A former Atlanta resident who now lives in New York, Yolo Akili has worked as an anti-violence and emotional wellness counselor for young people and men for nearly 10 years.
He's been on Huffington Post Live! and The Derek & Romaine Show on Sirius XM and now he's written a book titled, "Dear Universe." He will give a reading and signing of this book Friday, May 31, at Charis Books & More at 7 p.m.
In my job, I am fortunate to meet many people. I tend to remember most people I've talked to over the years, but some people definitely stick out.
In March 2010, shortly after GA Voice opened and I started working again, I went to Morehouse College to cover the university's first gay Pride campus celebration.
While there, I met Kevin Webb and Daniel Edwards, co-presidents of the college's Safe Space program.
Openly gay, proud of it, and just smart and kind and articulate in every way, these young men impressed me.
I've also met and talked to Yolo Akili, formerly of Atlanta, who impresses me not only as a poet, but as a young man strives to be the change he wants to see.
So it was a nice gift this morning to see in my email box a Google alert that just happened to include a blog by Akili in which he interviews Edwards.
Poet Yolo Akili’s new CD, “Purple Galaxy,” is a spoken-word meditation on transcending sexual identity. In it, he imagines an erotic utopia, free of shame and labels and driven by pure pleasure: