Nate Parker is an award-winning actor, writer, director and producer, who has played lead characters and held starring roles in at least 19 films, including American Skin, Beyond The Lights, Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, Arbitrage, and Pride. Most recently, Parker wrote, directed, and starred in the film, The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of Nat Turner (played by Parker) who famously led the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia. In his vision for the film, Parker expresses his deep desire to challenge the country to “heal from racial trauma through an honest confrontation with our past.” The Birth of a Nation won both of Sundance’s most sought-after honors: the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. In addition to being a prolific artist, he is also a devoted activist. Parker says “If I am to be remembered by anyone, I would hope, those people speak my name as an individual who possessed a riotous disposition toward injustice, offering life and career as one of service to the marginalized, subjugated and oppressed peoples of the world.” Parker recently launched the Nate Parker Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to confront systemic crises and disparities within the African and African American communities in the areas of education, cultural enrichment, and social and economic justice. He is an outspoken advocate for racial equality, dedicating much of his time to closing the opportunity gap for boys and young men of color. Parker holds a degree in Computer Programming from the University of Oklahoma and an honorary Doctorate from Wiley College.

Nic Stone is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, the novel that launched her career in 2017 and encourages readers of all ages to examine the biases in their own lives and to have honest discussions about race in today’s world. Nic’s mission is to create books and stories that speak to kids underrepresented in YA literature today—and her aim is to not only create windows in which young people are introduced to new perspectives but also mirrors in which children see their experiences and identities fully represented. Born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, Nic grew up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, and constantly strives to bring diverse voices and stories to her work. All of her novels have been widely embraced by teens and adults and have been the recipients of numerous accolades, awards and starred reviews. In addition to Dear Martin, her books include Dear Justyce, Blackout and middle-grade novel, Clean Getaway, all New York Times bestsellers, Odd One Out, Jackpot, the Shuri (Black Panther) novels, as well as Fast Pitch. A Spelman College graduate, Nic lives in Atlanta with her family. Find her online at nicstone.info or @nicstone.

Born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, he embarked on his journey of creative writing after examining the cross section between hip-hop and spoken word; both as oral history and time pieces that encapsulate the voices of those who have been voiceless, the historically disenfranchised. As an artist, Nikos utilizes different narratives to paint vivid portraits on the Black condition in America, poverty, social issues, and romance. Through introspection and honesty, he is able to navigate tough & uncharted waters in the poetry field of literature.

PJ Raval is a queer, first generation Filipino American filmmaker whose work explores

the overlooked subcultures and identities within the already marginalized LGBTQ+

community. PJ recently completed CALL HER GANDA (awarded “Excellence in

Documentary” by the 2020 NLGJA Association of LGBTQ Journalists) and is a

Guggenheim Fellow and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and

Sciences.

Quenton Davis is currently the proud Principal where aides his teachers with cultivating and molding his scholars into productive high school students that will embark upon college, career endeavors, or military options.

As a native of Atlanta, Georgia, he is a proud graduate of The Unsinkable Albany State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Middle Grades Education. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, he began to teach for his alma mater school district outside of Atlanta, Clayton County Public Schools. After 2 years in Clayton, he began educating the youth of Spalding County School System. Spalding County schools gave Mr. Davis the opportunity to engage the district’s teachers with professional development sessions, create model English lesson plans for district English teachers that covered common core, and become a member of the administrative team that gave vision and leadership to turn around the worst performing school in the district to the number two school in the district.

During his teaching years, he received a Master of Art Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Central Michigan University and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University. Mr. Davis brings a diverse background in teaching strategies, effective discipline strategies, assessment practices and student engagement. He has a strong passion in ensuring that every student and teacher realizes their potential and creating positive opportunities for them to maximize their potential.

Raisa Cole is a South African sustainable development practitioner working on the nexus of livelihoods development, environmental governance and economic inclusion.

My name is Richa Kuklani, and I am currently a senior in high school in Pennsylvania. I am involved in many activities, relating to science, education, and social justice. I joined Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice (EYEJ) because of how the organization gave youth the opportunity to try to solve injustices and challenges facing various communities around us. I joined EYEJ as a volunteer for the All Star Reading Program where we read books relating to social justice with middle schoolers to foster discussions relating to the topic. Since I loved the EYEJ team and how EYEJ actually worked to solve issues found in the neighboring area, I joined the youth council to make a real impact with a diverse group of individuals.

Ryan Douglass is a speculative fiction author from Atlanta, Georgia. His work on media representation has appeared in HuffPost, Atlanta Black Star, LGBTQ Nation, and the National Council of Teachers of English, among others. The Taking of Jake Livingston is his first novel.

Samuel Lee Fudge is an Atlanta based Actor, Writer, Director and Producer. He holds a M.F.A degree in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and a B.A degree in film from Paine College, Augusta, GA. Fudge has worked as an Actor in multiple major motion pictures including Emperor, produced by Reginald Hudlin and Mark Amin.

In 2020, Fudge released the short film, Lotus through his Dream Lotus Productions. Shortly after, Fudge directed the short film , Canoe produced by Nate Parker. Both Canoe and Lotus has earned Fudge critical acclaim , making his work as an independent filmmaker highly regarded. Fudge continues his life long objective of creating influential film content that will spark social change world wide.

Selina Marie Pagán

selinapagan@gmail.com/selina@younglatinonetwork.org

LinkedIn

Selina Marie Pagán is a Latinx professional, born and raised in the city of Cleveland. Her parents migrated from Puerto Rico, moving from state to state until they settled down to start their own businesses on the near-west side of Cleveland in 2000. She

graduated from Saint Martin de Porres high school in 2014.

Ms. Pagán started her career at the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development in 2014 while at the same time beginning her undergraduate studies at Cleveland State University. Ms. Pagán has led grassroot efforts in the Latino community of Northeast Ohio. She has coordinated networking events for Latinx entrepreneurs, convened local artists, and hosted a number of community events that range from cultural

festivals to community street clean-ups. She was elected as the President of the Young Latino Network in the fall of 2017.

Selina was selected by Crain’s Cleveland Business Magazine as one of the 2017 Twenty in Their 20’s. She joined the Newburgh Heights Community Improvement Corporation board of directors and the Alliance for the Great Lakes Young Professional Council in 2017. Ms. Pagán received recognition as a Northeast Ohio Top 25 Under 35 Movers & Shakers in March 2018. She graduated from Cleveland State University with a double major in Urban Studies - Public Management and Economic Development in May 2018. In August of 2018, Ms. Pagán was

recognized as the Madrina (“Godmother”) of the 2018 Puerto Rican Parade by the Hispanic Police Officers Association and the Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center. She was also nominated by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and selected by the National Football League and Nationwide to be recognized and to receive a 2018 Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 20th, 2018.

Ms. Pagan currently resides in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio and is working with the Metro West Community Development Organization as the Economic Development and Marketing Coordinator.

Set Hernandez Rongkilyo is an undocumented immigrant filmmaker and community organizer, whose roots come from Bicol, Philippines. As part of the Disruptors Fellowship, Set is developing a TV pilot about the undocumented experience. They have directed/produced many short documentaries, including the award-winning “COVER/AGE” (2019) about healthcare expansion for undocumented immigrants. They served as Impact Producer for "In Plain Sight" (2020) by renowned artists Cassils and rafa esparza, and for PJ Raval’s "Call Her Ganda" (Tribeca, 2018). They are the co-founder of the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective which advances equity for undocumented immigrants in the media industry.

Tazbah Rose Chavez is a performance poet turned director and television writer. She is currently a Co-EP/Director on FX’s Reservation Dogs and a Co-Producer/Director on NBCUniversal’s Rutherford Falls. Before that, she was a staffer writer for SyFy’s Resident Alien. Raised in Payahuunadu, Tazbah is a citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and comes from the Nüümü, Diné and San Carlos Apache people.

Tazbah is a director of film and music videos and was recently part of AT&T’s Hello Lab Filmmaker Mentoring Lab in which she wrote and directed the short film Your Name Isn’t English, executive produced by Taika Waititi and currently streaming on DirectTV. Tazbah has written ads for Nike N7, and directed health and cultural preservation campaigns for tribes throughout California. She has performed her poetry in acclaimed spaces such as the Smithsonian - National Museum of the American Indian, Meow Wolf and the Grand Performances Stage to name a few. She holds a degree in American Indian Studies from UCLA, is a former intern of Sundance Institute’s Native and Indigenous Program and serves as the co-chair of the Native American and Indigenous Writer’s Committee at the Writer’s Guild of America.

Tyla Barnes is a steadfast cinematographer and director who never stopped believing in the power of magic. During childhood, enticed by the ability to create things that were once impossible, she found film as a transformative portal to connect our past and present selves. She is a Black creative. She is a Black woman who shares other people's stories as she discovers her own. She is fulfilling her purpose while hoping she can inspire others to discover their own as well. yla Barnes is a steadfast cinematographer and director who never stopped believing in the power of magic.

During childhood, enticed by the ability to create things that were once impossible, she found film as a transformative portal to connect our past and present selves. She is a Black creative. She is a Black woman who shares other people's stories as she discovers her own. She is fulfilling her purpose while hoping she can inspire others to discover their own as well.

Tyler James Fortson aka TJ Story was born in a small southern town in Mississippi. When he was 13 years old, he moved to Houston, Texas He was very passionate about Film, Arts, and Dance as well. He was thankful his lovely family supported his dreams; his dream was still there performing on the stage. His goal is to network with the deaf community and expose their varieties of dance, film, and art to get their opportunities out there. He believes that anyone deserves to be a shining star.

William Jefferson Jr (born September 11 1994 known professionally as an American Actor, Award Winning Filmmaker (The Decision) and Entrepreneur (The Actor Advisor)

William started his career in 2013 at the age of 18 doing a well known web series on YouTube Juke " A Chicago Story" which hit over 1 million views. Now on Roku . He is born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from historical black college Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama to pursue communications. There he studied radio , tv , & Film. He has co starred Chicago Fire on NBC , 4400 on CW , & The Colemanshow on Amazon Prime With the help of his agent. Outside of acting William is a teacher , mentor , & coach. He is a foodie , loves to travel , and fashion from time to time. has collaborated with other Indie Filmmakers in Chicago and has since directed and produced his own projects. William is set to star in several upcoming films, and projects under Mobula Productions. Who have been produced by Emmy- Nominated Producer.