Our Black Gay Diaspora™

Anthony Oakes is an American comedian, writer, actor, and producer who is taking comedy by storm. His clean, yet edgy, southern, intellectual, witty humour will have you reeling with laughter. He is a Washington, D.C. resident who has performed at The DC Improv, DC Drafthouse, The Bier Baron Comedy Loft, Busboys and Poets, and The Wonderland Ballroom. Anthony has also been at The Apollo, The John...

Mark Broomfield (PhD, MFA) is an award-winning American scholar and artist, and an Associate Professor of English and Founding Director of Performance as Social Change at SUNY Geneseo . He has written for numerous publications in the areas of race, gender, sexuality, dance performance, and ethnography, and lectured, choreographed, and directed across the United States. Broomfield's book, Black Que...

Anthony Green is the American playwright of the hit plays When Boys Exhale and Gay Love Jones . When Boys Exhale is based on the 1995 film, Waiting to Exhale , and has travelled to Nashville, Atlanta, and Houston. Anthony is also the founder of Cagedbirds Productions , a Washington, D.C.-based company that “has affirmed the black, LGBT lived experience on screen and on stage.” It also produces 'Th...

Percy Mthombeni is a South African chef and the director at Vezabuhle Caters. Percy’s culinary skills are from his Zulu mother, and in an article on Obsidian Travel Club's site, he said, “…each dish becomes a sacred connection to roots, preserving flavours and rituals.” Rate, comment, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Acast , and YouTube . For more information, go to Our Black Gay Diaspo...

American Rapper and Songwriter, LYRICALMAR , is a Washington, DC native whose love of luxury takes him beyond the realm of hip-hop to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with music style icons like Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, and Lil Nas X. His latest EP is called MARCHIVES , and features the songs God’s Gift (My Turn) and On A Roll . His 2020 debut album, Begin , had the single Black Money , which feature...

Dean Atta is a British author and poet who has been described as “the Gil Scott-Heron of his generation”. In 2014, his debut collection, I Am Nobody’s Nigger , was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. Dean’s other literary works include his 2024 memoir, Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black Queer Body , the young adult novels The Black Flamingo and Only on the Weekends , and the children’s...

Rashid Owoyele is the Berlin-based Nigerian-American Managing Partner and Transdisciplinary Designer at Transekt Agency in Berlin. They’re also an innovation and career coach whose practice centres around “…a questioning of what exists and how to evaluate that through social practice and envisioning collaborative ways to engage communities and groups in processes of innovation.” Rate, comment, and...

Vernal Scott is a British author and consultant on EDI with over four decades of experience. Vernal was the Head of Equality & Diversity Unit at Oxford University and the Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Essex Police. In 1991, he organised the historic Reach Out and Touch HIV/AIDS Procession with Flowers—an event privately financed by George Michael and starring Whitney Houston. Vernal’s upc...

(Original Air Date: 20 June 2023) Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast's creator, host, and producer Erick Taylor Woodby is interviewed by Gamal 'G' Turawa , an ED&I facilitator, transformational storyteller, and the protagonist in the 2022 BAFTA-wining documentary, The Black Cop . Erick shares about his pride in being a Black gay American writer, podcast producer, and digital nomad. Rate, comment,...

Rinaldo Walcott is a Canadian academic, writer, and a Professor and Chair of Africana and American Studies at the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York. He holds the Carl V. Granger Chair in Africana and American Studies. Thank you to Episode 98’s guest, Lyndon K. Gill , for connecting us. Rinaldo's published works include The Long Emancipation: Moving toward Black Freedom and On Property (20...

Shelley Nicole is an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, actor, poet, healer, and the frontperson and founder of the band, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe . In a league with artists like Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Labelle, Joan Armatrading, and Meshell Ndegeocello, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe is equal parts rock, soul, blues, jazz, and funk. Shelley has collaborated with vario...

Tim Vincent is co-founder and president of Brothers of the Desert , “…a non-profit organization with a mission to support Black gay men and allies through education, advocacy, social networking, volunteerism, philanthropy, and mentorship.” Aigner "Anye Elite" Ellis is a member of Brothers of the Desert and the founder and chief project manager of Icon City Entertainment, LLC , a company that “…emb...

Aurora Krotoa Moses is the South African founder and CEO of Aurora Kaleidoscope Movement. She’s also a Global Ambassador for Theirworld , and an alumnus of FutureElect. In 2023, she was the focus of Carl Collison’s documentary, ‘ Aurora ’. Her portrait was one piece featured in Cape Town-based visual artist Selvin November’s December 2023 display at Cape Heritage Hotel. Rate, comment, and subscrib...

Nzube Ufodike is a British entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Thank you to Gamal ‘G’ Turawa for connecting us. Nzube is a co-founder of Amoo Angels , a UK-based angel network. He's a board member and advisor to early and growth-stage businesses in the UK and emerging markets. Nzube is also a fundraising coach / entrepreneur-in-residence for other accelerator programmes. He's a trustee at The Afr...

Niki Lopez is an Afro-Latina interdisciplinary visual artist, curator, and social practitioner. She is the founder of What’s Your Elephant™ , a “…charitable arts and educational organisation dedicated to catalysing awareness and fostering vital dialogue around under-addressed topics.” Niki is a renaissance person, doing her part to make the world more inclusive, honest, and colourful. Rate, commen...

Brad Walrond is an American poet, author, activist, and conceptual artist. Every Where Alien is his first collection of poems published by Moore Black Press , affiliated with Amistad /HarperCollins Publishers. Brad’s poems have been published in The Atlantic , Academy of American Poets, African Voices magazine, About Place Journal , and other publications. He’s collaborated with artists like Eryka...

Lyndon K. Gill is an Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Thank you to Episode 83’s Ajamu X for connecting us. Lyndon’s interests include queer aesthetics in the African Diaspora, the erotic, LGBT art and activism in Caribbean cultures, African-based spiritual traditions in the Americas, subjectivity, and community building. In 2018, Lyn...

Alle Eriksson is a Swedish publisher at Nypon och Vilja förlag . Alle’s credentials include owning a bookstore and publishing company and being a librarian for the city of Stockholm. They were also part of starting an LGBT+ youth space in Stockholm. In early 2024, Alle was on the Nordic Council’s Youth Literature Prize committee. It’s an award for works of fiction written in the Nordic languages o...

Eric Yassine is the British-based Ivorian director of Yassine Consulting Limited. With over 10 years of experience analysing operational & financial business processes in different companies across various sectors in Europe, Africa & the Middle East, Eric’s expertise includes Internal Control Framework (COSO) & Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) implementation, documentation & testing of con...

Topher Campbell is a British filmmaker, artist, and writer whose career spans film, theatre, education, and consultancy. Much of his work centres on sexuality, masculinity, race, human rights, and climate change. Some of Topher’s works include his 1995 film, The Homecoming: A Short Film About Ajamu . Topher and Ajamu X are the founders of rukus! Federation Limited , a Black LGBT cultural archive c...

JAKE Small is an American researcher, non-profit leader, advocate, keynote speaker, DEI workshop facilitator, and poet. JAKE supports professionals at every level of seniority and companies across every industry. He’s also about advancing the education equity of Black boys in the United States. In May 2024, JAKE published his collection of poems titled FOR EVERY BLACK BOY . I didn’t just read the...

George M. Johnson is an American Emmy-nominated, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and activist known for 2021’s We Are Not Broken and 2020’s bestselling memoir manifesto All Boys Aren’t Blue . Their new book is titled, Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known . Rate, comment, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Acast , and YouTube . For more i...

The bimonthly On The Panel series is back with the topic, “Black Queer Citizens in the Workplace”. Thank you to Episode 8’s Prince Beasley (United States), Episode 28’s Edward D. Lathan IV (United States), and Episode 50’s Kaecy (South Africa) for sharing their insights on what being an out Black queer citizen in the workplace means to them. Rate, comment, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify...

Mike Henderson is the American founder and CEO of B.A.G. Travel , “a premier group travel consulting firm specialising in crafting immersive and transformative travel experiences.” In 2022, it was selected by New World Report 2022 Awards as Best Emerging Travel Agency - California . With over 20 years of expertise in the travel industry, and a background in urban planning, Mike is dedicated to hel...

Steven Kabuye is a Canadian-based Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist. Thank you to Episode 61’s Russell Brooks for connecting us. Steven is the Executive Director of Coloured Voices Media Foundation , a youth-led organisation advocating for and promoting the human rights, health, and socioeconomic well-being of LGBTQ+ citizens. He's also the recipient of the 2024 Troy Perry Medal of Pride , an award honourin...