BAMBD Fest

Producing Artistic Director

Ayodele Nzinga is often referred to as a renaissance woman. She is an author, director, producer, actress, dramaturge, playwright, member of Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame, the inaugural Poet Laureate of Oakland with an MFA in Writing; Consciousness and a PhD in Transformative Education and Change. Nzinga describes herself aa a Cultural Architect invested in designing structures that support cultural production, deconstruct whiteness, and facilitate
self-directed community transformation and change. Working at the intersections of community well-being and cultural sovereignty, Nzinga is the founder of the Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc, Oakland’s oldest North American Theater Company; the only company in the world to produce the entire August Wilson Century Cycle in chronological order, the Black Arts
Movement Business District, Community Development Corporation of Oakland; a grassroots organization dedicated to the animation of Oakland’s only formally declared cultural district. Ayodele is the co-founder of Janga’s House, a MapFund Fellow 2021, and a member of the YBCA 10 2021.

Artivist Cat Brooks has been performing on stage & screen for 40 years. After receiving her BA in theater, she trained at the Royal National Theater Studio. Cat is an actress, poet, dramaturg, director, playwright, resident artist with the Lower Bottom Playaz in Oakland and a member of the 2024-2026 resident playwright cohort with The Playwrights Foundation. Cat is also the co-founder/executive director of the Anti Police-Terror Project and has spent the last 18 years supporting families and communities impacted by state violence. Additionally Cat hosts Law & Disorder on KPFA Monday-Thursday at 8:00 am. She is grateful to God, the ancestors and for her amazing daughter and partner who hold her down everyday.

Myra is an African American and Mexican female teaching artist and poet. She is the 2021 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate and has since then performed across the Bay Area in spaces such as the DeYoung Museum, Ella Baker Center, Youth Speaks, and The Oakland Public Library. She has had the honor to share space with community legends such as Black Panther Chairwoman, Elaine Brown and Co-Founder of the BLM Movement, Alicia Garza. Myra is currently studying Sociology at the University of California Berkeley, hoping to gain knowledge on the world that surrounds her. She hopes to represent those who have walked sacred grounds before her and the brown babies that will come after her.

Originally from San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin is a poet, movement worker, and educator. His latest curriculum on extrajudicial killing of Black people, We Charge Genocide Again, has been used as an educational and organizing tool throughout the country. His book titled, "Someone's Dead Already" was nominated for a California Book Award. His latest book "Heaven Is All Goodbyes" was published by the City Lights Pocket Poets series, was shortlisted for the Griffins Poetry Prize and won a California Book Award and an American Book Award. His forthcoming book “Blood On The Fog” is being released this fall in the City Lights Pocket Poets series. He is San Francisco’s eighth poet laureate.

Iyanifa Iyalorisa Sade Ifaloba Oyaniyun Adona is a dancer, choreographer, and spiritual practitioner rooted in African traditions and embodied storytelling. With over 15 years of training in African diasporic practice and extensive study in Hip Hop, modern, ballet, Vogue, and traditional folklore of the Philippines, she blends movement with ritual. Initiated into the priesthood of Iyanifa and Oloya in Nigeria, her work is a conduit for healing and ancestral connection. She has performed and taught at Madison Square Garden, MTV VMAs, Lincoln Center, BAM, The Palace of Fine Arts, and Yerba Buena Center, using dance to uplift communities and reclaim silenced truths.

Film:BLACK IMPACT - The Leaders We Build

Tyson Amir is an author, musician, educator, community organizer, and freedom fighter born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tyson’s literary works include the books Black Boy Poems, Carry on Tradition, and the Black Boy Poems Curriculum. He is also the founder/director of the Black Literary Collective and the revolutionary education consultancy firm Freedom Soul Media Education Initiatives (FSMEI). As of Jan 1, 2025, FSMEI has worked with over 200 school partners, delivered over 1,000 programs, and served more than 45,000 students. Tyson’s Building Leaders & Activists with Collective Knowledge (BLACK) Program finished serving over 1,000 Black students in the 23-24 school year and is currently serving more than 2,000 students in the 24-25 school year.

You can find out more about Tyson Amir at:
www.tysonamir.com
www.fsmei.org
www.livingmanuals.org

Claudia Alick (she/they) is a national leader, performer, producer, designer, writer, designer and inclusion expert. She is founding producer of the transmedia social justice company CALLING UP whose projects include Accessible Virtual Pride, Producing in Pandemic, The Every 28 Hours Plays, We Charge Genocide TV, Justice Producers Collabertive, F the Gala, Gaming4Justice on Twitch. They work collaboratively on programs like CripCreate, Co-artistic direction of The BUILD Convening with FoolsFURY, Digital Design of The Festival of Masks with LA Commons, partnering with Trek Table as producer and on camera talent, producing Ghostlight Project, and Mouthwater Festival . Her practice is doing digital placemaking creating gathertown spaces for theater-making, protests, and organizing.

Claudia has directed plays like Electra with Access Classics, All My Pretty Fictions in Chicago, and Istwa a Two Long Read, Korematsu revisited with Supreme Court Theater, and The Trial with CUJ. She is a curator and access doula with The CripTech Incubator whose projects include CripTech GrayArea Metaverse, Haptics Lab, and Artificial Intelligence Lab. With CUJ she has produced many artificial intelligence experiments with visual art, animations, audio and text specifically for use with disabled community.

Claudia acts as a consultant to funders and companies around the country. She served as co-president of the board of NET for 7 years and is still active board member, She’s an advisor to SF Disability Culture Center, the NEFA National Theater project for 7 years and co-produced Unsettling Dramaturgy (crip and indigenous international digital colloquium), and is an advisor to Howlround Digital Theater Commons. Public speaking highlights include On Pleasure Activism with Disability Visibility Project + Integrated Community Services, AI for the People Black in 2042, and The Smithsonian Afrofuturism Series: Claiming Space, A Symposium on Black Futures. Her online racial justice practice is reaching thousands weekly. She is producing performances of justice on stage, online, and in real life.

E$TEEZY, aka Ellis Chhourn is a Cambodian and Lao-American spoken word poet from East Oakland, California. A fierce advocate for social justice, he channels his lived experiences into raw expression — not to seek pity, but to share truth. Through poetic rhythm and rhyme, E$TEEZY speaks not only for himself but for his community, shedding light on the struggles often left unheard.

For him, spoken word is more than art — it’s liberation. His writing defies restriction, giving voice to pain, resilience, and identity on his own terms.

Ebony Hatton is a bay area native and mother of 2 beautiful souls. She does everything from making pyramids and candles, painting abstract art, and selling houses, to now being a certified Sound healing therapist. She has run the box office for the Lower Bottom Playaz for a decade. Currently she is Audience Services Engagement Outreach and on the administrative staff for BAMBD CDC and LBP. Her pronouns are she and her. She is into all things metaphysical and enjoys meditating, reading, Parks, tuning forks, singing bowls, and watching the stars.

Stanley Hunt is a Berkeley native who began his acting career with The Lower Bottom Playaz, an Oakland California Based theatre troupe, at just 9 years of age. He was a central part of the troupes’ Century Cycle Project which garnered him the distinction of being a core member of the only troupe in the known world to stage the entire century cycle in chronological order. Hunt played Harold Loomis, Boy Wilkes, and Cesar Wilkes in the cycle among other roles. Other notable distinctions include starring in the highly acclaimed coming of age film 'LICKS' which placed second in South by Southwest showcase festival in 2012, recognition as IndieWire’s top 10 actors to look out for in 2013, in addition to be being voted best actor in a feature film at New Yorks’ Chelsea Film Festival in 2014. Hunt is also a talented lyricist with musical accolades dating back to 2003. At the age of 11, a much younger “DOE” would go on to take home 1st place in Oaklands All Star Talent Show alongside older brothers' Koran Streets and Jahlil Nzinga. This would motivate him to further pursue his passion for music. Taking his musical ability to further heights he would eventually form a music group with his brother and his childhood friends Joe Wax, and Fully Folks. Together, the four formed a group called “The Turf Stars”. While they made music together the four were truly like brothers, forming a deeper connection to the music and culture - connecting them all together. While members would go on to pursue solo careers, they remain in contact today. Huntand Koran Streets would go on to form the duo DOE.N.REEZY, releasing a self-titled mixtape project in 2008 gaining local and national notoriety at the time from a high-traffic MySpace page. Together the two created an array of material including 3 visual projects with the award-winning director Colin Tilley. Reprising roles such Harmon and Cesar Wilkes in various theatre productions through 2014 - 2019, first-time roles in productions include The Legacy of Marin City and the Mojo and the Sayso. Hunt would return to the screen in the 2019 short film PALY, a compelling story of an aspiring Indian American teenage rapper from Palo Alto, California. Hunt played the role X, [brief about the role]. In 2023, Hunt graced the screen again in 406 Bullet as Wood, following the story of a Latino cop looking for revenge after being racially profiled.With talent spanning across theatre, cinematic, and music genres, Hunt is a multifaceted performer focused on continuously improving and expanding his craft.

Ellis Chhourn, aka Esteezy, is a Cambodian and Lao-American spoken word poet from East Oakland, California. A fierce advocate for social justice, he channels his lived experiences into raw expression — not to seek pity, but to share truth. Through poetic rhythm and rhyme, Esteezy speaks not only for himself but for his community, shedding light on the struggles often left unheard. For him, spoken word is more than art — it’s liberation. His writing defies restriction, giving voice to pain, resilience, and identity on his own terms.

Alie Jones is a writer, artist, and Creole mermaid. She is the author of Saltwater Moonshine, a poetry collection that honors her matrilineal Creole heritage through poetry, music, and reflections of love. Alie is passionate about centering our breath work as sacred and hopes to build a legacy of awareness and expression. She is the Director and Co-founder of Black Freighter Press, a revolutionary press committed to the exploration of liberation. Alie is the host of the podcast called Chit Chat with Aliecat, exploring self-care practices & journeys of self-love. She received her MPA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies as well as a MFA from Mills College in Creative Writing.

Menhuam Ayele ( 48) is a native Californian; born in the Fillmore San Francisco , and grew up in East Oakland, California. He began writing at a very young age, writing his first poem in the fifth grade, which would take him into writing several books independently, published by himself, covering topics such as positive reinforcement and affirmations , poetry and art, Black economic empowerment, reparations and sustainable development amongst Black people.

Living under White supremacist hegemony, the ecocide of the Earth , urban decay and intergenerational Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome; Menhuam Ayele has been compelled for the past 30 plus years to use the power of the pen and sustainable development as a means to bring healing , peace and prosperity back into the fabric of Black people's lives.

His latest book entitled "Got Reparations? 21 Questions 21 Answers " is the only Q&A book with a barbershop style approach to entering into the dialogue of how to best address the complexity of the reparations movement.

He is a revolutionary voice of reason and a visionary leader with bold ideas to solve some of the problems of our community and people.

STEPHANIE ANNE JOHNSON she/her (Lighting Designer)
Dr. Johnson has been a lighting designer for fifty years. She is a second-generation theatre
worker whose mother, Virginia Greene Johnson worked with The American Negro Theatre.
Nationally she has done designs for La Mama Theatre (N.Y.), Telluride Repertory (Colorado),
Arizona Repertory, National Black Theater Festival, and The Apollo (N.Y.). Locally, she has
worked with Rhodessa Jones, Afro Solo, Cultural Odyssey, Altarena Playhouse, Lorraine
Hansberry Theater, Aurora Theater, Oakland Theatre Project, and many others. This is her fifth
show with The Lower Bottom Playaz and she is thrilled to continue her collaboration with Dr.
Nzinga. See her work: www.lightessencedesign.com

LadiRevolutionary (LadiRev) is an educator, poet, and healer from Bayview Hunters Point. She is passionate about community, education, and healing. She has over a decade of experience working as a facilitator/educator in youth development and has created trauma-informed youth development curriculum and workshops. LadiRev also facilitates healing workshops for service providers and community members that work and reside in Bayview Hunters Point. LadiRev, is also the host of Talkn Owt Da Side of Da Necc podcast which focuses on individual healing practices for everyday life.

“It only takes one person to make a stand but it takes a community to make a change” LadiRev

Editor Black Bird Press

Poet, playwright and essayist Marvin X was born Marvin E. Jackmon on May 29, 1944 in Fowler, California. He grew up in Fresno and Oakland, in an activist household. X attended Oakland City College (Merritt College), where he became friends with Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. X earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from San Francisco State University and emerged as an important voice in the Black Arts Movement (BAM); he wrote for many of BAM's key journals: SoulBook, Black Dialogue, Journal of Black Poetry, Black World, Black Theatre and Muhammad Speaks Newspaper.. He also co-founded, with playwright Ed Bullins and others, two of BAM's premier West Coast headquarters and venues - Black Arts West Theatre and The Black House in San Francisco. In 1967, X joined the Nation of Islam. When he refused to fight in Vietnam, he fled to Canada, Mexico City and Belize, from which he was deported back to America and served time for draft evasion in Terminal Island Federal Prison. In the eighties, he organized Oakland’s Melvin Black Forum on Human Rights and the All Black Men's Conference. He also served as chief aide to former Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver when he returned from exile as a Born Again Christian. In 1996, X founded San Francisco's Recovery Theatre. His production of "One Day in the Life” became the longest-running African-American drama in Northern California. He produced the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness at San Francisco State University, 2001. In 2004, X produced the San Francisco Tenderloin Book Fair. X has taught Black Studies, drama, creative writing, journalism, English and Arabic at a variety of California universities and colleges. He is Co-Founder of Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District. He was recently awarded a grant to organize the Black Street Vendors Association. He is the author of 30 books and Publisher of Black Bird Press News and Review.

ShakaJamal is a culturally innovative artist, filmmaker and certified trauma informed yoga instructor from Oakland, California. He is the founder of Olu8 Film & Culture and Olu8 Records; creative spaces for the production of dynamic sound, story and visuals. His passion for film, music and yoga grew through travel and while living in South Afrika. Partnering with community members, non-profits and corporations, ShakaJamal’s work reveals the inspiring achievements of change makers—whose stories often go untold.

Jahi (Ja-he), is a Kiswahili name which means dignity. Born and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio and currently residing in Oakland, California. MC, artist, author, curator, and currently the director of Kingmakers Music and Youth Voice for Kingmakers of Oakland.

25 years of experience in the culture of Hip Hop as an international stage rocker and performer. 19 musical projects released since 1999. Rhyme and writing partner of Chuck D from Public Enemy. Albums released on Tuff Gong International, Warner Music Denmark, and featured on songs on Def Jam, Universal, Microphone Mechanics, Spitslam and various collaborations with global artists. Musical style described as social commentary introspective rap over Boom Bap and Reggae soundscapes.

Author of two books: The Microphone Journeyman and The Intersection between Hip Hop Culture & Education. Curator of multiple exhibits including, Each One Teach One at the Black Panther Party Museum, The Legacy of Marin City, and Hip Hop 50 at The Oakland Museum of California. Curatorial mission- curate Black stories that bring people together.

Traveled to 20 museums around the world presenting Hip Hop as a world culture with life affirming principles including Terra Alta in Accra, Ghana, the Science Museum in Dublin, Ireland, The Harvey B Gantt Museum in North Carolina, and the deYoung in San Francisco to name a few.

Former school executive for the Oakland Unified School District as a Program Manager for African American Male Achievement.

Son. Father. Avid chess player. He/Him. Human being. Lover of Ornithology and nature. International traveler. Pan African.www.kingmakersmusic.com
www.kingmakersofoakland.org

Stephen C. Jones (United Scenic Artists Local 829 Lighting and Scenic Designer) Selected Regional Theatre and Off Broadway design credits include: Utah Shakespeare Festival (UT), Orlando Shakespeare Theatre (FL), The Dressmaker’s Secret (Off-Broadway), Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CO), Portland Stage Company (ME), Sacramento Ballet (CA), Alley Theatre (TX), B Street Theatre (CA), Capital Stage Theatre Company (CA), Sting and Honey (UT), American Stage Theatre (FL). Stephens’ publishing credits include serving as Contributing Researcher for a book on world scenography, Technical Editor for a book on computer aided drafting, and a contributing writer for a book titled Experimental Theatre-Praxis-basedapproaches to training 21st century Artists.

Kharyshi Wiginton's a “people magnet” who's passionate about empowering young people, Black people, and women/girls to love themselves. Kharyshi is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who creates change.

In 2005, she traveled to South Africa with Colors of the Diaspora, participated in the National Arts Festival, and SABC2's documentary "I Am Woman."

Kharyshi created the show "Too Much Woman For This World" and spent years honing it under the tutelage of Ayodele Nzinga. She's performed in festivals in the US and South Africa and has created the podcasts "The Sexy Side of Size" and "Too Much Woman 4 This World."

Jules Indelicato is a dedicated sound designer and engineer from San Francisco, CA, with a passion for creating immersive auditory experiences in theater. In 2024, Jules received the prestigious San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award for Excellence in Sound Design for their work on "Assassins" at Hillbarn Theater. Jules has collaborated with esteemed theater companies such as Ray of Light, Shotgun Players and Lower Bottom Playaz, where they have designed sound for multiple productions, including "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" and "Radio Golf." Jules also designed sound for the groundbreaking one-woman show "Tasha" by Cat Brooks, which powerfully addresses systemic injustice. With extensive experience as a FOH and Monitor engineer at notable Bay Area venues, Jules has honed their skills to elevate theatrical productions. In addition to their theater work, Jules is an active member of the world/folk band "Lydia Violet and the Bones" and the indie rock group "SWISS." Wherever there is creativity and innovation, Jules is at the forefront, making a significant impact on the artistic community.

June A. Grant, RA, NOMA, is Founder and Design Principal at blink!LAB architecture; a boutique research-led architecture and design practice located in Oakland, California. Launched in 2015, blink!LAB was created based on Ms. Grant’s 25+ years’ experience in architecture, design and urban regeneration of cities and communities. Her design approach rests on an avid belief in cultural empathy, data research and new technologies as integral to design futures and design solutions.

blink!LAB has three mandates - A commitment to Design Exploration, Advocacy for Holistic Solutions and the Integration of Technology as a central component for a regenerative society. She has been nationally recognized for her speculative design approach rooted in the intersection of technology, ecology, and economy.

Ms. Grant has been featured on the PBS Newshour – Brief But Spectacular, is a CEDAW Human Rights honoree, and is a collaborator on the Oakland Museum of California, current exhibition Black Spaces: Reclaim and Remain; on view now til March 1, 2026

Andre K. Jefferson graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana, earning his bachelor’s in Psychology. For over a decade, he has toured the U.S. in several stage play productions and performing in theatre festivals. Andre is the author of the children’s book “Big Kid Book,” the Producer of “Brother’s Keeper,” and the writer of the feature film “Karter Hall,” which has been nominated for best action film. Andre is the Education Director at Griot Theater Company, the founder of "Dre'lentless Productions" and “Brain Unchained,” a mental health and suicide prevention organization that supports creatives, and he has been featured on The Disney Channel, Amazon, Netflix, ABC, NBC, and HULU. Andre K. Jefferson is an actor, director, writer, author, poet, producer, and advocate whose mission is to change the world- one production at a time.

Briana J. Franklin is a multifaceted dancer, educator, choreographer, and healer with a profound focus on Afro-cultural dance and the healing power of movement and sound. Her journey as a dancer began at the Malonga Dance Art Center, where she was introduced to a wide range of dance styles, including Afro-Haitian, West African, Dunham technique, improvisation, hip hop, ballet, and modern dance. These diverse influences became the foundation of her career, which she continues to use to navigate life, inspire others, and uplift her community.

Briana believes that dance is a form of medicine, where movement itself serves as the healing. This belief led her to travel to Haiti in 2018 and Cuba in 2019 to immerse herself in the spiritual culture and sacred movements practiced by the people there, further deepening her understanding of the connection between movement and well-being.

Her deep connection to the roots and culture of Oakland has allowed her to become a prominent figure in numerous impactful projects. Notable achievements include her performance as the opening act for The Black Women is God, performing in the visual film Lead to Life, performing with the dance group Culture Shock at the 49ers halftime show, and appearing in the music video for H.E.R. featuring YG's song Slide. She also appeared in Saweetie's My Type video, showcasing her versatility and artistic presence. Through all of her endeavors, Briana remains a strong advocate for the healing power of dance and its ability to uplift and unite communities.

Jameelah Rose Lane is a multi-hyphenate artist, choreographer, and wellness entrepreneur based in Oakland, California. Rooted in West African, Afro-Haitian, and Hip Hop dance traditions, her work channels ancestral memory and embodies resistance as acts of healing and liberation. Through her platform, MELANAID Wellness, Jameelah fuses movement, creative storytelling, and plant-based wellness to empower Black communities—especially women and youth.

Her choreography is informed by extensive travel and study throughout the African Diaspora, including Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Nigeria, and most recently, Benin & Togo. Each step she takes honors the lineage of her people while imagining liberated futures through the arts.

Jameelah has worked with Lower Bottom Playaz, Daktari Dance Medicine Collective, Duniya Drum & Dance, Bahiya Movement, and many others. She has taught youth in afterschool programs across Oakland and continues to activate creative spaces that center justice, truth and love. Jameelah moves with intention, reclaiming her identity through each step, continually learning and evolving as an artist and healer.

Stephen has served as a design consultant for Viacom, Inc, a software BETA tester for Vectorworks Spotlight (Industry standard 3D drafting and rendering software) and is a Vectorworks scholarship judge for rising design students. Publishing credits include serving as Contributing Researcher for a book on world scenography, Technical Editor for a book on computer aided drafting, and a contributing writer for a book titled Experimental Theatre-Praxis-based approaches to training 21st century Artists.

Stephen is a professor of theatrical design and technology in the California State University system. He also conducts regular webinars on design and drafting techniques, speaks at national conferences such as Lighting Dimensions International (LDI), United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT), Vectorworks Design Summit, and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. He has been highlighted in Live Design Magazine for the creativity of his design process using 3D software.

*Member Of United Scenic Artist

Stephen Jones( Scenic and lighting designer),

ASHLEY MUNDAY – (Lighting Assistant)
Ashley Munday has been a programmer and special effects tech for Stephanie Anne
Johnson for five over five years. They co-teach lighting design and tech classes. She is
the Technical director for The Oakland Theatre Project, The Lower Bottom Playaz, and
the Electrics Supervisor for Shotgun Players. Ashley has worked with Skywatchers,
Shawl Anderson Dance Company, and many other Bay Area groups/theaters. She has
degrees in computer science, criminal justice, and psychology.

Writer, Producer, Director, Actor Geoffrey Grier has a long legacy of utilizing the mediums of interdisciplinary art to uplift the human experience and transform communities in San Francisco. Grier comes to the stage as a Director and Actor with a wealth of talent as a musician, comedian, and with over 20 years of traveling worldwide as a martial arts performer. With an extensive background in Behavioral Health as well, Grier has a long track record of educating and increasing public awareness through the restorative healing tool of theater. Through the establishment of San Francisco Recovery Theatre, designed to transform the lives of actors and artists, enabling them to perform from a full life experience. He works to orchestrate the synergy between professional actors, scripted material and arts newcomers (i.e. re-entry and homeless performers).

2025 PARTICPANTS

Dr. Ayodele Nzinga

Niko Buchanan

koran streets

Cat Brooks

Myra

Tongo Eisen Martin

Iyanifa Iyalorisa Sade Ifaloba Oyaniyun Adona

Tyson Amir

Claudia Alick

E$TEEZY

Ebony Hatton

Kenitra Love

Stanley Hunt

Ellis Chhourn

Zouhair Mussa

Alie Jones

Menhuam Ayele

STEPHANIE ANNE JOHNSON

Michal ‘MJ’ Jones

LadiRev

Reginald

Marvin X

ShakaJamal

Jahi

Stephen C. Jones

Kharyshi Wiginton

Egyptsia McGillvery

Jules Indelicato

June Grant

Pierre Scott

Andre K. Jefferson

TaSin Sabir

Luchan Baker III

Briana J. Franklin

Jameelah Rose

Stephen C. Jones

Ashley Munday

Alie Jones

GEOFFREY GRIER