Phyll Opoku-Gyimah is co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride. A tireless activist, she sits on the TUC race relations committee and is a trustee of LGBT rights char-ity Stonewall. In 2016 she made headlines for refusing an MBE, saying, 'As a trade unionist, a working class girl, and an out black African lesbian... I don't believe in empire. I don't believe in, and actively resist, colonialism and its toxic and enduring legacy in the Commonwealth, where - among many other injustices - LGBTQI people are still being persecuted, tortured and even killed because of sodomy laws... that were put in place by British imperialists. I'm honoured and grateful, but I have to say no thank you.' British of Ghanaian descent, Phyll was born in Islington and lived on Woodbury Down Estate with her family, then moved to the countryside, and in the late 80s moved back to London. She is a mother, has a regular column in Diva magazine, and works for Public and Commercial Services Union as the Head of Political Campaigns & Equality Rikki Beadle-Blair (Creative Director, Team Angelica, co-founder Team Angelica Publishing) is a writer, director, composer, choreographer, designer, producer and performer. He has won several awards including the Sony Award, the Los Angeles Outfest Screenwriting and Outstanding Achievement Awards. His projects include several feature films and TV series, including Stonewall for the BBC, Metrosexuality for Channel 4, Noah's Arc for MTV LOGO in the USA as well as FIT, KickOff and Bashment for his own company Team Angelica. Rikki also works extensively in theatre and has written 28 plays in the last decade including five for Theatre Royal Stratford East: Bashment, Familyman, Shalom Baby, GUTTED and Summer in London. He founded Team Angelica in order to create opportunities for actors and creatives in all entertainment fields and is a committed and passionate mentor to artist across the UK, in the US and South Africa. If you want to work with Rikki contact rikki@teamangelica.com Co-founder of Team Angelica Publishing and Head Editor, John is a writing mentor and dramaturg, as well as an award-winning novelist, playwright and screenwriter of gay black lives. He worked on the groundbreaking TV series Noah's Arc, wrote the autobiography of legendary porn-star Bobby Blake, and his screenplay for Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom earned him an NAACP Image Award Nomination. His sixth and latest novel, Souljah, is nominated for a Lambda Best Novel award. He created the comic/cartoon HIV-awareness-raising characters Yemi & Femi, and is currently completing his seventh novel, 'Drapetomania', set in slavery times in the Deep South.