Collections By Michelle Brown

No victims here - A bond of love between father and daughter despite Lupus! Toya Oglesby has had a life saturated with love and support. She saw the effect Lupus can have on individuals and their families as a child. Her father had Lupus and passed away when Toya was twelve. Her sharing her life as a Lupus Warrior is not only a testimony to her personal resilience and strength but also a story of the love between father and daughter. Lupus is a disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease). Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. No two cases of lupus are exactly alike. Although lupus affects people of all ages, it's most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45. Lupus is more common in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Ninety percent (90%) of people living with lupus are women.  Despite the flare-ups that have affected her

Instead of trying to say it all in one day, leaders from Michigan’s Transgender community and allies decided to host a six-day free online conference. The hosts of TRANSGENDER DAYS OF EMPOWERMENT will focus on understanding the journey Monday through Friday and on Saturday celebrate a Day of Decision, Declaration, & Doing by taking ownership of our existence and boldly taking one more step forward in our journey of self-actualization and embracing our true selves. Partnering organizations Transgender Michigan, Inclusive Justice, Sage Metro Detroit, and ACLU Michigan joined with the facilitating organizations – Gender Identity Network Alliance and Transcend the Binary to present the conference. Nyrobi Willow M'Baku is a member of the Transcend the Binary team she serves as Unity, Outreach, and Advocacy Lead. She will not only talk about her experience as an activist/bridge builder but the conference as well. Transcend the Binary is BY AND FOR TRANS, NONBINARY, GENDER DIVERSE people. The organization bel

Markita Moore believes in getting to the heart of the matter with music informed by life so it is no surprise that her spiritual path through music led her to a study of and work with Singing Bowls. She is also an accomplished musician. With her band “Elemental Meanings” she provided vocals and played guitar, trumpet, and tuba. Singing bowls are bowls used in meditation and to promote relaxation. They produce sounds and vibrations when hit or circled with a mallet. It is an ancient practice used in Tibet and neighboring areas for religious and spiritual ceremonies for centuries. An alumni of Cass Technical High school, whose graduates include icons like Della Reese, Diana Ross, Lily Tomlin, Alice Coltrain, and many more, she continues her role as Band director at the school where she was once a member of the school band (her dream job). She has also begun a new project around this ancient practice with the Singing Bowls- the Detroit Sound Immersion meditation Project. .She will not only update us on life

She's an internationally renowned concert pianist, an orchestral conductor, a spoken word artist, award-winning filmmaker, and talk show host and now Nina Gamble Kennedy can add author - Lambda Literary Award-winning author to her list of accomplishments with the publication of her memoir "Practicing for Love: a Memoir." Born in Nashville, TN, Nina was presented in her first complete piano recital at nine years old. She received her first musical instruction from her parents who were both members of the historic Fisk Jubilee Singers. After her 1987 New York debut at Lincoln Center, she embarked on her second European tour performing and residing in several European countries. She also served as conducting apprentice with the New York Philharmonic. Kennedy is the subject of a mini-documentary titled Portrait: An American Concert Pianist, produced for broadcast on PBS. In 2006, she directed and produced an award-winning feature-length documentary film about her father who was also a concert pianist and had

Eddie S. Pierce Jr. received his Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree from Chicago State University, home of the world-renowned Gwendolyn Brooks Writing Center. Ten years ago he began Rainbow Room Publishing LLC, not just to provide an outlet for his own books, but to provide a voice for the diverse Black literary community.  In addition to producing more titles and pursuing numerous other literary and artistic ventures, Pierce is currently overseeing the company's numerous publishing services and expanding the company's offerings in an effort to provide more opportunities for new authors and professionals in the creative arts. He is not only the founder and publisher. of Rainbow Room Publishing LLC but also one of the authors. A biblical meaning for his name is unstoppable.and as the publishing house approaches its 10th anniversary. It's safe to say that nothing is stopping him from reaching even higher heights. Although Rainbow Room Publishing is still based in Chicago and he is currently enjoy

Erica Monique Evans is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio but now calls Dallas Texas home. Throughout her career, Monique has obtained industry experience in various financial lines of business She is an Advisor on the Gender Identity and Expression Advisory Committee, which is part of the PRIDE Enterprise Leadership Team at Wells Fargo. Monique is also a member of the board of directors for Resource Center (Dallas). She is one of the moderators of “An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color” a panel that gives LGBTQ+ Women of Color & Allies a platform to use their voices. Monique sees being a  Black  Trans Woman as the dominating lens with which she sees the world. She has been journaling and writing poetry that has been influenced by the church, community, observations, and as being an African American person in America. She believes if you are steadfast in who you are it will either draw people to you or push them away. April is National Poetry Month. Monique will be sharing two of her poems base

Biodun Abudu was born in Rhode Island but comes from a Nigerian background. This entrepreneur, artist, designer, and author currently calls Manhattan home after spending several years in Chicago. His paintings feature his love of fashion, world culture, music, and his personal influences. Many of his designs reflect his love of Africa as well as other indigenous peoples including the ancient Mayans. Biodun has a deep appreciation of women whose strengths, resiliencies, and perseverance often go unnoticed. His painting "Peripheries of Womanhood" was inspired by everything that makes a woman from the body movement to the body type to the different layers that make a phenomenal woman. His books “Tales of My Skin” ad “Stolen Sanity” are both based on true-life stories. They both touch on forbidden topics that are often swept under the rug and are hidden in the dark with the cruel intentions to silence an individual with fear. He has also written two books of poetry “Open Letter from Within” and “Forbidden Scri

Dr. Remolia Simpson has a passion for the welfare of veterans and travel. Both came as a result of her time in the military. She channels her concern for the welfare of veterans through her nonprofit organization – My Brothers House. My Brother's House is dedicated to providing safe, supportive housing and counseling services for veterans of the six US Armed Forces branches and their families. With residences in five states and the District of Columbia and additional houses planned, the organization strives to ensure that when our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines return from serving our country, homelessness is not another battle they must fight. While in the military and afterward, Dr. Simpson has traveled the world. She sees herself as a global citizen and currently is living and working from the Caribbean island of Grenada. Grenada is an island country located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is known for its spice exports and St. George's Universi

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

Whether it is through the non-profit "The Gentlemen's Foundation", their restaurant "Virgil's Gullah Kitchen & Bar" or visibility in the community Juan Smalls with his husband Gee are on a mission to give back to their community. Originally from California in 2007 he drove 32 hours straight and moved to Atlanta. He found an apartment after one month and met his husband a year after moving to Atlanta. After being laid off from his job Juan decided to focus on building the couple’s company. They started an event planning company, and the first event was the Gentlemen’s Ball in 2011. In the planning of that event, deciding the name, the concept, and the program, they always wanted to attach a nonprofit to it so that we could give back to the community. This evolved into The Gentlemen’s Foundation. The Gentlemen’s Ball, a gala that has been described as a “second chance prom” awarding youth scholarships and honoring community advocates making contributions to Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. Recently the couple,

Annamaria Salley had a vision in which she saw herself massaging someone in her backyard underneath a cabana with flowing white sheets. The massage table was covered in white sheets. She was wearing all white. She woke up and thought what was that all about. She got up and went to work going about her regular routine. But the dream haunted her. She had worked as a graphic designer in Manhattan for a publisher and received her master’s degree in that field after moving to Florida. Even a year with back-to-back hurricanes didn’t discourage Annamaria from making her home in Florida. This native New Yorker had come to love the area and warmer temperature while visiting her mother who had moved to Miami. With the support of other women, especially her mother, that encouraged her to follow her dream and take the leap from graphic design jobs to opening her own massage business she found a school, completed the training, and opened The Black Lotus Spa. Annamaria has an amazing tribe of women who support, keep her

Karen Kendra Holmes has been showing up and making a difference in her community not just as a member of the transgender community but most of her life. Being of service to others is just what she does! When not speaking in person or virtually, Karen continues working with local police departments helping to bring dignity and respect to police interactions with members of the transgender community She was recognized twice as "Soldier of the Year" by the State Guard Association of the United States and the Maryland State Guard Association. This Award-Winning Public Servant and Transgender advocate shared her passion for helping others transition and to foster acceptance and support from those around them in a 2018 Tedx Talk. She has been doing volunteer work with the Maryland Defense Force under the Maryland National Guards with the Chaplain's Unit, and with the Honor Guards. She has also done volunteer work with the American Red Cross for the National Capital Region and the MASS Care for Montgomery County

Chadra Pittman is the perfect bridge between our celebration of Black History in February and our celebration of women’s history in March. As a former Public Educator for the NY African Burial Ground Project and Creator of an Ancestral Remembrance ceremony, now in its 10th year, this native of the Bronx, NY has spent the past three decades on the front lines advocating for women, human rights, equity in education and honoring the Africans that the world forgot. She is the Founder & Executive Director of The Sankofa Projects, where she works to preserve the legacy of the African diaspora & 4 E.V.E.R. (End Violence End Rape), an activist organization that seeks to end sexual violence globally while advocating for deaf and LGBTQI inclusion. From Chuck D, Dr. Carol Anderson to Ta-Nehisi Coates to NASA Pioneer Dr. Katherine G. Johnson, her work spans the full spectrum of the Black intellectual and cultural experience. Lecturing nationally her work has been published widely including in the American Anthro

Allener M. Baker-Rogers co-authored with Fasaha Traylor the book “They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders.” The book follows the lives of 95 black women from 17th century Philadelphia to the present. The book is based on historical research of 46 forerunners and interviews with 49 contemporary women. Cordelia Jennings Atwell is one of the forerunners profiled in the book. Baker- Rogers returns today to give a deeper dive into the impact of one of these forerunners profiled in the book Jennings Atwell was born in New York to William Jennings, owner of a men’s furnishing store, and Mary MacFarland Jennings, a homemaker. Her family moved to Philadelphia while she was a child. She was an exceptional student and was enrolled at the Institute for Colored Youth at age 13.  Following graduation, Jennings-Atwell opened her own school in her mother’s home. Her school quickly became popular and at one time had thirty African American students. Jennings moved the school to Ohio Street

Many cultures associate the butterfly with our souls, as a symbol of resurrection, as representing endurance, change, hope, and life. Sandra Epps is all this and more. A survivor of Systemic Lupus (SLE) for which the butterfly rash is often a symptom, Epps has adopted the butterfly as a symbol of her strength, resiliency, and creativity. . Her triumph over Lupus inspired her first self-published children’s book -- Imani Has the Most Exciting Dream! Epps is an artist and author. She is also the Founder of Sandy’s Land LLC and the Detroit Doll Show. The Detroit Doll Show strives to inspire black and brown girls of all ages to “Love the Skin They’re In.” The charge is to celebrate history, culture, self-love, and diversity with the promotion of dolls of color. It is the largest black doll show of its kind. Epps also established SHE’S Empowered, (Sisters Helping Encourage Sister) which was an organization created to encourage women to live healthy in mind, body, and spirit and to increase lupus awareness. The W

Pamela E. Alexander is a part of Detroit’s LGBTQ history. She has been active in the metro-Detroit community for years  She is a “Gold Star” mother. The retired Deputy Director of the Ruth Ellis Center was instrumental on the founding and Development of the Kofi House: Center for Lesbian and Queer Women and Girls. Her love of Black, Women’s, and LGBTQ history inspired her research in the life and legacy of Pauli Murray. The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was an activist for American civil rights and women’s rights. She was a lawyer, poet, author, and first African American Woman Episcopalian priest.“Pauli” Murray was born in Baltimore, MD. She was orphaned when young, and raised mostly by her maternal grandparents in Durham, NC. In 1940, Murray sat in the whites-only section of a bus in Virginia and was arrested for violating state segregation laws. She enrolled in the law school at Howard University, where she also became aware of sexism. She called it "Jane Crow" and published a book by that title. As a lawyer, Mu

Originally from Burton, Michigan a suburb of Flint, Cheryl Czach now calls Detroit home. She left a successful career in the corporate world to start her own firm Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC providing leadership and personal coaching for individuals and businesses. She has been guiding professionals through their work and life journeys for over twenty years. With the current pandemic, she has expanded her client base to include individuals. She learned from her parents the importance of building community. Even though she was a stay-at-home mom, Cheryl remembers her mother always taking an active role in building community.  A fan of Oprah Winfrey, she took to heart Winfrey’s words that life whispers to you all the time and encourages others to listen to the whisper before it becomes a roar.   With her election to board president of Affirmations Community Center in Ferndale, MI, Cheryl recognizes she stands on the shoulders of the many incredible women in the LGBTQ community and is committed

Jayla’s Jaunts are the creation of our guest entrepreneur, actress, and author Senyah Haynes. Jayla’s Jaunts is an exciting adventure series about a fun-loving little girl and her whimsical auntie. Together they travel and explore the culture and history of every place they go. The plan is to visit all 50 states and this year Haynes keeps on track with the release of two new books “Agog & Awe in Arkansas” and “Arizona Antics.” Together they travel and explore the culture and history of every place they go. Haynes will be reading from the Jayla’s Jaunts series at Chicago area venues during Black History month Travel is in Haynes's DNA. As an 18-year-old she traveled to Jamaica and for the first time understood how limited her view had been of the African Diaspora. This realization put her on the course for learning and sharing this with others, especially youth.  She also co-founded Diasporal Discoveries to expose youth to the diversity of the African Diaspora with the goal of connecting them to various

Cathy Renna has been a voice in the LGBTQ+ community for many years working with countless organizations of all sizes to ensure a variety of voices in the LGBTQ+ community are heard. She worked with the Matthew Shephard foundation for years. She spent 14 years at GLAAD. She also helped coordinate the coverage of the World Pride celebration in New York City. In 2020 she became th Communications Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. She is not new to the Task Force having worked as a consultant for the Creating Change conferences for many years and as interim Communications Director. Renna shares how the organization has pivoted to continue to represent the LGBTQ+ during these challenging times not only with the Conference but internally as it prepares for a leadership transition as Kierra Johnson succeeds current Executive Director Rea Carey. it is also preparing for its first virtual conference with Creating Change 2021. The Conference will be held virtually from January 28th – 31st. The theme of this

While many nonprofits are cutting back on services and in some instances closing their doors the Ruth Ellis Center is pushing through the pandemic and expanding services. Executive Director Jerry Peterson shares how the organization has carried on its mission of providing services during the pandemic while pushing forward with new plans. Today, beyond its main 77 Victor St. location in Highland Park, REC is on its way to hosting four locations across the city. It recently announced three new programs – the REC at Clairmount for long term housing support in Detroit’s north end, and the Rapid Rehousing Project and the Kelly Stough Project. Both the Kelly Stough and Rapid Re-housing, via partnerships with landlords, can provide up to 24 months of rental support at both short-term and intermediate lengths for residents across Detroit and the Metro area. Although the organization has grown over the years, it remains committed to carrying with it the spirit and legacy of its own namesake - lesbian activist Ruth E