Power & Community

Writer, organizer, dancer and spoken word artist having performed around Cleveland for over 10 years, Martinique's past experiences have impressed upon her the importance of giving youth and local artists a voice. Martinique believes that education and art have the power to transcend our circumstances. She uses the power of words to inspire change, uplift, and build community. She is excited and thrilled to start a new journey...

Ayana Gray's first book "Beasts of Prey" and the sequel are both magical tales that will transport you to another world filled with ideas, culture and beings that are sure to satisfy your fantasy cravings! Ayana created this world to fill a need. She saw a space for more Black people to see themselves in Fantasy.

FIND HER INSTAGRAM HERE: https://www.instagram.com/ayanagray_/ 

FIND HER WEBSITE: 
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New York Times Bestselling author Ryan Douglass talks with us about his spooky tale “The Taking of Jake Livingston” and his process of writing this thrilling tale. We reflect on the art of sewing nuisances of life, sexuality, ethnicity and culture into this fictional narrative. Ryan’s a force in this emerging era of writers challenging the narratives of fiction.

FIND HIM ON INSTAGRAM HERE: https://instagram.com/ryan_soufle...

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 musi...

Allyson was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, and currently works in North Carolina and Georgia in the film industry. She has worked on a variety of video shoots throughout the past 4 years, ranging from thriller feature films to reality television shows, and many more in between. Allyson has a deep appreciation for humankind and wants her work to reflect the idea that every human is valuable and important in the world....

Will is an actor, casting agent, and filmmaker from Chicago, Illinois. 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. William is set to star in several upcom...

Ignacio Marquez is an actor and director chatting with us about his film "Special". and the importance of creating space for creatives and artists with disabilities. Marquez believes that the film industry should take the limits off actors with Down-Syndrome. He has a beautiful love for Afro-Venezuelan music, food, and art and expresses these themes in his film.

Watch "Special" on YouTube here: https:/...

We talk with Cheryl Toussaint, Jean Bell, and Erica Stanley-Dottin about their experience coaching girls and women for the Colgate Women's Game. The games have been happening for 47 years and was founded by Us Olympic Track Team coach Fred Thompson. These women discuss the Netflix film "Sisters on Track" which highlights 3 young girls who find purpose in track through their Coach Jean Bell and competing in the Colgat...

Costumer designer and stylist Chanti Walker, takes us through the art of creating outfits that create significance for characters in film, television, and media. Chanti Walker is an LA- Based stylist / costume designer who has worked on a range of projects from styling look-books, magazine shoots, commercials, scripted TV and costume designed short films. She has been working within the industry for almost 3 years. She’s had the op...

Jade A. Lawson is an award-winning journalist and storyteller at the intersection of race, culture, and entertainment. In 2017, after undergrad, she moved to New York to intern with Good Morning America. Jade's work spans across platforms under the ABC News flagship. As a culture reporter and producer, Jade has covered various topics, including HBCUs and social activism through the lens of sports and entertainment. She's ...

We talk with director and screen writer Leya Hale about her short film "Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco" and how the film highlights important issues around negative and biased media messages concerning Indigenous culture. We discuss her newest film "Bring Her Home" and its raw take on the disproportionate sex trafficking of Native women.

Bring Her Home: https://www.tpt.org/post/bring-home-new-film-leya-hale...

Commercial, Editorial and Video Producer Kenley Duke invites us into the world of brand storytelling and marketing production. We explore the tenacity needed to function in large roles on set while also prioritizing our own self-care and business goals with other creatives. Kenley is a force here to share with us how taking risks and keeping the faith has helped her enter challenging but rewarding spaces. Tune into this episode!

Director, Writer, Actor and Educator Samuel Lee Fudge features on an episode with Power and Community Podcast! Samuel schools us on living the lifestyle of a Lotus, we travel back in time with Samuel to his childhood days in Miami and learn how his past challenges are examined in his film "Lotus" which premiered last year in 2020. To watch Lotus visit this link at "Lotus" Short Film via Amazon Prime Video. Also ...

Dahyo Coleman explores directing color, images and aesthetic with us on this episode of the Power and Community Podcast! She shares with us her most embarrassing moment on set AND gives budding new student filmmakers advice on how to stay true to another creative's project when collaborating with others! Don't miss this episode!


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Award-winning filmmaker Kurt Orderson and Writer and Sustainable Developmental Professional Raisa Cole, talk about their film "Not in my Neighborhood '' which examines several different cities around the world dealing with poverty, government violence, gentrification, and the falling away of culture and limited resources. Both Kurt and Raisa speak on how honored they were to tell these stories through film, how much ...

Actress, Director, and Producer, Danielle Marshay Lee gives us insight into the adversities she's faced preparing for her upcoming film "The Tamir Rice Story", a story following the murder of a 12-year-old African American boy killed in Cleveland, Ohio. Danielle expresses the sensitivity of the film while also speaking of her own pathway to understanding racism, Black history, community, and her own Black heritage. <...