Tag: storytelling
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Alejandro Rodriguez | Indiana, IL
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I’m from northern Indiana, I grew up in between East Chicago Indiana, a town 25 mins south east of Chicago and another town on the opposite side of northern Indiana named Fort Wayne. Lucky for me those are two of the most diverse areas of Indiana. I grew up in…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: tasmin archer’s “sleeping satellite”
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i can still picture us hanging out in his dimly lit room as he sang his heart out to tasmin archer’s “sleeping sattelite.” i didn’t get it. i just didn’t hear what he did. where was the beat? how do you dance to this? what the hell was is it…
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J Aces Lira | Chivago, IL
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I recall my time in high school. During this time, I’m making intercity commutes and my mom was struggling with eviction notices and constant housing moves. For a period of time, we were homeless and struggled to make a smooth transition between the last place and the next option. I…
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Sean Anthony | Buffalo, NY
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My name is Sean Anthony. My very first Ballroom name given to me was “Baby”. I was the youngest in the house and had a baby face, still do til this day lol. As I grew older I changed my name to Kharma, I gave myself the name because I…
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TEVIN CAMPBELL
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most recording artists only wish to have recorded with quincy jones and prince, but by age 14, tevin campbell worked with both. tevin’s first two singles, the jones produced “tomorrow (a better you, a better me)” and “round & round” (written & produced by prince) landed inside the r&b top…
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OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
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olivia, i honestly love you. i remember the stereo with the big knob and bright neon dial. every morning i stared at it as my grandmother dressed me for kindergarten. i stared at the dial set on WCAU 98FM and wished the radio played at least one of my favorite…
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Today, I am 28.
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In this photo I was 4 years old on this day, I was happy. That smile in this picture was intentional and I can remember like it was yesterday. On March 19th, I turned 28 years old, so my childhood is a little fuzzy. But that day sticks with me.…
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LISA ISADORA CRUZ (LA GINGER VALDEZ)
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La Mujer Boricua! Lisa Isadora Valdez was born in la isla del encanto Puerto Rico on September 23, 1958. Most people will know her by her stage name of “Ginger Valdez.” She began performing in Puerto Rico when it was still illegal to walk around looking like the “opposite” sex.…
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Janet Jackson: A Deep Appreciation Of
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i met robert on the very first day of school in the seventh grade in september 1989. as soon as i walked into the classroom and witnessed him commanding space with his beautiful spirit, i knew the semester would be different. i would no longer be the “only one” in…
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in the summer of 1988, i had a friend named jacqueline who lived next door from us. she was a bubbly preteen just as i was and loved music almost as much as me. what i what think connected us the most was that she too had a mother who…
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Lady LaBelle | Philadelphia, PA
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my name is julio mangual aka lady labelle, my stage name. i was born in mayagüez, puerto rico. i’m one of the old girls that’s still alive from north philadelphia. because growing up in north philly, being a gay male, back then you couldn’t walk around being gay without getting…
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Gran Varones’ Armonté Butler Featured On This Year’s Honor 41 List
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BLACK QUEER HISTORY NOW! We cannot express how proud we are of our very own Armonté Butler. His work with young people living with HIV, youth organizers and other Black and Latinx storytellers continues to us leave in complete awe. Armonté Butler is a writer and activist based in Washington,…