Collections By Michelle Brown

Ravi K. Perry Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Political Science at Howard University. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Perry holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University, each in political science. He was Assistant Professor of Political Science and Stennis Scholar for Municipal Governance at Mississippi State University and Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University before joining Howard University. An expert on Black politics, minority representation, urban politics, American public policy, and LGBT candidates of color, Dr. Perry is the editor of 21st Century Urban Race Politics: Representing Minorities as Universal Interests, a book that discusses the efforts of African American, Latino and Asian mayors to represent the interests of minorities in historically White cities in the United States. His second book, entitled Black Mayors, White Majorities: The Balancing Act of Racial Politics, focuses on the challenges Black may

London Bell is a community warrior. This lawyer, community organizer, activist and humanitarian can always be found standing for the human rights of all – not just in metro Detroit but anywhere people, especially women and girls, are oppressed. The native Detroiter has focused her career advocating for policy changes on behalf of diverse communities. She is the President and CEO of Bell Global Justice Institute, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Detroit focused on advancing and promoting the international human right to education for girls. Bell Global Justice Institute, in partnership with the Ruth Ellis Center, will be hosting an NGO Parallel Event during the 64th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. The parallel event “Promising Practices for Beijing+25: Strengthening Visibility for Women of Color will feature besides Bell, Deidre “D.S.Sense” Smith, Founder of On My Detroit Everything Movement; Famika Edmond, Founder of For The Love of HER; Corporal Da

Senyah Haynes is a writer, painter, actress and youth development professional but it is her role as an aunt the has given life to her current project as the author of “Jayla’s Jaunts.” Book series. 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. In 2015 she founded Palindrome Global Publishing & Events a small press and events services company in Chicago. Jayla’s Jaunts is published under PGP&E’s imprint for young readers Oak in the Acorn. Jayla’s Jaunts is an exciting adventure series about a fun-loving little girl and her whimsical auntie “Yah-Yah.” Together they travel and explore the culture and history of every place they go. Haynes admits that much of her personality can be found in Jayla’s Auntie Yah-Yah. The series plans to take them to each of the fifty states. In Jayla’s Jaunts: All About Alabama they visi

Robert Zurenko is a professional artist currently living and working in the Metro-Detroit area. He has multiple degrees in art and has spent his entire career in the creative field, making art, educating people and trying to make art experiences more accessible for everyone. In October 2019 he was one of the jurists at Kaleidoscope of Expression which celebrated pride at the Pontiac Creative Arts Center. The exhibit’s goal was to showcase the varied works and talents of LGBTQ artists. Zurenko's work revolves around the intersection of ideas embedded in gender identity, sexuality, popular culture, and the context in which they are presented His passion for nature and harmony drives his work, and he loves connecting the world back to itself through people and art. Zurenko has participated in many exhibits locally including the Trans Day of Artivism and Gender X Show at Afffimations, the NSO Detroit Man In the City Event, Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Fest, and the Breaking Borders Fine Art Show and Harmony &a

Elizabeth Crenshaw is a graduate of Michigan State University with a background in Journalism, Kinesiology, and Engineering. She believes everyone deserves compassion, kindness, equal opportunity, and love. She is the founder and owner of Yaktown Yoga, Crenshaw was a former collegiate track athlete, kickboxer and bodybuilder before becoming a yoga instructor. She graduated from the Beaumont School of Yoga, the first hospital-based yoga therapy program in the nation. She believes in the healing and transformative power of yoga, and that the practice of yoga is meant for everyone. Yaktown Yoga's mission is to reach out to the community and make yoga accessible to everyone creating a safe and inclusive space for students, especially in underserved communities. Yaktown Yoga is a Community-based practice in Pontiac, Auburn Hills, and surrounding communities in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Yoga is a map to get there - Reducing stress, Building relationships, and Enhancing your health and energy. Crenshaw is a

LGBTQ communities are disproportionately affected by cancer.  The stress and stigma experienced by sexual and gender minority communities interact with cancer, one of the most devastating of health challenges. The National LGBT Cancer Network works to improve the lives of LGBT cancer survivors. Scout is the Deputy Director at The National LGBT Cancer Network, After completing his master's in sociology, Scout realized while applying to his Ph.D. program that the work he had really been doing was in public health. This realization led him to Columbia University’s sociomedical sciences program, an interdisciplinary program, with a study divided between Public Health and Sociology. He is not only the Deputy Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network but also the principal investigator of the CDC-funded LGBTQ tobacco-related cancer disparity network. Scout has a long history in health policy analysis and a particular interest in expanding LGBTQ surveillance and research. His work has won him recognition from t

Originally from Youngstown, OH she lives in Atlanta, GA. Three years after Falami earned her master’s in educational leadership from Antioch University Midwest, she suffered two mini-strokes. She started on a self-care journey as a result of her health issues that continued and expanded.” She had been juggling school, work, and family. and was beginning to understand the importance of balance and prioritizing herself.” Falami is a Body Liberation and Self Care Coach specializing in the self care of women of color. She operates Holistic Alchemy, her business, from her hometown of Atlanta. Her work with clients involves individual sessions and group conversations – incorporates her years of research in body positivity. It specializes in the healing and self-care of women of color offering personal sound healing therapy sessions, body positive coaching and workshops for women, holistic lifestyle coaching, and sound baths. This year, she’ll earn her PhD from Antioch’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change w

Deb Drennan is the Executive Director of Freedom House Detroit. Freedom House is a temporary home for survivors of persecution from around the world seeking asylum in the United States and Canada. Its mission is to uphold a fundamental American principle, one inscribed on the bas of the Statue of Liberty, providing safety for those “yearning to breathe free.”   During this holiday season, we often reflect upon the Holy Family at Bethlehem. They were poor and affected by various political realities—just as many around the world are today. Joseph and Mary had to leave their home in Nazareth and journey to Bethlehem to escape persecution and possible death had they stayed in Nazareth. There, in a poor stable, Mary gave birth to her child. At a time when many are hearing the echo of “no room in the inn.” Freedom House offers compassion and assistance to those suffering and seeking asylum. Deb Drennan joined the agency in 2006 as program director and has been Executive Director in 2009. She has more than 30 yea

Robt Seda-Schreiber is Chief Activist of the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice in Princeton, New Jersey. His passion is in part driven by memories of a beloved uncle who was gay but couldn’t come out because his father wouldn’t have understood and as an adolescent, seeing these issues of identity, especially for youth, is shrouded in secrecy and instilling a sense of shame and wrongness on his peers. -Named for the civil rights leader who was the primary architect of the 1963 March on Washington, the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice is an educational enclave and a brave safe space for all people. The Center was established with the explicit consent of Rustin’s partner, Walter Naegle. Naegle now serves on the board providing community outreach. A lot has happened since Robt first introduced us to the Center. It has a new home, led the first pride parade in Princeton, NJ, held book signings for LGBTQ authors while hosting a variety of community-building programs. Its library has officially been

Ask people about the state of Michigan and certain images are bound to come to mind – Motown, the auto industry, Detroit and probably that giant mitten. It’s a really big state geographically but its also a state rich in history. For many African Americans, their history follows a path from ancestral homes in the south to Detroit often as part of the northern migration. But what many don’t realize is that many African Americans, some as early as the underground railroad days settled in western Michigan. Marshall Kilgore was born and raised in on the west side of the state in Comstock Park, a little town on the outskirts of Grand Rapids. He believes that having grown up in Comstock Park gives him a different perspective. He learned how to code-switch very early on and very quickly meaning that he learned how to work within the majority, learning how to navigate while still keeping true to who you are as well. Kilgore is an activist working for marginalized communities including communities of color, the LGB

After years of teaching and traveling to faraway places including Kenya and Brazil, Markita Moore returned to her high school alma mater, Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan as band director taking the reins from the very band director who had instructed her. She is a passionate and versatile music educator who has dedicated her time and talent to teaching in Metro Detroit for the past eight years. Moore is honored and excited to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors by instructing the symphonic, concert, jazz, and marching bands at Cass. Moore is currently raising funds to help send the band to Washington D.C. to participate in the 2020 National Memorial Day Parade.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib nominated the Cass Tech Marching Band to participate in the National Memorial Day parade. At a recent rally in Detroit, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Tlaib each pledged $5,000 from their campaigns to support the Cass Tech Marching Band. The students have $18,000 left to raise to cover travel expen

Marizol was adopted and was raised in the Bronx. Growing up in a Cuban family she didn't know what transgender was. Especially in the Latin community, a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl. But ever since she was little, she felt like she was born in the wrong body.  At 17 she told her older sister that she was transgender. She didn't want to go through all the bullying, so she dropped out of high school in her junior year. Two months later, she began to dress as Marizol 24/7.   Today she is pursuing her dreams as a transgender Latina model, cook and activist. She recently co-authored the book “My Sister: How One Sibling's Transition Changed Us Both” with her sister Selenis Leyva. Selenis stars as Gloria Mendoza on NETFLIX’s hit series Orange Is the New Black. The two were awarded Stonewall Community Foundation’s 2016 Vision Award for inspiring visibility, advocacy and outspoken support for the transgender community.

Robert A. Marchman, Esq. serves as PFLAG National Board Secretary. Initially the acronym for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, PFLAG was later broadened to Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gay. Born in Brooklyn, Marchman now resides in Maplewood, NJ. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Allegheny College and received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  He also attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development.  He was the first African American Executive Vice President of the New York Stock Exchange.  He also served as chairman of the Stock Exchange’s Diversity council from its inception. Prior to joining the NYSE, he was a Branch Chief in the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement in Washington DC. He Joined the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in 2010 and currently serves as FINRA’s Special Advisor to the Head of the Department of Enforcement. Although his son’s coming out was not the traumatic experience many

It's our favorite road warrior Betty Couvertier bringing her unique perspective on politics from the pivotal state of Florida. Florida is the third-most populous state in the United States. It contains the highest percentage of people over 65. Although there is a significant Hispanic population in South Florida, approximately 65% of the population identifying as White. It is among several states that are largely targeted by both political parties in the campaign period before the presidential election. Originally from Brooklyn, NY Betty Couvertier called the Atlanta home for many years. Now in retirement, she spends a good deal of her time in Florida enjoying her retirement traveling in her RV with her dogs. An out lesbian of Puerto Rican descent, Betty was the founder, producer and host of “Alternative Perspectives,” an LGBT radio show that continues to air on WRFG “Radio Free Georgia” a community-owned and operated station. She served in various capacities on a number of non-profit organizations over

Judith Kasen-Windsor continues her conversation about her life with LGBTQ icon Edie Windsor. Judith first met Edie Windsor in 2010 at an LGBTQ event. Their encounters over the years led to conversations that led to romance and eventually marriage in September 2016, Longevity is not an indicator of intensity. Although Windsor died in 2017, theirs’s was a relationship filled with love. Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court case  which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and was considered a landmark legal victory for the same-sex marriage movement in the United States,  Edie's memoir "A Wild and Precious Life" was released on October 8, 2019. She worked on the book with Joshua Lyon until her death. He finished the book using the hundreds of files Edie left behind that included files on all her family members, letters, photographs, musings and detailed day calendars dating back to 1953 among other things. This allowed him to trace every move of her life and provide details to

Judith first met Edie Windsor in 2010 at an LGBTQ event. Their encounters over the years led to conversations that led to romance and eventually marriage. Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court case which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and was considered a landmark legal victory for the same-sex marriage movement in the United States. Longevity is not an indicator of intensity. Although Windsor died in 2017, theirs’s was a relationship filled with love. Windsor was working on her memoir at the time of her death. That memoir “A Wild and Precious Life” was released on October 8, 2019. Edie worked on the book with Joshua Lyon until her death. He finished the book using the hundreds of files Edie left behind that included files on all her family members, letters, photographs, musings and detailed day calendars dating back to 1953 among other things. This allowed him to trace every move of her life and provide details to bring the story to life, but the meat of the book w

ALYCE EMORY studied sociology at Georgia State University before settling in New York City. She has successfully managed marketing and event production for clients including HBO, A&E Television, Urbanworld Film Festival, The Apollo Theater, Circle of Life Celebration-Pride Memorial, Third Wave Foundation, UNESCO and others.  She has served on committees for the NYC Community Board’s LGBTQ Town Hall, NYC Black Pride and as a member of Harlem Pride’s Founding Advisory Board. Alyce is a member of the African Atlantic Research Team of Michigan State University and presented with the team at the Association for Worldwide African Diaspora Conference.  She also serves on the Health & Wellness and Economic Development Committees of North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.., Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition, and Kitchen Table Giving Circle. She also advises African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change. With fellow New York activist Kim Ford, She co-founded  Beyond Bold an

Originally from Louisville, KY, Mahri Bahati attend the University of Kentucky in nearby Lexington for college. She earned her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Kentucky in 2013, with a focus in Epidemiology. Lexington was close to home but far enough away, so she felt independent as she lived her life authentically in the LGBTQ community. She has had a lifelong interest in volunteering and community organizing which carried over into her college and professional life. As an undergrad, she began volunteering with local HIV/AIDS non-profits which sparked a professional interest in public health. A creative and passionate public health professional she has extensive experience across the HIV/AIDS continuum of care.  While working for the Kentucky Health Department word of her expertise and experience spread, she was tapped to join the Global Forum on MSM and HIV as Public Health Advisor developing and managing the global capacity-building project to build self-sustainability for trans-led or

Collections by Michelle Brown visits the Pontiac Creative Arts Center as it prepares for its “Kaleidoscope of Expression” exhibition. The exhibition extends Southeast Michigan’s Pride season this year showcasing the varied works and talents of any interested LGBTQ artists. PCAC board members Ronnie Karpinski and Patrizia Makohon talk about the October 12th event and exhibit that will run through the end of the month. Submissions have been received mainly from the Southeast Michigan area, but there have been several from across the state of Michigan and even as far as Florida and California. The PCAC’s new Executive Director Judy Wilson will also share her plans to continue to make the Center a place to showcase the areas creative base and celebrate its diverse community. The “Kaleidoscope of Expression” exhibition is free to the public and takes place from 6-9PM. Pontiac Creative Arts Center is located at 47 Williams Street, Pontiac, MI  

When Michelle Cox was diagnosed with breast cancer she did not give up or fall into a depression. Instead, she turned the diagnosis into a wakeup call to pursue her dream to make a difference as a children’s book author. She started a publishing company for her books with the hopes of igniting a love of reading and technology in children at a young age. She went to college at age 15. She started her professional career in logistics. When downsizing brought an end to that career, she returned to school to learn about computers. With over 19 years Field Support Specialist and as an In-Home Computer Repair Business Owner, Michelle has become not just an executive computer hardware instructor but also the go-to person with customers many who affectionately refer to her as “the computer lady.” The students who attend her intensive training, find in Cox not only a dedicated instructor but a mentor who has personally walked many grads into their first interviews. Her first published children’s book in the “Mommy