Black History Love Letters 2.0 returns this Valentine’s Day as a vibrant, heart-forward gathering rooted in memory, art, and collective gratitude. In the spirit of Black History Month, leaders, artists, poets, musicians, and community creatives come together to offer original love letters—through words, song, and performance—to the Black elders, ancestors, and cultural visionaries who have shaped their lives and imaginations. These tributes celebrate not only historical impact, but the humor, tenderness, defiance, brilliance, and everyday courage that continue to guide us forward.
Hosted by Tim’m T. West, Executive Director of the LGBTQ Institute, this afternoon of storytelling and artistic homage is grounded in a long tradition of creative community building. The gathering draws inspiration from The Front Porch, a performance-art series Tim’m first cultivated in 2004 as a way to recreate the sense of belonging, safety, and truth-telling he experienced on his grandparents’ porch in Arkansas. That ethos—intimate, participatory, and rooted in shared humanity—remains at the heart of this event.
Black History Love Letters 2.0 invites the audience not just to witness, but to be in relationship with the stories offered. In this shared space, art becomes a bridge between generations, love becomes a historical practice, and memory becomes a living force. Together, we honor the Black lives and legacies that made us possible—and affirm, again and again, the power of creative expression to connect past, present, and future.
aGENDA
1:45pm – 2:15pm: Doors open
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm: + Community Time + Black History Haikus
Come build community with people you know and make new friends before our 2:45 event start time. Meet special guests while we participate in a fun game of Black History Love Haikus, where people will partner with someone new, discuss inspirational facts of Black History, and co-create a Haiku that will be shared at some point during the program.
2:45 - 2:55: Tim’m WEst Welcomes Everyone to Front Porch
The Front Porch was created by Tim’m West, who is Executive Director of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in December 2004 to invite a more inclusive, LGBTQ+ friendly space for poets, musicians, and storytellers of all backgrounds to come together to celebrate unity, hope, and justice. In December 2024, Tim’m rekindled The Front Porch, which was once a residency at House of IntegriTEA in Virginia Highlands back in 2007 and 2008. It’s back y’all.
Click the flyer to see original promo for the Front Porch from 2004.
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Tim'm T. West (he/they) is a poet, scholar, rapper, and youth activist who was born in Cincinnati and raised primarily in rural Arkansas. A contemporary Renaissance man, he is a featured voice in multiple documentaries about hip hop and masculinity because of his groundbreaking work as a gay-identified hip hop artist, AIDS activist, and youth advocate, among other affiliations.
A teacher and cultural producer at a number of secondary and post-secondary institutions, as well as a former varsity basketball coach, Tim’m has a B.A. from Duke University and graduate degrees from The New School for Social Research and Stanford University.
They are the author of several books (Red Dirt Revival: a poetic memoir in 6 Breaths, BARE: notes from a porchdweller, Flirting, and pre|dispositions). As a writer, Tim’m is widely anthologized and published. As a recording artist, they have produced and released nine hip hop albums, the first several with iconic queer rap group D/DC.
After serving for 8.5 years as Senior Managing Director of Teach for America’s National Prism Alliances (LGBTQ+ Initiative), Tim’m became Executive Director of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
2:55 PM - 4:30 PM: Open Mic performances by special guests
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Aafroqween (Fisiwe Zwana Freeman) is a poet, spoken word artist, vocalist, and published author of a collection of poems entitled “lovewords: poetry from a place called love”. She is the Founder and first Host of “The Sugar Shack Café Open Mic Showcase” in Harlem NY. Later she became a host for “Hottest Poets Open Mic” at Mocha Lounge, also in Harlem. As a member of the woman- centered, Spoken Word, Song and Dance Trio Precious Gift Aafroqween has performed from New York City to Canada. In 2000 Precious Gift (Tantra Zawadi, Iyapiphany and Fisiwe) released their spoken word cd "Selling My Diamonds" at Danny Simmons’ Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn NY. In 2005, Tantra Zawadi and Fisiwe released their joint project “Natural-Bring That Poem Home”.
Aafroqween hosted her own internet radio show “LoveArtLife” on Onthamove Radio from 2007-2011. She was a featured voice on Talaam Acey’s “Morally Bankrupt Volume One: The Wickedest Man In Babylon” and “Mood Demystify”, Queen Sheba’s “Domino Effect”, and Les Nubians “Echoes: Nubian Voyager”. She has been a poetry workshop facilitator, authored and implemented writing curriculum for adult learners and served as an educator for at risk youth and adults with special needs for agencies such as Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Employee Wellness Workshops for the US Department of Veteran Affairs, New York Regional Office and Carpenters Union-Minority Workers Training Program NYC/Brownfields NJ. She is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of LoveArtLifeTV, centering voices of the African diaspora through culture and arts; and the CEO of AafroqweenAuthentic, an African influenced lifestyle brand rooted in celebrating the authenticity of the Black woman’s lived experience.
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Lexi Markham (they/them) is a Sophomore at Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia. In their free time, they love to write poetry, read, and be outside. In 2024 they joined VOX ATL Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador Program. Lexi helped cofound a Trans Club at their high school, as well as an Environmental Club in their elementary school. They first engaged YOU(th) Belong in March 2023 when they shared poetry at YOU(th) Belong … On The Stage at OUT Front Theater and has volunteered at Compassion-Con and other LGBTQ+ Institute events. They hope to inspire others to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, embrace love, and exist authentically.
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Shawn Johnson aka Mr Fearless is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a singer, songwriter and spoken word poet who believes in creating safe spaces for independent artists. He is the Creative Director and Operations Manager of Fearless Indie Entertainment Inc based in Atlanta, Georgia established in 2015. Shawn uses his platform to INSPIRE, ENTERTAIN & INFORM.