Through essays, novels, and speeches, he confronted race, identity, and injustice in America, urging readers to face uncomfortable truths. His work remains essential for understanding the emotional and political complexities of Black life and the ongoing struggle for equality.

Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, in Harlem, New York. He grew up under the strict influence of his stepfather, a preacher. As a teenager, he briefly followed that path before turning to writing as a means of grappling with race, religion, and identity. He moved to Paris in 1948, seeking distance from American racism, where he found the freedom to develop his voice. His early experiences in both cities deeply shaped the emotional intensity and intellectual clarity of his work.

Living as an openly gay man during a time when homosexuality was taboo, he explored the intersections of his identities through several published works. Baldwin achieved international acclaim with works such as Go Tell It on the Mountain and Notes of a Native Son, which examined the complexities of Black life in America. His novel Giovanni's Room broke new ground in its exploration of sexuality. A powerful public intellectual during the civil rights era, Baldwin engaged directly with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. His enduring legacy lies in his fearless critique of injustice and his profound insight into the human condition.

Books
Little Man, Little Man: A Story of Childhood by James Baldwin
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
If Beale Street Could Talk by James BaldwinThe Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs

Video
I Am Not Your Negro (documentary)

Web Resources
James Baldwin biography at The Poetry Foundation
James Baldwin biography at National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC)
“Reflections on James Baldwin 100 years after his birth”at NPR
James Baldwin Biography | American Masters via PBS

“I had to create my own publishing opportunity because no one was publishing me. I needed more stage time and frankly no one was asking me to read back then, so I had to create my own stage.” --Tommy Pico, 2018

Pico was born in San Diego County and raised on the Viejas Indian Reservation of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Though Pico created comics as a child and created zines and poetry as a teenager, he had dreams of becoming a doctor in his tribal community. He studied pre-med at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. It was during his time in New York that Pico founded Birdsong, an antiracist and queer-positive artist collective made of musicians, artists, poets, and writers. This small press published art, writing, and zines in 2008 to 2013.

Pico is most known for his work in poetry and originally gained fame through Tumblr. Notably, he published four books of epic poems from 2017 to 2019. Written in long text and similar to social media formats about Pico’s alter ego, Teebs, this tetralogy explored different topics such as modern Indigeneity, queerness, sexuality, and pop culture.

In addition to his poetry, Pico has branched out to different forms of media. He co-hosted podcast Food 4 Thot (2017 – 2023), a queer/trans/Black/brown podcast about sex, identity, culture and reading. He also co-hosted Scream, Queen! (2019 – 2021), a podcast from a black/queer/indigenous perspective on scary movies. Pico’s more recent work includes being a screen writer for various shows such as Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls, Crystal Lake, and Resident Alien.

His accolades for his work include the 2018 American Book Award, the 2018 and 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist, Queer/Art/Mentors inaugural fellow, 2013 Lambda Literary fellow in poetry, 2017 Friends of Literature prize from the Poetry Foundation, the 2018 Whiting Award, the 2021 Sundance Artist in Residence, and nominated to 2019 iHeart Radio Podcast Awards under Best LGBTQ Podcast.

Tommy Pico’s dedication in carving out a stage for his own voice and creativity broadened Indigenous and queer experiences. Recognized for his important role in decolonizing poetry, he shattered the idea that all Native peoples had ties with Nature and highlighted that Indigenous could also mean modern and pop culture. Similarly, he strove to address the lack of diversity in media, especially in horror movies, and continues to demonstrate how brown, Indigenous, and queer representation matters.

Books
IRL by Tommy Pico
Nature Poem by Tommy Pico
Junk by Tommy Pico
Feed by Tommy Pico

Resource Links
Tommy Pico: Epic Poet via PBS (video)
Food 4 Thot podcast
Scream, Queen! podcast
Interview: “On not wasting any time” by Ruby Brunton at Creative Independent
“Meet Tommy Pico, the Native American, Beyonce-loving poet” by Tara Kenny at Interview magazine

Born in San Francisco to Korean immigrant parents, Cho gained national attention in the 1990s as the star of All-American Girl, the first U.S. network sitcom centered on an Asian American family. While the show was brief, it marked a historic milestone for Asian American visibility and helped pave the way for more inclusive storytelling in mainstream media.

Cho is openly bisexual and has long been a bold, unapologetic advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility, particularly for queer people of color. At a time when few public figures spoke openly about bisexuality, Cho challenged stigma and erasure by centering her identity in her comedy and public life. Her stand-up work – raw, incisive, and deeply personal – addresses sexuality, gender, racism, body image, addiction, and mental health, offering both critique and affirmation while creating space for honest conversations within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community.

Her career spans decades and disciplines, including acclaimed stand-up specials, bestselling memoirs, music, fashion, and memorable roles in television and film such as Drop Dead Diva, Fire Island, and The Flight Attendant. Across all mediums, Cho has consistently used humor as a tool for truth-telling, pushing boundaries while amplifying underrepresented voices, especially those at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and AANHPI identities.

Beyond entertainment, Cho’s activism is central to her legacy. She has been a passionate supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, and organizations such as GLAAD, often using her platform to fundraise, educate, and advocate. Through her visibility, advocacy, and refusal to be silenced, Margaret Cho has helped normalize bisexual identity, uplift queer communities of color, and redefine what it means to live and speak authentically.

Books (Adult)
I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight by Margaret Cho
I’m the One That I Want by Margaret Cho

Books (Youth)
Margaret Cho: Comedian, Actress, and Activist by Michael A. Schuman
Margaret Cho by Caroline Tiger

Video
All-American Girl, the Complete Series (DVD)
The Notorious C.H.O. (DVD)
Cho Revolution (DVD)
“Comedian Margaret Cho reflects on her career and the role of standup in activism” via PBS NewsHour (YouTube)
“Comedian Margaret Cho on the legacy of LGBTQ+ comedians” via MS Now (YouTube)

Audio
Drunk with Power by Margaret Cho (via Hoopla)
Cho Dependent by Margaret Cho

Online Resources
Margaret Cho official website
“Margaret Cho: Pioneers of Television” via PBS

“In Her Shoes: Kicking Off Pride Month With Margaret Cho” via The Cut

She rejected the traditional mariachis of ranchera, and performed with only a guitar, emphasizing voice and emotion. Her music conveyed a profound vulnerability that departed from the usual festive trappings of ranchera music to express existential pain and longing.

Vargas often performed in men’s clothing and sang love songs to women without changing pronouns, challenging machismo and heteronormative norms long before public discussions of sexuality were common. This defiant personality and her distinctive voice made her a powerful symbol of artistic freedom, gender nonconformity, and queer visibility in Latin American music.

Vargas was born in 1919 in Costa Rica. She moved to Mexico as a teenager seeking artistic opportunity. Initially singing on the streets and in bars, she soon became a part of Mexico’s cultural avant-garde. Her friendship with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera played a large part in her artistic career. In the 1970’s, alcoholism and social prejudice forced her to stop performing. However, starting in the 1990s, with the support of filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, her career reignited and she played concerts at the Olympia in Paris and Carnegie Hall.

Chavela Vargas was very prolific, producing over 80 recordings and was the recipient of a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. She died in 2012 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Books (Adult)
Conversaciones con María Cortina (Conversations with María Cortina) Chavela Vargas Entre García Lorca y Pedro Páramo by Chavela Vargas
Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico by Various Authors
Sex and sexuality in Latin America by Daniel Balderston

Books (Youth)
LGBTQ+ icons : a celebration of historical LGBTQ+ icons in the arts by Owen Keehnen
Queer Latine heroes : 25 changemakers from Latin America and the U.S. from history and today by Sofía Aguilar
Latinitas: celebrating 40 big dreamers by Juliet Menéndez

Music
Chavela Vargas: Piensa En Mi by Chavela Vargas
Chavela Vargas: La Llorona by Chavela Vargas
Chavela Vargas, 24 Primeras Canciones by Chavela Vargas

Film
Chavela by Catherine Gund
Hecho en México Made in Mexico by Duncan Bridgeman
La flor de mi secreto The flower of my secret by Pedro Almodóvar