By TRC clinician Sam Ardoin
I want to inspire others to celebrate this Black History Month by learning about historical and current black creators and leaders, and uplift others by talking about their lives. If you have black content creators, artists, leaders, and activists who inspire YOU, I want to encourage you to make your own list and share about them on social media or with friends and family. Some of the folx I list below were/are queer and some not, but I tried to focus the list on queer voices.
Dr. Jennifer Mullan, author of Decolonizing Therapy. I have been listening to this book on audiobook when I’m in the car driving to Fort Collins. Hearing Dr. Mullan affirm the legitimacy of bringing decolonial frameworks to therapy has really helped me soothe my anxieties around providing therapy the way that I think works best.
Tyler, the Creator, rapper/musician. Tyler’s most recent album, CHROMAKOPIA, has been getting me through the last two months. It is truly incredible and makes me feel alive and seen as a bisexual person. Tyler’s outness contrasts the hesitation and secrecy of many other black artists, and I think is cause for celebration as he paves the way for others to come out and be unabashedly gay.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. I recently heard Zenju Earthlyn Manuel on an episode of the Ten Percent Happier podcast (one of my favorite podcasts). An absolutely incredible human being.
Toni Morrison, one of the most celebrated authors in the world. When I think back on books I had to read in high school, I feel pretty resentful about having to have read so much Cormac McCarthy and compare that to how grateful I am to have read the book Beloved. Go back and read/re-read Beloved and I promise you won’t regret it.
Lama Rod Owens. I think I owe the health of my relationship to my anger to Lama Rod.
Claudia Rankine. I’ve read Citizen and Just Us, and these books are just incredible, difficult books that champion a deepening conversation on DEI in the United States and remind us of the human impact of doing our anti-racist work.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the true mother of Punk. Please go listen to this woman’s music. Living from 1917-1973, she is often forgotten in music history but let’s not forget her this month!
James Baldwin, author. I almost left James Baldwin off the list because most people already know him, but he is definitely one of my heroes and the movie I Am Not Your Negro appears to be on Youtube for free here.
Amiri Baraka. Though he would probably have been cancelled if he still lived today, and he might actually deserve to be cancelled (I haven’t made up my mind yet), Baraka made a huge impact on the American literary and arts scene and I think his poetry deserves to be read and still talked about. Read more here!
Josh Johnson. Josh is my FAVORITE stand-up comedian right now! My wife and I have been watching him on TikTok for more than a year and we had the privilege to see him in a live show in Denver in 2024. I was pleased to find out he has become a writer on The Daily Show (sidenote: I also love Trevor Noah so much! Did y’all know he has ADHD?). I am loving watching him do more sketch comedy as well. He is so incredibly talented and funny, and I deeply appreciate his willingness to reflect back to us the sheer stupidity that anyone thought Elon’s salute was anything other than what it looked like. Josh is a straight man, but he can hang with the queers. Here is a fun video from another amazing TikTok comedian Ashley Gavin* *Please note that as this is a comedy podcast, there are some edgy jokes – content warning for sui, hateful language, and graphic s*x mention.
Other honorable mentions:
Angel Kyodo Williams
Lois Curtis
Leroy F Moore Jr. A cofounder of Sins Invalid
Bayard Rustin
RuPaul, Queen of Drag