Collections by Michelle Brown

Being transgender, living authentically, especially as a transwoman/man of color, not just in this country but globally, is a threat to one’s safety and longevity. Stepping out in your truth means living with the reality that there is an invisible target on your back and, if you are a person of color, that target has rings not only of transphobia but racism as well and is held together with threads of ignorance.

Lilliana Reyes  is a triple threat to bigotry, racism and transphobia. She is outspoken,driven & a true force to be reckoned with in the fight not just for transgender rights but for equality and justice. Lilliana is a trans Latina woman who has extensive history working with marginalized populations including people of color, women, LGBTQ communities, HIV positive communities, and most importantly youth and all their intersections. Growing up in a tight-knit Mexican family with her parents and older brother, she was shaped by principles of faith and feminism. She witnessed racial tensions in her hometown of Saginaw, but also saw her parents’ acceptance of others, including their gay friends. Reyes was raised to believe you can do anything you want in life if you work for it.

She has worked with many state and national civil rights organizations including Planned Parenthood, National Organization of Women, Transgender Michigan, and NAACP. She is currently the program services director at Affirmations, metro Detroit's community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender people and their allies. As a graduate of the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School with a Master of Public Administration and her experience of being a transgender, Latina woman has allowed her to utilize personal lessons along with her academic career to create a culture of youth empowerment encouraging diversity in all endeavors.

Rhiannon Chester is a Detroit native. She is, in her own words, unapologetically black, unapologetically a lesbian, unapologetically a feminist and unapologetically the person who is concerned,” about her community.

She is passionate about connecting people to resources whether its funds, information or other people. Much of her background is in community organizing and outreach.

As program coordinator with LGBT-Detroit she connected people to information and brought resources to the organization’s programs. She facilitated a weekly discussion called “Talk Tuesday,” a monthly conversation called “Woman 2 Woman” and helped manage the LGBT Detroit Leadership Academy program. At LGBT-Detroit Chester says the experience provided her a space where she could be unapologetically all of herself and it was a space where her concerns were not only listened to, but uplifted.

Rhiannon earned her Masters in Social Justice in 2016 from Marygrove College. She actively combines her undergraduate degree in photography with her social justice passion to increase visibility of the often unheard.

Inspired by the will, spirit, and innovation of the residents of Detroit, she is committed to working with often marginalized communities towards sustainable change. She uses her passion for connecting people, community and resources now working with IOBY Detroit.

Whether participating on a panel locally or nationally, leading workshops to bring people, and resources together, or capturing images of life, love and community through her photography, you can count on one thing – this new home owner will forever be unapologetically Rhiannon!

Originally from Bufffalo New York, Thoma "TJ" Rogers now calls Mexican Town in South west Detroit home. 

TJ works at Freedom House Detroit. Freedom House Detroit is a temporary home for indigent survivors of persecution from around the world who are seeking asylum in the United States and Canada. Our mission is to uphold a fundamental American principle, one inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, providing safety for those “yearning to breathe free.” 

TJ is passionate about advocacy, and with over five years of firsthand experience providing direct services to asylum seekers, Rogers works to generate awareness about the plight and courage of asylum seekers while encouraging individuals and organizations to increase their support.

It was his learning of the Rwandan genocide that sparked a life-long love affair with Africa.  He came to fully appreciated the country's beautiful culture, including traditional dance, food, music, and language. He’s also particularly drawn to Uganda, a country that most know for it's efforts to criminalize homosexuality. He’s drawn to Uganda not only for it's rich, beautiful culture, but also because of the plight, courage, and resiliency of the 'kuchu' community -An issue as an out and proud gay man he can relate to personally. In Spring 2015, He was featured as one of five LGBT Detroiters to watch in Pride Source, Michigan's LGBT Magazine, for his efforts to bridge the gap between the U.S. LGBT community and LGBT asylum community.

He was invited to participate in a roundtable conversation at the UNHCR Washington, DC office about alternatives to detention for LGBT asylum seekers. Rogers is also on the Steering Committee of LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network, a Board Member of the Mary Turner Center for Advocacy, and a proud member of Amnesty International.

According to Sykes respect, love and inclusion are our birthrights. It's not the gospel but maybe it should be! Since 1986, he has worked to build on the strengths of individual, families and communities. He uses skills and talents gained while working in direct services and executive leadership roles in the nonprofit arena. Sykes is a play therapist and works with children and adolescents impacted by neglect and abuse. He works to create safety in the therapeutic environment.

The Chicago social figure and highly sought-after therapist, launched his website “According to Sykes in 2013 at the uber chic Zhou B Art Center, setting a new standard for intimate entertaining. In 2017, he was recognized at the annual Esteem Awards with the Outstanding Service – Male Award. Each year the Esteem Awards honor local and national organizations and individuals for their continued efforts in supporting the African-American and LGBTQ communities. On receiving this prestigious award John said he believed “that being a participant in helping a community in peril, and in need of so much healing is essential.

Amid the flooding and devastation of Hurricane Harvey Monica Roberts talks about her city, Comic Con, Doubt, history and her passion in eliminate transphobia. 

A force of nature in her own right, Monica is a trailblazing leader in the transgender community leader. She works diligently at educating and encouraging acceptance of trans people inside and outside the larger African-American community.

Monica is an award winning blogger, history buff, thinker, lecturer and passionate advocate on trans issues.

She seeks to not only end the erasure of African-American trans voices from a movement they played significant roles in starting, but get African-American transpeople and other voices of color more involved in empowering themselves. Her activism focus is educating the TBLGQ community and allies about our issues and concerns in addition to shedding light about the struggles of GLBTQ people across the African Diaspora.

Her writings about transgender issues from a Black perspective have appeared at Ebony.com, Loop21.com, Transadvocate, Racialicious, Feministe, Global Comment, The Bilerico Project, What Tami Said and Womanist Musings.

What's the T? From fighting transphobic legislation, to speaking for transgender rights across the country to Comic Con, Monica will tell you!

Fierce, outspoken, dapper, on the road and living her life like it's golden,that's activist, former radio host  Betty Couvertier.

Betty believes in freedom for all, fairness, hope in action and equality. She is relentless, outspoken, courageous in providing an authentic voice and alternative perspective.

Originally from Brooklyn, NY where she was a city corrections officer she has been a part of Atlanta, Georgia’s LGBTQ scene since the mid-1990s. She has volunteered at WRFG 89.3 FM, a non-profit community radio station, since 2002. She was the founder, producer and host of “Alternative Perspectives,” an LGBT radio show that airs on the community-owned and operated station from 2006 until 2017.“Alternative Perspectives” started from a notion that LGBTQ news was important news and that our voices together could get a message out to the public — to the folks that we work with, play with, shop with, live next to, and go to school with. 

Her energy, compassion, insightfulness, and hard work has been an incredible asset in the fight for LGBTQ equality.

A recipient of many awards since retiring Betty keeps her eye on local and national political shenanigans, the LGBTQ community and discovering more alternative perspectives as she travels about the country in her RV with her dogs and that trademark fedora.

Say “Vegan” and most will answer “No meat. No Dairy. A person who does not eat or use animal products.”  The ensuing conversation often includes dietary choices, trendy restaurants and an occasional eye-roll.

But for Liz Ross our guest on Collections by Michelle Brown being a vegan goes beyond a dietary choice.

Originally from Trinidad, Liz has lived many places but calls Los Angeles, CA home. Ross is Co-founder and Director of Vegan Advocacy Initiative, (formerly Coalition of Vegan Activists of Color), a woman-of-color-led nonprofit organization.  VAI is an animal advocacy and vegan food justice organization that creates and events to encourage the public to consider a holistic way of thinking that upholds animal rights.  Their initiatives also encourage others to view animal rights as part of the food justice and environmental justice movements in order to create more sustainable and fair systems. 

She is also co-creator of the People of Color: Animal Rights, Advocacy and Food Justice Conference, which takes place in Los Angeles and organized through Vegan Advocacy Initiative.  This conference is the first-of-its kind in the US that provides a platform for speakers of color who are leaders and activists in the animal rights, vegan outreach and food justice movement.  Liz also gives presentations on why issues of racism and classism matter when doing effective vegan outreach.

A former police officer, Liz also raises awareness about the history of racial bias in the criminal justice system, mass-incarceration and the so-called “War on Drugs”, through presentations, and she also volunteers for organizations that are working to counter its negative impact.

Beverly Humphrey is a 67-year-old African American woman who was diagnosed with lupus in 1976 at age 26.  She has been living with the disease for 41 years. 

Beverly was the first in her family to receive a diagnosis of systemic lupus. Her younger sister was diagnosed two years later and passed away in 2001 from complications related to lupus.   Years later, Beverly's oldest niece was also diagnosed with lupus.  By that time, Beverly had been living with lupus for 27 years and was instrumental in getting her niece to the proper health care services. Like most lupus patients, Beverly has experienced her share of challenges in her determination to live victoriously in spite of this difficult diagnosis.  Some of her achievements include earning her Bachelor's degree in social work in 2006 and just this past May, earning her master's degree in counseling from the University of Detroit Mercy.  

Beverly has served as a leader, and speaker for many women’s groups on a variety of topics ranging from spirituality, HIV/AIDS, to what it means to live with lupus.  Most importantly Beverly is passionate about helping to encourage and empower women to live their best lives not in spite of the challenges they face with a lupus diagnosis, but because of those challenges.  She truly is a LUPUS Warrior.

In 2013 Adam McMath’s documentary “Miss Understud” debuted at the Black Alphabet Film Festival. Fast forward four years and McMath now sits on the BAFF Board as the Vice President & Director of Programming. The festival takes place this year from August 18-19 at The Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago. Six films will be screened - “90 Days”, “Missed Connections”, “Jewel’s Catch One”, “Kiki’, “Check It” and “pronouns” -with a Friday night discussion with Nathan Hale Williams and Nic Few from “90 Days.” 

BAFF is committed to keeping the African American community informed about new LGBTQ films along with the artists and filmmakers that serve our community both locally and nationally.  Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) symbolizes the unity and affirming of diversity in gender and sexual expression within the Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ) community. The organization’s mission is to empower the community by promoting, nurturing and celebrating the stories of Black LGBTQ-identified people through the art of film.

This mother of two adult children is an accomplished film maker, poet, short story writer, essayist, editor and retired higher education administrator. She holds a Doctorate in Adult and Higher Education; a Master of Arts in Adult and Higher Education; and a Master of Science in General Administration . She has been invited to speak at numerous workshops and conventions throughout the United States and Canada.

As a youth, she spent 12 years in the foster care system and as the old adage goes “What doesn’t break you, makes you stronger!” She shares her personal foster care journey in her memoir IF NOT FOR DREAMS: MEMORIES OF A FOSTER CHILD. Her writing is also included in the anthology GROWING UP IN THE CARE OF STRANGERS.

She also penned a novella, Dancing Under the Same Moon and has been featured in several other publications. As a contemporary abstract artist her work has been shown at the Detroit Artist Market, National Conference of Artist Gallery, Jo’s Gallery and The Juanita Ford Gallery and the Charles H. Wright African American Museum. Her production company, Reel Women Speak is dedicated to impacting the lives of women through visual media. Collective Voices: Wisdom of our Lesbian Elders is her first independent film.