In 2017 the name Tracey Africa Norman has become synonymous with terms like “full circle and comeback kid”. Tracey's modeling career got started, all because she was in the wrong place, at the right time. She'd accidencely wandered into a model casting for the European designer Basile, as luck would have it, Tracey got the booking. Along with several other NYC top models, such as Peggy Dillard, Jennifer Price, Pita Greene and Romney Russo each werel.featured in this Basilggggggffgguare fashion layout, photographed by Mr. Irving Penn, for Italian Vogue.

No doubt we've all heard of the "IT" factor, and if anybody knows what that "IT" factor consist of, then it would most certainly be the legendary, internationally renowned photographer Mr. Irving Penn. For it is he, that place a direct call to Zoli, (then one of NYC's top modeling agencies about his new find), Ms. Tracey Gayle Norman.

Unbeknownst to anyone on this historical set, but true history had just been made, in more ways than one. Tracey was quickly signed with Zoli modeling agency, and immediately sent out on direct bookings. For clients, such as designer Patrick Kelly (then based in NYC), wig master Andre Douglas, Avon, Clairol, Ultra Sheen cosmetics, and Essence magazine, too name a few.

Yolo Akili Robinson (He/Him/His) is non-binary person who is an award winning writer, healing justice worker, yogi and the founder and executive director of BEAM (The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). BEAM is a national training, movement building and grant making organization dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black communities. Yolo has worked primarily in three areas: Batterers intervention/family counseling with Black men and boys, HIV/AIDS, and healing justice/wellness work. In 2018, Yolo was awarded the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "Health Equity Award" for his work. He was also featured at the 2020 BET Awards for an "Empowerful spotlight", highlighting his work facilitating the vision of BEAM. His writings and work have appeared on Shondaland, GQ, Women's Health, USA Today, Vice, B.E.T, Huffington Post, Cassius, Ebony, Everyday Feminisms and much more.

Regina Duggins is an educator, community advocate, author, poet, and Charleston County Constituent School Board member. Her and her family moved from Brooklyn, NY in 2010. While in Charleston, SC, she has received her master’s degree in special education and her doctorate in organizational leadership with an emphasis in K-12. In 2019, she founded Charleston Black Pride; an organization for LGBTQ+ people of color. Because she noticed that there were a need for LGBTQ+ of color leadership here in the Charleston area. She is strong believer that representation matters. Regina has five children, one beautiful granddaughter Joy, and is the caregiver of her 77-year-old mother.

NBC News hails Anaré V. Holmes as a “fearless firefighter” in its inaugural #Pride30 list of LGBT innovators, change makers and rising stars who are making the community proud.

An Ida B. Wells Best News Story Award-Winner from the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association, Holmes has worked with CNN, BET News and PBS network affiliates to tell untold and under-reported stories about compelling characters that shape American life. His public service continues as a firefighter, LGBTQ Liaison and Assistant Public Information Officer for a metro Atlanta fire rescue department.

He is the curator of anareholmes.com, a site that amplifies the voices of human resilience in the aftermath of trauma.

Lacette Cross, affectionately called Rev. L, is a community faith leader, activist and speaker. She is committed to working with others to bring about a more just and equitable community. Lacette is an experienced organizer, facilitator and presenter on racial equity, intersectionality, sexuality, spirituality, religion, gender, justice and leadership. She wears many hats as the pastor of Restoration Fellowship RVA, co-founder/director of UGRC/Black Pride RVA and founder/ceo of Will You Be Whole. She is currently a doctor of ministry student at the School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She is dedicated to helping people, doing justice and building community.

Dr. Marisa Richmond teaches history and women’s and gender studies at Middle Tennessee State University. She is the current Chair of the Metro (Nashville) Human Relations Commission, one of only two openly transgender members of the Democratic National Committee, and a Member of the Board of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative.

She just finished serving as a member of the ad hoc Nashville Mayor’s Council on the Status of Women and the Davidson County General Sessions Court Judicial Equity Collective. Previously, she served many years as the President and Lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition.

She is a prolific author and speaker on transgender rights, and has served on many boards at the Local, State, and National levels. She has been recognized for her work with many awards.

She has three degrees, all in U.S. History. Her A.B. is from Harvard University, her M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. from George Washington University.

Carmen Neely hails from Charlotte, NC. She graduated from Howard University with a BFA in Theatre and a minor in Film Production. She also holds a Master of Science in Teaching with specializations in Childhood and Special Education from Fordham University.

Upon arriving in New York City, Carmen worked at Manhattan Theater Club, first in ticket sales, then as the General Management Assistant. Later Carmen worked as an Executive Administrative Assistant at Goldman Sachs. Most recently, she worked in the New York City Department of Education as a Special Education teacher.

Carmen Neely is also the co-founder and president of Harlem Pride. Harlem Pride is Harlem's LGBTQ Pride organization and its mission is to empower Harlem’s LGBTQ community (which includes family, friends, and allies) to improve its physical, mental, and economic health and wellness. Though Carmen is quite busy managing Harlem Pride, she is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and other Harlem based LGBTQ organizations. She is a Co-chair of the LGBTQ Committee of the NAACP, Mid-Manhattan Branch, a Co-Chair of the Black & Latino LGBTQ Coalition, a Board Member of the LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent, Director of Communications at Rivers of Living Water Ministries UCC, a Board Member of the Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center and a Co-Chair of the NYC Pride & Power Political Club.

Dr. Quartey started creating change as a 13-year-old student organizer for Oprah’s Angel Network. Since then he has been highly sought out for his skills in organizing for social change and influencing organizational leadership on strategic initiatives with a consciousness around racial equity and LGBTQ inclusion. He’s currently on special assignment as the Multicultural Engagement Lead for the AARP COVID Vaccine Education Campaign. In his personal capacity during the 2020 election cycle, Dr. Quartey served as Senior Policy Advisor for the OUT for Biden Initiative of the Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign. This San Francisco Bay Area native currently lives and works in Washington, D.C., where he serves as Chair of the LGBTQ Advisory Commission and Board Secretary for the National Foster Youth Institute.

Curtis Lipscomb is the Executive Director and founder of LGBT Detroit. LGBT Detroit addresses the concerns of economic and racial justice, health care disparities, global sexual freedoms and expressions, and anti-discrimination policies. He is the founder of Hotter Than July, the world’s longest running Black, LGBT+ pride celebration. He has previously served as the statewide organizer for AIDS Walk Michigan. He is the former publisher KICK! a monthly Black LGBT magazine. He earned a BA from Parsons The New School. Lipscomb has received numerous awards and recognitions including an appointment on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities and The Obama Administration White House Volunteer Service Award. His notable accomplishments include establishing the largest Black LGBT+ campus in North America, founded the political action organization LGBT Detroit Mobilization, member of the National LGBTQ Task Force Leadership Council, and publicly elected as a Precinct Delegate

J. Carl DeVine, a Florida native from Arcadia, serves as Executive Director of Banyan Tree Project, Inc. and a Community Advocate for AHF in St. Petersburg, FL. He has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS for over 30 years. His efforts led to the state’s first summit for Black males and initiated a statewide institute for Black men. He is a voice that speaks to power concerning issues of equality, fairness, and justice. He is a visionary who has inspired many to address the unmet needs in their communities.

Shawn Ka’Ron Bumpase, aka Father Ka’Ron LaMore an LGBTQ activist. Ka’Ron received his associate’s degree in Christian Counseling from Temple Bible College, Cincinnati, Ohio and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky in Business Management and Family Consumer Science. He is currently working on his masters in Family Counseling.

Ka’Ron has served as a motivational speaker for Fayette County Public schools and has spoken at many elementary, middle school and high school, he has spoken at many rallies throughout the U.S. including the Martin Luther King Day. Also host annually a Black History Forum in conjunction with the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day for the community.

In 2000, Ka’Ron started a gay house call House of Unique, but later emerged with Ashante LaMore in 2003 and helped found the House of Unique-LaMore (House of LaMore). House of LaMore is a gay family organization, who travels together, participate in the pageant system and ballroom culture. House members range from ages 14 to 29. In 2004 Ka’Ron moved to Louisville, Kentucky there he grew his house from 9 members to 85 members within 1 year becoming the largest gay family in the state of Kentucky. Members must finished high school and start college. Many of his house members now live in Los Angeles, Denver, Colorado, Washington D.C and New York pursuing acting, dancing and modeling. Ka’Ron helped many black LGBTQ teenagers in Lexington, Louisville and surrounding counties in Kentucky come out to their parents, relationship skills, find housing and most of all find their identity.

Ka’Ron served as grass root helper for the formation of Bluegrass Black Pride in 2013 and is the founder of Kentucky Black Pride Inc. which host local Pride Festivals in Lexington, Louisville and Covington. He hosts a weekly radio show called Colorful Exchanges with RadioLex, a conversation from TQPOC. And currently serves as the Plantory’s AmeriCorps VISTA program director. He’s an active member of Center for Black Equity, an organization that connects all black prides in the US, Caribbean and Paris. He is being featured this year in a HBO special called “We Are Here”.

Jack Mizrahi is a twenty nine year veteran of the famed Ballroom Community. Known as the “voice of the Ballroom scene” Jack Mizrahi is revered for his services as the Master of Ceremony across the nation and abroad. His artistry in speaking and captivating any audience has gained him international exposure as the MC of choice outside of the Ballroom community for such events as the Inaugural Sean John Fashion during fashion week, Hair shows, Hosting a talent segment at “night of the Apollo, voice over work, pageants, charity, corporate events, commercials and even hosting a weekly live show for the World Wrestling Entertainment.

Jack Mizrahi’s contributions to the ballroom community are respected and valued. It has earned him the status of ICON and the respect from his peers, He co created the National Ballroom Awards Ceremony now entering its 25th year Anniversary, He established The Ballroom Hall of Fame and The Ballroom House Hall of Fame. He is also regarded for his creative and fresh new categories, concepts adding a new level of competition to the ballroom community such The Rainbow House Wars, The Battle Balls, The State to State Ball, Super Ball Sundays, The Rumble Ball, The top Ten Challenge, Vogue Knights and more.

As community leader Jack Mizrahi is an advocate of HIV/STD prevention, and has volunteered his time and talents to spread the message. Using the ballroom runway as a platform to gain the attention of the community Jack Mizrahi urges everyone one to practice safe sex and get tested. He has created a homegrown intervention called “The WIZ Group” (We. Intervene. Zealously) which is an intervention program that encourages community members to examine themselves in an effort to aid positive social change in their network. The program has gained much national exposure from health agencies and the CDC earning a nomination for the Obama Healthy People 2020 campaign and currently a 18 state grant that would make the program accessible in other cities.

This past election Jack Mizrahi mobilized the house/ballroom community through several I’m the Vote campaign blast sponsored by Unilever with a partnership with When we all Vote, the Michelle Obama initiative and Vote Riders. Engaging the community members around the country with information on Voter suppression, LGBTQ I.d. issues, mail in vote, deadline and most importantly their right to vote through a series of on-line balls, social media films and state of the art gifs.

Jack Mizrahi has created an entertainment group made up of various talents from an assortment of ballroom houses spreading the love while elevating and boosting confidence. House of Gorgeous’ goal is to bring power packed performance and ballroom energy to such events as, The Met Gala, The Harper’s Bazaar annual fashion honors, Coach “we are family” campaign, and a host of events throughout the year. Celebrating diversity and acceptance.

Shannon Garcon is a well-respected Icon and leader in the LGBTQ Ballroom Community and an LGBTQ community activist. He has worked hard to break the stereotypes place on the ballroom community while helping to end LGBTQ Youth Homelessness and mentoring LGBTQ young adults of color nationally and locally.

Shannon opened the House of Garcon in April 2008 in Washington, DC. The House of Garcon is founded on the foundation that a house should emphasize brotherhood, advocate education, encourage professional growth, strong community bonds, health, and spiritual well-being and still be effective in the ballroom. Shannon wanted a house whose members would strive to better themselves in all aspects of their lives and not just in the ballroom but in life, by bridging the gap between ballroom and LGBTQ advocacy in minority communities. Over the years the House of Garcon has developed into an international force in the ballroom and LGBTQ community of color with members in over 15 states, France, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The Garcons advocate promoting Social Responsibility, HIV education, Education Advocacy, and presenting a positive image of what the ballroom community can do to fight issues that plague the LGBTQ community of color; a “Give Back” approach.

A lifelong resident of Chicago Illinois, Charles Nelson has dedicated his life to health and wellness of Chicago’s Same Gender Loving (SGL) men and women of African Descent. In 1986, as a SGL-LGBTQ advocate, Charles saw the lack of services around health and wellness of the AA-SGL community. He along with two colleagues co-founded the Minority Outreach Intervention Project (M.O.I.P.), this project focus was around providing HIV prevention services to Black and Brown SGL Men. M.O.I.P. was the first organization in the city of Chicago to focus on community outreach in gay identified bars where men and women of color assemble socially.

Charles service span from the creation of Chicago Brother2Brother in 1990, giving SGL Men of African descent a voice and a face in the gay community while maintaining cultural identity. Charles continued his work within the male SGL community providing empowerment workshops and a referral service for social networking called BROTHERS Community Aware Network (BROTHERS C.A.N.) for Howard Brown Health Center. In 1995 Charles help to start the Harambee Wellness Center, a Howard Brown Health Center clinic on the south side of Chicago. In 2000, Charles accepted a position as Director of MSM Project at South Side Help Center, the oldest Black own HIV service agency in Chicago.

Charles Nelson has served as President for Chicago Windy City SGL-LGBT Pride for 19 years. Out of the work he has develop UBUNTU Center of Chicago. The Center for SGL-LGBT African Americans, a Community, Historical, Literary, Cultural, Educational, Civic and Social Center.

Charles lives by a motto by DR. King; “Today we must forge ahead, sure in our convictions, that no human force can stop our struggle or hinder our victory. We must be strong in our beliefs; open doors when they are nailed shut and walk boldly through them when they are opened. The future is not just ours; it is also those who have not spoken and those who are yet to come.”

Richard Fowler is a Fox News contributor and host of the radio program, The Fowler Show. For several years, he has brought a progressive voice to America’s most-watched cable television network. As a result, Richard is one of the most-watched openly gay Black men on cable news. In his latest project, 24 Hours in America, Richard immerses himself in the lives of people of various racial, ethnic, gender, professional, geographic, and political backgrounds, each of whom offers a uniquely authentic perspective on the most controversial issues of the day.

This program, like many of Richard’s other endeavors, allows him to flex his muscles as a honest, unity-driven storyteller who’s committed to bridging gaps and fostering a common understanding between members of seemingly different groups.

In his role at Fox News, Richard frequently co-anchors The Five and appears on The Story with Martha McCallum, America’s Newsroom, and MediaBuzz. Richard’s other responsibilities include prime-timing Kennedy and Mornings with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Channel. In 2018, he co-hosted The All-American New Year’s Eve Show Live from Times Square.

As a native of Illinois, and a seasoned real estate professional and business owner, John recognizes and values the trust his clients place in him and strives every day to exceed their expectations. He has been a leading top producer for more than 20 years. His sales consistently ranked in the top 1% of new home sales. Currently he is an Independent Owner of Avis Budget Car Rental. Prior to entering real estate, his devotion to empowering the most underserved community members lead him to the field of public health. During his time in public health, he lead community-based organizations to better serve the most underserved communities that include families from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and communities of color plagued with disproportionately high rates of health condition such as diabetes and HIV. He continues this work through his non-profit LOUD INC, hosting annual events that address community needs from access to housing to health care. HIs many years of advocacy also includes state and national community mobilization through the Houston Health Department’s Community Planning Group, the Houston Black Area Democrats, Houston GLBT Political Caucus (executive board member), the Center for Black Equity and the Houston Area Black Realtor Association.

Malcolm Kenyatta was elected to serve as state representative for the 181st Legislative District, Philadelphia County, in 2018. He is a product of Philadelphia public schools and a graduate of Temple University and Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

He currently serves as vice chair of the Philadelphia House Delegation and as a member of the Governor’s Taskforce on Suicide Prevention and holds a host of committee leadership positions. As the first openly LGBTQ person of color and one of the youngest members elected to the PA General Assembly, he is deeply committed to creating an equitable and inclusive society.

As a legislator, he has championed proposals to address generational poverty, raise the minimum wage and protect workers’ rights, increase access to mental health care, enact common sense measures to address gun violence, and strengthen our digital infrastructure.

In 2016 and again in 2020, he was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic Convention to represent Pennsylvania’s second Congressional District; both times garnering the second-highest vote total of any delegate in the Commonwealth. He has also appeared on local and national media outlets to discuss systemic poverty, affordable education and childcare, and how to make government more accountable to citizens. He was the subject of an award-winning short documentary, ‘Going Forward’, produced by Seven Knot Productions, which premiered on ‘The Atlantic Magazine Selects’ in 2018.

Representative Leslie Herod was elected in 2016 as the first LGBTQ+ African American in the Colorado General Assembly, while receiving the highest number of votes of any candidate running in a contested election. She serves as the chair of the House Finance Committee, vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and chair of the Committee on Legal Services. Rep. Herod also chairs the Colorado Black Democratic Legislative Caucus and the Arts Caucus.

Since her election in 2016, Herod has sent 68 bills to the Governor’s desk, marshaling through numerous pieces of legislation addressing criminal justice reform, mental health & substance abuse, renewable energy, youth homelessness, and civil rights protections. Her legislative agenda underscores her commitment to improving the lives of all Coloradans, especially those caught in the cycle of poverty or mired in the criminal justice system.

Michael is a long-time public policy expert in the areas of public health, community development and government. He has served in many elected and appointed positions, boards of directors, advisory boards and brain trusts.

He is the Founder and former Executive Director of The COLOURS Organization, Inc., a Philadelphia based non-profit social service organization by and for people of color where he managed over $7 million dollars in grants, cooperative agreements and contracts during his seven-year tenure as Executive Director. He is the co-founder of Philadelphia Black Gay Pride.

As an appointee of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, Michael served as an Assistant Managing Director and the first Mayor’s Liaison to LGBT Communities for the City of Philadelphia from January 2001 to February 2008. In this capacity, he served as a Public Policy Advisor to the Mayor, the Managing Director and the Commissioners of the various operating departments of the City of Philadelphia with a focus on child welfare, homelessness, education, health, human services, public safety and was responsible for the City’s LGBTQ related policies and programs. While working in government, Michael was honored to receive the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations 2003 Professional in Human Relations Award.

Michael is the former Director of Policy and Programs for the Center for Black Equity based in Washington, DC. While at the Center for Black Equity, Michael managed all programs including the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI). AAALI was a five-year cooperative agreement that focused on the development of a comprehensive communications strategy in collaboration with nineteen of the nations to Civil rights, Civic and membership organization with a goal of sharing critical information and strategies to reduce HIV infection in Black and Brown communities. Michael was elected as the Co-Chair of the national body.

In the field of higher education, Michael served as an Adjunct Professor at Cheyney University in its Master of Public Administration Program from 2011 to 2016. Michael is a Summa Cum Laude Graduate of Peirce College with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies. At Peirce, Michael was a W.W. Smith Academic Scholar, a Peirce College Legal Studies Scholar and received the Peirce College Academic Leadership Award. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. Michael completed his doctoral course work in Public Administration at Capella University where his research centered on the “political will of elected and appointed officials to support comprehensive sex education in public schools.”

Michael currently serves as a member of the Union Benevolent Association (UBA) Board of Trustees where he also previously served as the Chair of the Grant Making Committee and as the President of the Board of Trustees for UBA from 2013 to 2015. He was the first openly gay elected officer and former Treasurer of the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP.

Michael currently serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of SELF, Inc., a non-profit organization that has been providing emergency housing, permanent supportive housing services and participant centered case management services for homeless and behaviorally challenged individuals in Philadelphia for the past 30 years. Michael manages 165+ team members serving 700 people daily, most of whom live in the SELF, Inc. program sites. As head of the SELF, the largest provider for emergency housing services for homeless individuals, Michael not only advances organizational development at SELF, but is a leading housing policy advisor and community development professional.

Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen, III, is a religious trailblazer, author, human rights advocate, an international and community leader and entrepreneur. In 2015, Bishop Allen was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). In 2016, he was appointed the Southeastern Chair of the DNC-LGBT Advisory Board. He is currently a National Ambassador and consultant for the NAACP - Black Church/HIV Initiative. He is the Presiding Bishop and founder of the United Progressive Pentecostal Fellowship of Churches (UPPC) which oversees senior pastors, ministers, churches and faith-based organizations throughout the United States and abroad. He is the Senior Pastor and Founder of The Vision Cathedral of Atlanta known as "The Vision Church". He is also the Executive Director of Vision Community Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization created to address socioeconomic and health gaps in the greater Atlanta community. In 2018, Bishop Allen birthed the national iElevate Conference. This conference was designed to offer many of the country’s great thought-provoking thinkers, leaders and voices a platform to safely participate and address some of the most sensitive and salient subjects from a faith point of view. The inaugural conference included the first campaign, Prevention From The Pulpit – designed to train clergy how to address the epidemic of H.I.V./A.I.D.S from the pulpit. In 2018, Allen was appointed to Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ LGBT Advisory Board. This same year, he delivered historic prayer to millions of Muslims as one of the first openly Gay men to participate in the Million Man March Commemoration organized by the Nation of Islam. A devoted husband, and father of two, Allen currently resides in Atlanta, GA. In 2021, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed Bishop Allen to serve as a member of the Atlanta Human Relations Commission for the City of Atlanta.