Shelley Nicole is an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, actor, poet, healer, and the frontperson and founder of the band, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe. In a league with artists like Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Labelle, Joan Armatrading, and Meshell Ndegeocello, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe is equal parts rock, soul, blues, jazz, and funk. Shelley has collaborated with various artists—including Vernon Reid of the band, Living Colour and the American improvisational band, Burnt Sugar.

Tim Vincent is co-founder and president of Brothers of the Desert, “…a non-profit organization with a mission to support Black gay men and allies through education, advocacy, social networking, volunteerism, philanthropy, and mentorship.” Aigner "Anye Elite" Ellis is a member of Brothers of the Desert and the founder and chief project manager of Icon City Entertainment, LLC, a company that “…embodies a spirit of transformation and empowerment.” On March 22, 2025, Brothers of the Desert’s 6th Annual Wellness Summit will be at The Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.

Niki Lopez is an Afro-Latina interdisciplinary visual artist, curator, and social practitioner. She is the founder of What’s Your Elephant™, a “…charitable arts and educational organisation dedicated to catalysing awareness and fostering vital dialogue around under-addressed topics.” Niki is a renaissance person, doing her part to make the world more inclusive, honest, and colourful.

Brad Walrond is an American poet, author, activist, and conceptual artist. Every Where Alien is his first collection of poems published by Moore Black Press, affiliated with Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers. Brad’s poems have been published in The Atlantic, Academy of American Poets, African Voices magazine, About Place Journal, and other publications. He’s collaborated with artists like Erykah Badu and Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Brad’s first recording is the single Underneath the Metal, on the 1997 spoken word compilation album Eargasms: Crucial Poetics Vol. 1.

Lyndon K. Gill is an Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Thank you to Episode 83’s Ajamu X for connecting us. Lyndon’s interests include queer aesthetics in the African Diaspora, the erotic, LGBT art and activism in Caribbean cultures, African-based spiritual traditions in the Americas, subjectivity, and community building. In 2018, Lyndon published Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean. With a focus on the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the book details how queer histories in the Caribbean have influenced Carnival and calypso.