Our resident producer, audio engineer and my personal boo, Shaun dug deep to let us in on the making of their documentary Assigned Sex. The 30 minute short presents uncomfortable perspectives from both trans and cisgender people of color with the hopes of starting a necessary conversation to reduce stigma, eliminate bias and increase inclusion. Shaun explores gender and sexuality through the lens of Angel, a 23- year old preacher’s kid assigned male at birth. Religion and hyper-masculinity continue to be a powerful influence on how genderqueer people are treated in the Black community. Shaun and Kyler  reflect on their journeys over the 5 years of making the film and share their lessons and learnings since it ended.

Born and raised the daughter of a minister in Cincinnati, Kyler “Angel” O’Neal  moved to NYC after earning a Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University. After a five-year residency in NYC,  Kyler relocated to Los Angeles, CA where she is pursuing singing, writing and acting.

From appearance and insecurities to agency over our own bodies in the world we live in. What does it mean to walk around in a Black body? Is there an acceptable way to be  Black?? It’s lusted after and its feared and sometimes it feels like there’s nowhere to just be who we are. From the need to code switch to dealing with the police under ANY circumstances to catcalling. We ain’t even safe minding our business. After a short rib stew dinner we came back to the table to really dig in.

Living at an intersection of Blackness can be a little frustrating. From the Hoteps asking “Are you Black first?”, to the “Black Enough” question, living at an intersection of Blackness got people choosin’. My friends and I explore the intersections and interactions of “Black And….” From being being Black and bi-racial to Black and Gay,Black & non-binary, etc, we try to touch on it all.

Through Black Boi Complex, Jeaux helps connect people across the world, providing clarity, unity and strength to those who need it most. Fun Fact about Jeaux, “I can freestyle a song pretty damn well!"

ComfyCosi (co’zi) is one-third and the creator of the Run The Tape Podcast, New York's premiere podcast dedicated to music discovery focusing on some of the best the City has to offer. Hailing from Brooklyn, by way of Europe and the Mid-Atlantic, he's a subscriber to all things of the culture and the progression of black women in our patriarchal society and an ambassador of the "cancel" movement. Aside from that, he's the Content Director for Bask New York, an emerging creative agency focusing on merging the hipsters with the cultural influencers and those that you need to know.

Kierra Leone is filled with 90's nostalgia and she happens to be in charge of thinking of things before other people know they need them. In, other words, she's psychic (but not really). As she begins to exit her 20-somethings, she applies all the skills she has acquired while adulting to manifest the foundation of her custom career in music & entertainment.