American Black lesbian activist and organizer whose more than five decades of movement work have connected racial justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, nonviolence, peace, and Southern organizing. She co-founded Southerners On New Ground and the National Black Justice Coalition. Read More Linda Magano Baumann Linda Magano Baumann is a Namibian lesbian human-rights activist, community organizer, and media advocate whose work has advanced LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and social justice. Her advocacy has connected grassroots organizing in Namibia with regional African and international human-rights networks. Read More Morenike Giwa Onaiwu American activist-scholar, author, educator, and advocate whose work centers disability justice, human rights, neurodiversity, HIV advocacy, and intersectional community leadership. She founded Advocacy Without Borders and is a prolific writer and editor. Read More Cara Page Cara Page is a Black Queer Feminist writer, cultural memory worker, organizer, and producer whose work has shaped healing justice, abolitionist organizing, and the preservation of movement histories. Read More Imani Rupert-Gordon Imani Rupert-Gordon is a Black queer community organizer and nonprofit leader whose work centers LGBTQ+ communities, particularly Black LGBTQ+ people and women. She has led community organizations in Chicago and serves as president of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, where she leads national LGBTQ+ rights advocacy. Read More Val Kalende Ugandan human rights advocate and LGBTQ+ activist who helped establish organized lesbian and LGBTQ+ activism in Uganda through Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) and became an internationally recognized voice on LGBTQ+ rights, faith, sexuality, and human rights. Read More Andrea Ritchie Andrea J. Ritchie is a Black lesbian writer, organizer, researcher, and network weaver whose three decades of work document and challenge policing and criminalization affecting Black women, girls, trans people, and gender-nonconforming people. Read More Adaku Utah Adaku Utah is a Nigerian American healing justice practitioner, somatics practitioner, multidisciplinary artist, and educator whose work centers embodiment, collective care, and Black liberation. Read More Charlene Carruthers Charlene A. Carruthers is a Black lesbian writer, filmmaker, scholar, and community organizer whose work connects Black queer feminism, movement building, and social justice. Read More Naomi Washington-Leapheart American minister, professor, movement strategist, and justice advocate whose work connects Black queer life, faith, theology, education, and social justice. She has worked in LGBTQ+ faith organizing, Philadelphia city government, higher education, and movement strategy. She is the founder of Salt | Yeast | Light and serves as Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates. Read More Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah (Lady Phyll) A British activist, community organizer, human rights defender, and anti-racism campaigner, widely known as Lady Phyll. She is the Founder and CEO of UK Black Pride and Executive Director of DIVA Charitable Trust. Read More Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera is a Ugandan human rights activist, community organizer, and media founder whose work has advanced LGBTQ+ rights, challenged discrimination, and created platforms for LGBTQ+ Ugandans to document and share their own experiences. Read More Monica Simpson American activist, organizer, singer, spoken-word artist, and reproductive-justice leader whose work centers reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, racial justice, and community organizing. She is Executive Director of SisterSong. Read More Janaya Future Khan Janaya Future Khan is a Canadian nonbinary activist, organizer, storyteller, writer, and social-justice educator whose work centers Black liberation, LGBTQ+ rights, gender justice, and movement building. Born and raised in Toronto and later based in Los Angeles, Khan became an international voice for Black Lives Matter. Read More Kierra Johnson Kierra Johnson is an American LGBTQ+ and reproductive-justice advocate, organizer, and leader who serves as President of the National LGBTQ Task Force. Her work centers queer liberation, reproductive justice, youth leadership, and equity. Read More

Samiya Bashir Biography Born in Ypsilanti and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bashir earned a BA in Literature of American Ethnic Cultures from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. She began publishing poetry and chapbooks in the 1990s before releasing her first full-length collection, Where the Apple Falls , in 2005. Her poetry collections include Where the Apple Falls (2005), Gospel (2009), and Field Theories (2017). Where the Apple Falls was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry, while Gospel was a finalist in the same category in 2010. Field Theories won the 2018 Oregon Book Awards' Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry, and its title poem received a Pushcart Prize. Bashir co-founded Fire & Ink in 2002, an organization and writers' festival created to support LGBTQ+ writers of African descent. She remained involved with the organization through 2015. In 2022, she became executive director of Lambda Literary, serving until 2023. Her work extends beyond poetry into editing, performance, multimedia art, and opera. She co-edited Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art , edited Black Women's Erotica 2 , and wrote the libretto for Cook Shack , an opera by composer Del'Shawn Taylor that was commissioned and premiered by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2023. Bashir was awarded the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize in Literature in 2019. Her fourth poetry collection, I Hope This Helps , was published by Nightboat Books in May 2025. She lives in Harlem and continues to work across poetry, performance, multimedia art, teaching, and literary advocacy. For 2026–27, she is serving as the Viebranz Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at St. Lawrence University. BQW Impact Samiya Bashir has made a significant contribution to Black LGBTQ+ literary culture as a poet, editor, organizer, and literary leader. Her work explores Black queer experience, identity, sexuality, the body, and cultural memory. As a co-founder of Fire & Ink, Bashir helped create a dedicated literary space for LGBTQ+ writers of African descent. Her later leadership of Lambda Literary and contributions to Black queer literary anthologies further expanded her role in LGBTQ+ literary culture. Notable Works Where the Apple Falls (2005) Bashir's first full-length poetry collection and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry. The collection explores identity, the body, sexuality, transformation, and resilience. Gospel (2009) Bashir's second poetry collection, published by RedBone Press and a finalist for the 2010 Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry. Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art (2002) Co-edited by Bashir with Tony Medina and Quraysh Ali Lansana, the anthology brings together Black literary and artistic work across generations. Field Theories (2017) A poetry collection that won the 2018 Oregon Book Awards' Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry. Its title poem received a Pushcart Prize. Cook Shack (2023) An opera by composer Del'Shawn Taylor and librettist Samiya Bashir, commissioned and premiered by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2023. I Hope This Helps (2025) Bashir's fourth poetry collection, published by Nightboat Books in May 2025. The work combines poetry, memoir, essay, and visual experimentation. Learn More Official Website Bashir's official site, including her biography, books, collaborations, current projects, and events. Poetry Foundation Professional biography covering Bashir's poetry, Fire & Ink work, Lambda Literary leadership, and major honors. Academy of American Poets Authoritative poet biography, selected poems, publications, and award information. Poets & Writers Writer profile documenting Bashir's identity, publications, editorial work, Fire & Ink history, and awards. Previous Next

Tee Noir Biography Tee Noir is an American video essayist, cultural critic, and digital creator whose work examines Black womanhood, race, gender, sexuality, media representation, and internet culture. Through carefully researched and accessible long-form YouTube essays, she explores the social and cultural forces shaping contemporary conversations around identity while drawing from Black feminist and queer perspectives. Her work has earned a dedicated audience for its thoughtful analysis, engaging storytelling, and commitment to historical and cultural context. Her essays frequently examine topics including misogynoir, colorism, beauty standards, celebrity culture, pop music, film, television, and online discourse. By connecting current events with historical patterns and cultural criticism, Tee Noir encourages audiences to think critically about the ways media influences public perceptions of Black women and LGBTQ+ communities. Her work has been featured in publications including BuzzFeed and DIVA Magazine. In addition to her YouTube channel, Tee Noir has participated in interviews and public conversations about media, representation, and Black feminist thought. She continues to use digital media as a platform for education, advocacy, and community dialogue while making complex cultural conversations accessible to broad audiences. BQW Impact Tee Noir has emerged as a respected Black queer voice in digital cultural criticism by creating thoughtful, research-driven video essays that center Black women and LGBTQ+ experiences. Her work helps audiences better understand the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and media while challenging stereotypes and encouraging more informed public conversations. As an openly pansexual Black creator, she has contributed to greater visibility for queer voices in online education and commentary. Her work continues to inspire viewers and emerging creators interested in Black feminist thought, media literacy, and social justice. Notable Works Tee Noir (YouTube Channel) Long-form video essay channel exploring Black culture, media, gender, sexuality, and internet discourse through research-driven commentary. The Black Girl Fetish Examines the fetishization and objectification of Black women in popular culture and media. Performative Bisexuality Explores misconceptions surrounding bisexuality, identity, and media representation while discussing queer visibility. Learn More YouTube Watch Tee Noir's long-form video essays exploring Black culture, media, gender, sexuality, and contemporary social issues. Instagram Follow updates on new videos, creative projects, and commentary on culture and current events. BuzzFeed Read a feature examining Tee Noir's approach to educating audiences through thoughtful cultural criticism and video essays. Previous Next

Janelle Monáe Biography Born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1985, Monáe studied musical theater in New York before relocating to Atlanta, where they developed their music career and co-founded Wondaland. Their early work introduced the android character Cindi Mayweather and established an interconnected Afrofuturist narrative across music and visual art. Monáe's albums The ArchAndroid , The Electric Lady , Dirty Computer , and The Age of Pleasure explore race, sexuality, gender, freedom, pleasure, and Black cultural history. Their creative work also includes films such as Moonlight , Hidden Figures , Harriet , and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , as well as the 2022 speculative-fiction collection The Memory Librarian . Their work extends into civic engagement and advocacy, including voter-participation initiatives and projects addressing racial and gender justice. Through music, film, literature, and performance, Monáe has developed a connected body of work centered on identity, liberation, and self-determination. BQW Impact Monáe's work has contributed to Black queer visibility by placing Blackness, queerness, gender freedom, and self-determination at the center of a major multidisciplinary creative practice. Their public identification as nonbinary and pansexual is reflected in work that challenges conventional ideas about gender and sexuality. Through Afrofuturist storytelling, music, film, literature, and civic engagement, Monáe has created space for Black queer perspectives within mainstream popular culture. Notable Works Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) (2007) Debut EP introducing Cindi Mayweather and the Afrofuturist mythology central to Monáe's artistic work. The ArchAndroid (2010) Debut studio album expanding the Metropolis narrative through funk, soul, R&B, pop, and science-fiction storytelling. The Electric Lady (2013) Album continuing the Cindi Mayweather story and Monáe's fusion of music and Afrofuturism. Dirty Computer (2018) Album and accompanying emotion picture exploring race, sexuality, gender, memory, freedom, and resistance. The Memory Librarian (2022) Collaborative speculative-fiction collection expanding the Dirty Computer universe into literature. The Age of Pleasure (2023) Album centered on pleasure, sensuality, queer identity, Black joy, liberation, and the African diaspora. Learn More Janelle Monáe Official Website Official source for Monáe's music, videos, releases, and current work. Instagram @JanelleMonáe Monáe's Instagram presence. Recording Academy Janelle Monáe Grammy nominations and career information. When We All Vote Information about the organization and Monáe's role as a co-chair. Previous Next

Briana Lawrence Biography Briana Lawrence is a writer, author, editor, and pop-culture journalist whose work spans anime, manga, video games, cosplay, fandom, and representation. She graduated from Iowa State University in 2006 and moved to Minnesota, where she built a career writing about popular culture while developing fiction and nonfiction projects. She currently works as Senior EN Features Editor at Crunchyroll, where her editorial work covers anime, manga, and related fandom culture. Lawrence is the creator of magnifiqueNOIR , a self-published magical-girl series centered on Black queer magical girls. The first book, I Am Magical , was released in 2017. Her nonfiction work includes The Essential Manga Guide: 50 Series Every Manga Fan Should Know (2024), while her middle-grade fiction includes In Search of Superpowers: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (2024) and In Search of the Pinmaker: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (2025). Publisher records identify Lawrence as the author of both Fantasy Pin World books. Lawrence continues to work across publishing, journalism, and fandom culture. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and maintains a creative practice connected to anime, manga, gaming, cosplay, and speculative fiction. Through both original fiction and pop-culture journalism, she has developed a body of work focused on representation and stories involving communities that have historically been underrepresented in mainstream media. BQW Impact Lawrence's significance to BQW comes from the direct connection between her identity and creative work. Her magnifiqueNOIR series centers Black queer magical girls, creating stories in which Black girls and queer characters occupy the role of heroes within a genre where they have historically been underrepresented. Lawrence has described the series as a reflection of her identity and as an effort to create the kinds of characters she wanted to see. Her broader writing extends that interest in representation into anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and fandom culture. Through original fiction and pop-culture journalism, Lawrence contributes to greater visibility for Black and queer audiences within spaces that have not always centered them. Notable Works I Am Magical: magnifiqueNOIR Book One (2017) The first book in Lawrence's magnifiqueNOIR series, centered on Black queer magical girls. Lawrence wrote the book and developed the series as an identity-centered creative project. The Essential Manga Guide: 50 Series Every Manga Fan Should Know (2024) A nonfiction guide to 50 influential manga series and standalone works, written by Lawrence. In Search of Superpowers: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (2024) The first Fantasy Pin World middle-grade novel, written by Lawrence and illustrated by Joanna Cacao. In Search of the Pinmaker: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (2025) The second Fantasy Pin World novel, written by Lawrence and illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Learn More Briana Lawrence Official website featuring Lawrence's writing, books, professional work, and current projects. Crunchyroll Current professional author profile and editorial work. The Essential Manga Guide Official publisher information for Lawrence's 2024 nonfiction book. Fantasy Pin World Publisher information for Lawrence's middle-grade fiction. magnifiqueNOIR Author interview discussing the origins and identity-centered purpose of the series. Previous Next

Jasmin Savoy Brown Biography Jasmin Savoy Brown was born in Alameda, California, and raised in Springfield, Oregon. She began performing at a young age, participating in musicals, choirs, and other performing-arts programs before pursuing professional acting. Her training included musical-theater programs and the CAP21 Conservatory's summer intensive. She later established her professional career in Los Angeles. Brown's television work includes Evie Murphy in The Leftovers and Allison Adams in For the People . She became widely recognized for playing young Taissa Turner in Yellowjackets , which premiered in 2021. In film, she portrays Mindy Meeks-Martin in Scream , Scream VI , and Scream 7 . Brown has discussed the importance of allowing queer characters to be multidimensional rather than defined solely by their sexuality. Alongside acting, Brown has developed a body of queer-focused creative and production work. She created and produced The Homo Schedule with Liv Hewson, served as a producer on Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror , and is a co-creator and executive producer of Today in Gay . She is also an indie singer-songwriter and makes her Broadway debut as Eurydice in Hadestown beginning September 1, 2026. BQW Impact Brown's significance to BQW extends beyond her performances as queer characters. She publicly identifies as lesbian, pansexual, and queer, and has spoken about her experiences as a mixed-race Black woman and the importance of nuanced queer representation. Her work as Taissa Turner in Yellowjackets and Mindy Meeks-Martin in the Scream franchise has increased the visibility of queer women of color in prominent television and film properties. Through The Homo Schedule , Queer for Fear , and Today in Gay , Brown has also moved into creating and producing media centered on queer experiences, culture, history, and contemporary news. Her career demonstrates an expanding role in both representing queer communities on screen and helping shape the stories presented about them. Notable Works The Leftovers (2015 - 2017) Brown portrayed Evie Murphy in the HBO drama series, an early major television role. Yellowjackets (2021) Brown plays young Taissa Turner in the drama series, a role that brought her widespread recognition. Scream (2022) Brown portrayed Mindy Meeks-Martin, an openly queer character in the horror franchise's new generation. The Homo Schedule (2021 - 2022) Brown created, produced, and co-hosted the queer-focused podcast with Liv Hewson. Today in Gay (2025) Brown is a co-creator and executive producer of the daily news podcast created from a queer perspective. Learn More Hadestown Broadway Cast — Official Broadway biography and current casting information for Brown's role as Eurydice. Netflix Tudum: The Homo Schedule — Background on Brown's queer podcast and producing work. Today in Gay — Current daily news podcast co-created and executive produced by Brown. The Homo Schedule — Archive of Brown's podcast with Liv Hewson. Dreams in Nightmares — Information on Shatara Michelle Ford's film starring Brown as Sabrina. Previous Next