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womenwhokickass:

Kokumo: Why she kicks ass

She is an activist active in numerous organizations around Chicago, more specifically Affinity Community Services, Broadway Youth Center and her own venture KOKUMOMEDIA.

She organised Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex Freedom (TGIF); Chicago’s first transgender festival and picnic, and the world’s first Black transgender pride event.

She also preformed her one-woman play entitled, “The Faggot Who Could Fly”; her story of being a transgender woman who survived sexual abuse and domestic violence in order to recognize her trans-womanhood.

She is a Program Design Specialist who works to create culturally-competent programming that speaks to the experiences that youth are going through. She was honored as the recipient of the Outstanding Service, Youth Award by Pride Index at their 6th annual Esteem Awards ceremony, recently recognized as one of Windy City Times’ “30 Under 30″ and appeared on the cover of Red Eye’s July 9th story, “Gender Warriors.”

Her “artivisim” — has included symposiums, one-day festivals, and her debut solo album, I Shall Not Be Denied, due to release next summer.

Furthermore, she is currently writing a three act choreopoem, slated for completion in the Spring or Fall of 2013, entitled “Beauty is My Revenge”. It will be centered on the lives of four transgender women of color and it will showcase their experiences with sexual abuse, the sex trade, their families and the world.

KOKUMO is wonderful. When we needed a place to have a memorial for Agnes, she helped us out. She invited us to be part of TGIF. She is a dynamic force in Chicago and we are proud to know her and work with her. She rocked Dancing with the Queer Stars!