5 Talented Creators Of Color
For centuries our primary media cultures have been dominated by white men, occluding minorities of all kinds from the platforms that would elevate their voices. Thankfully, as time goes on, this paradigm is changing. The creators included here, ranging from poets and filmmakers to entrepreneurs, are just some of the individuals representing and advancing racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the arts. When you click links from this website, we may receive advertising revenue to support our research. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
5 Gifted & Racially Diverse Creators
| Name | About |
|---|---|
| Yolanda Wisher | Philadelphia-based poet, singer, educator, and curator, and author of Monk Eats an Afro |
| Srividhya Gopalakrishnan | An author, cook, and photographer whose blog, Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen, offers unique recipes from all over the world |
| Alok Vaid-Menon | Gender non-conforming writer and performance artist who uses poetry, prose, comedy, fashion design, and portraiture to explore a wide array of themes |
| Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey | Author of The Art of Weed Butter and an interdisciplinary cannabis entrepreneur legally working with weed since 2005 |
| Fatimah Asghar | Poet, filmmaker, educator, and performer who wrote and co-created the Emmy-nominated web series Brown Girls |
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In Depth
It is very important that people of all races, colors and creeds are represented in the media, however, it is not always the case. Ensuring diversity in popular culture can help foster empathy and encourage anti-racism. In no particular order, here are several unique creators to check out who contribute to diversity and visibility in culture.
Coming in at #1 on our list, Yolanda Wisher is a Philadelphia-based writer, singer, educator and curator. Wisher was named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1999 and the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia in 2016, and is the author of the book Monk Eats an Afro.
Wisher performs a unique blend of spoken word and song with her band The Afroeaters and has led workshops and curated events in partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia and the U.S. Department of Arts & Culture. She has taught high school English for over a decade, worked with Philadelphia Mural Arts, and founded and directed the Germantown Poetry and Outbound Poetry Festivals.
She has taught high school English for over a decade, worked with Philadelphia Mural Arts, and founded and directed the Germantown Poetry and Outbound Poetry Festivals.
Next up at #2, Srividhya is the cook, photographer and author behind Vidhya's Home Cooking, also known as Vidhya's Vegetarian Kitchen. This blog features traditional, authentic South Indian recipes as well as notes on fusion cuisine and baking. Srividhya is from Tamil Nadu, India, but has since relocated to California where she lives with her family.
Srividhya started the blog in 2009 after a visit with her mother sparked the inspiration to begin documenting traditional South Indian recipes online. In addition to penning the blog, Srividhya has written two cookbooks: Instant Pot Vegetarian Cookbook and The Essential South Indian Cookbook as well as the e-books Postpartum Recipes and Millet Magic.
At #3 on our list, Alok Vaid-Menon is a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. Their distinctive style and poetic challenge to the gender binary has been internationally renowned. As a mixed-media artist, Alok uses poetry, prose, comedy, performance, lecture, fashion design, and portraiture to explore themes of race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition.
Their distinctive style and poetic challenge to the gender binary has been internationally renowned.
Alok is the author of the books Femme in Public and Beyond the Gender Binary. They have significant experience as a keynote speaker, performer, curator, consultant and educator. Over the past decade, they have collaborated with many educational institutions, performance venues and non-profit organizations in over 40 countries around the world.
Up next at #4, Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey is an interdisciplinary cannabis entrepreneur with a formal background in journalism and over seven years of experience in content creation, freelance writing and cannabis cultivation. Aggrey is also the co-founder and creative director of Xula CBD, the co-host of the Broccoli Talk Podcast, and the founder of the benefit pop-up dinner, Cenas Sin Fronteras.
Aggrey's book, The Art of Weed Butter, is a guide that walks readers through the process of making cannabis infusions using butter, coconut oil, and other types of fats. The book shares personal anecdotes and touches on the subjects of social justice and what to do if you get too high, and also includes 35 edible cannabis recipes.
The book shares personal anecdotes and touches on the subjects of social justice and what to do if you get too high, and also includes 35 edible cannabis recipes.
Last but not least, at #5 on our list, Fatimah Asghar is a poet, filmmaker, educator and performer. Her work has appeared in many different publications including BuzzFeed Reader, The Margins, The Offing and The New York Times. In 2017 she was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Asghar's debut book of poems, If They Come For Us, was released in 2018. She is the co-editor of Halal If You Hear Me, an anthology that celebrates Muslim writers who are also women, queer, gender non-conforming or trans. In addition to this, Asghar is the writer and co-creator of Brown Girls, an Emmy-nominated web series that highlights friendships between women of color.
