I am a socially engaged educator, artist, and author driven by a desire to create work that addresses equity, inclusion, and social justice. I collaborate with communities to develop distinctive story-listening projects that honor individuals, our unique identities, and cultural legacies. I believe in the importance of sharing our personal stories and the healing that happens between people when we participate in the experience of seeing one another and of being seen. I’ve created award-winning diversity programs in collaboration with Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Harvard School of Public Health, Princeton University, Rhode Island School of Design, SUNY, Swarthmore College, and many other learning institutions. I am the founder of The Shared Heart Initiatives, a non-profit organization, traveling exhibition, and secondary school curriculum created to amplify affirming stories of LGBTQIA+ youth. The Shared Heart was published by William Morrow and HarperCollins and received the American Library Association: Stonewall, Non-Fiction Book Award and the International Reading Association: Notable Books for a Global Society Award. The author James Baldwin said, “It is the role of the artist to make the world a more human dwelling place.” I follow this idea with a focused sense of purpose in the work I create. 

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