Black History Month

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The theme for this year’s observance is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” so OutFront Kalamazoo has decided to mark the month by recognizing Black LGBTQ+ individuals who are making history. Throughout the month we will be sharing images here and across our social media platforms to help raise awareness about the significant contribution being made by Black LGBTQ+ individuals. Each image that appears on this page throughout the month will link to the individuals Wikipedia page. Please help amplify this celebration by sharing our links on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Ahya Simone

Ahya Simone (born 1994) is an American multidisciplinary artist. Based in Detroit, she is best known for her work as a harpist and for creating and starring in the web series Femme Queen Chronicles.

Brian Michael Smith

Brian Michael Smith (born January 29, 1983) is an American actor known for ground-breaking performances on television and advocacy for trans representation in media. Smith became the first out black trans man in a series regular role on network television when he was cast as firefighter Paul Strickland in FOX's 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020).

DeeDee Chaunte

DeeDee Chaunte is a Grand Rapids Drag Queen and “ One Heck of an Entertainer!” DeeDee has has the honor of performing for 10 years in Michigan’s LGBTQIA+ nightclubs and affirming safe spaces

Elle Moxley

As a transgender rights activist, artist, community organizer, speaker, and writer, Elle Moxley is best-known for her work as a co-founding member of the Black Lives Matter Network and organizer of the first-ever National Day of Action for Black Trans Women, in 2015. Elle is currently Executive Director of The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an organization founded in 2015 that supports Black transgender women to advocate for an end to violence against all trans people through advocacy, transformative organizing, restoration, civil disobedience, and direct action.

Fatima Jamal

Fatima Jamal is an American filmmaker, model, writer, and interdisciplinary artist. A Black transgender woman who goes by the moniker "Fat Femme," Jamal is also an activist who speaks and makes art about social issues including racism, body positivity, and LGBTQ rights.

Kristian Davis Bailey

Kristian Davis Bailey is a junior studying Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity. A full time journalist/writer and occasional student, he's served as an Opinion section editor, News writer and desk editor for The Daily, is a community liaison for Stanford STATIC, the campus' progressive blog, and journal, and maintains his own website, 'With a K.' He's interested in how the press perpetuates systems of oppression and seeks to use journalism as a tool for dismantling such systems. His activism over the last 10+ years has been about Black and Palestinian Solidarity.

Mauree Turner

Mauree (They/Them/Theirs) is the current Representative for Oklahoma’s 88th House District & a Queer, Non-binary, Okie Muslim. Mauree is the first Muslim elected in Oklahoma, and the first non-binary person elected to a state level position in US history, they understand why equitable and accurate representation matters. This has led them to work with the NAACP of Oklahoma, CAIR Oklahoma, Freedom Oklahoma, and a continuously growing number of grassroots organizations in the state.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (born October 25, 1940), often referred to as Miss Major, is a trans woman activist and community leader for transgender rights, with a particular focus on women of color. She served as the original Executive Director for the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, which aims to assist transgender persons disproportionately incarcerated under the prison-industrial complex. Griffin-Gracy has participated in activism for a wide range of causes throughout her lifetime.

Precious Brady-Davis

Precious Brady-Davis is an award-winning social justice advocate, communications professional, and public speaker. She is currently the Associate Regional Communications Director at Sierra Club. Brady-Davis is a public speaker and an advocate for marginalized LGBT youth. She is the author of “I Have Always Been Me”.

Shea Diamond

ShaGasyia "Shea" Diamond is an American singer, songwriter, and transgender rights activist. Her music is chiefly soul and R&B and includes elements of blues, rock, hip-hop, and folk. Her songwriting ability has been described as "demonstrating a rare gift to portray raw, dynamic emotion in a way that moves the body as much as the spirit". Her influences include Whitney Houston and Tina Turner.

Her debut extended play Seen It All was released on June 29, 2018

As we celebrate these history-makers, we also acknowledge the challenges many Black LGBTQ+ individuals face in the United States, and in our own communities. A new report from The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law provides data on the 1.2 million adults in the US who self-identify as Black and LGBTQ+. It reveals Black LGBTQ+ people fare worse than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts in many measures of economic and social vulnerability. https://bit.ly/3oIykix