ZAMI Atlanta’s Premiere Organization for Lesbians of African DescentAwarded 14 scholarships to out queer scholars of color last weekend - and I was able to participate in the celebration! I have been going to Atlanta/working with ZAMI since 1998. Each time I have been amazed/moved/Inspired and Lifted but this time was the visit of all visits! Witnessing ZAMI’s scholarship program in action was really more special than I can say. It is a model program Visioned by ZAMI’s E.D. Mary Anne Adams. To find out more/or to contributego to: ZAMI

Along with being deeply moved/I laughed hard/played hard/ate LOTS/was treated with great generosity/and was introduced to my new second home called IntegriTEA

a hot TEA and event bar owned by two Black lesbians.In addition to reading as part of the award celebration, I was a guest lecturer for three classes at Georgia State University and one class at Agnes Scott College.

There are MANY people to thank for this opportunity to work/be embraced by this wonderful community including: Mary Anne Adams of course; my roomie/housing host McKenzie & Fiona (who is away writing writing at college in Cali at the moment); dear Edith; Brinda; Frances; Isa; Cynthia; Jan; Elizabeth; Lionell; Charlene; First Existentialist Congregation ; Agnes Scott College; Emory University Office of LGBT Life; Kennesaw State University; Charis Books and More;

Sista poet Rev. Valerie who drove up from Memphis; My high school buddy Latifah who came out to show support; and my Loving relatives/who I got to spend time with before leaving town.

The Audre Lorde Scholarship Fund is named in honor of Audre Lorde (1934-1992), the acclaimed author and State Poet of New York who published nine volumes of poetry and five works of prose. She identified as a Black lesbian, warrior poet and is internationally regarded as a significant contributor to the struggle for women’s liberation and lesbian and gay rights.

*Awards and Recipients:Sheryl Burke Award: June Berry, The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts Chef Program, New York , NY Sandra Jones-Ronald Moore Award: Kalvin Leveille, St. John’s University, Queens , NY; Tony Daniels Community Ally Award funded by ADODI Muse: A Gay Negro Ensemble: Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Goddard College, Plainfield, VT; Cherie Caldwell Award: Crystal Jones, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA; Wendy Belkin Award: Brandee Stephens, University of North Carolina,Charlotte, NC; David Gillespie Award: Craig Washington, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA; Sarah Crymes & Rhonda Freeman Award: Amber Andersen, St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX; Linda Bryant Award:Teanna Medina, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO ; Margaret Ntombi Howell Power & Presence Memorial Award funded by Rhesa M. Jenkins & Ama Saran Naima Lowe, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Mandy Carter Social Justice Organizing Award funded by Germaine Curtin: Ejeris Dixon, New York University, NY, NY; Fourth Tuesday Award: Melissa Gordon, University of Tennessee, Nashville, TN; Angelina Huguely Award: Pam Reed, University of Illinois, Springfield, IL; Jerrald Lynn Boswell Memorial Award funded by Collette Strother, Laura Brooks, Ada Long & K.M. Griffin: Mark Norris, California State University, Los Angeles, CA
*Note: Unless, otherwise noted, the 2007 awards are named after the person who funded the scholarship.