Zavier Williams (he/him/his), a Black man of Trans* experience, grew up in the Bronx and is now a California-based speech-language pathologist who shares his perspectives on intersectional student-centered therapy during COVID-19, barriers and community in society and higher education, being a father, the storming of the U.S. Capital building in January 2021, and much more. Mr. Williams wants to extend special thanks to National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH), Trans Voice Initiative, United Women's Coalition (UWC), and his fraternity, Alpha Omega Nu. 

This episode is released in memory and celebration of Leo Lyons (they/them) who was our dear friend and first podcast guest (6/27/1989 - 12/21/2020).

Playwright Ai Aida (they/them), director Keiko Carreiro (she/they), co-director and actor Nick Ishimaru (he/him) sit with the Hyndsyte Project to discuss their gender expansiveness and fluidity in the context of Japanese culture, exploration of gender and activism through theatre, and the process of creating a diversely-cast, online theatre production with multidisciplinary art forms to both honor and deconstruct Japanese folktale tropes and stereotypes in The True Tale of Princess Kaguya (written by Aida, directed by Carreiro, co-directed by and starring Ishimaru), as part of SF Playground's 2020 Innovators Showcase. 

Free tickets with options for donation available here for 11/20 (Fri), 11/21 (Sat), and  11/22 (Sun). More information on the production can be found here.

Romy Keuwo (he/him) is a poet, singer, and graduate student in speech-language pathology at Kansas University in Lawrence, KS who discusses navigating gender nonconforming and bisexual identity in the Cameroonian community, spirituality, advocacy for Black and queer students in academia, and the creation of art within these intersections in 2020.

Special thanks to Sam Wells (she/her) and Romy Keuwo, as well as French Exit Records, for use of the song "Dear Black People" from their "Black Lives Matter Compilation" available here. Special thanks to friends of the show, Teresa "Tree" Girolamo and Samantha Ghali for their ongoing mentorship and advocacy for underrepresented and minority students at KU.  

Ruchi Kapila (she/her) and Asher Marron (they/them) venture out of the Bay Area to speak with Gray Butler (they/them), a Baltimore- and Southern California-based, self-described "tired angry black queer" is the creator and host of Black Tea Speaks, a "radical 'lifestyle' podcast" focusing Black, Indigenous, disabled, queer and trans voices as sources of expertise and fostering careful consideration of intersections to build cross-movement solidarity. Gray discusses their roots as a movement worker and experiences navigating community and academic institutions from multiple intersections. Support them on their website, Patreon, and Instagram.

The Hyndsyte Project co-hosts and co-creators, Ruchi Kapila (she/her) and Asher Marron (they/them), discuss their backgrounds as well as the origins and goals of this unique interview series centering Black LGBTQIA+ voices. It's time to listen. 

Nann Tsehay (she/her), a Black queer cis woman multidisciplinary artist (singer-songwriter, producer, poet, and more) talks development of identity and artistry from Chicago to Oakland, microaggressions, performative allyship, and the importance of creating Black queer spaces in the Bay Area. Co-hosts: Ruchi Kapila (she/her) and Asher Marron (they/them). 

Premier episode: co-hosts Ruchi Kapila (she/her) and Asher Marron (they/them) speak with Leo Lyons (they/them), Bay Area social worker, singer and self-proclaimed "artivist" on queer Black identity, Black Lives Matter, spirituality, singing, and artistic development during COVID-19. 

Special thanks to Matthew Hott and Rohan Joshi for mentorship on audio and video editing, respectively.