Elaine Richardson aka Dr. E (she/her) is an Ohio State University Professor of Literacy Studies, Department of Teaching & Learning. Her publications include African American Literacies (Routledge, 2003), Hiphop Literacies (Routledge, 2006), PHD (Po H# on Dope) to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life (New City Community Press/Parlor Press, 2013). She is co-editor of Home Girls Make Some Noise: A Hip Hop Feminist Anthology (2007), and more. 

Dr. Banner is the Manager of Community Learning and Engagement at The OSU Urban Arts Space where he oversees the UAS internship program, leads educational initiatives, and establishes community connections and partnerships. Terron earned his PhD from the department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy at The Ohio State University in 2019. Recently, he developed a course titled “Black Art in America: Arts and Cultural Policies from Reconstruction to Afrofuturism.” Before attending OSU, he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Kentucky State University, a historically Black university. Terron’s research focuses on the art-historical impact of past Black Arts Movements and the technologies, cultural policies, and arts management processes utilized by Black artists within those movements.  His publication “Black Art Black Rage and Black Lives Matters: The Influence of The Black Arts Movement” in the edited volume Arts Management, Cultural Policy, & the African Diaspora explores these ideas in more depth. Most recently, Terron has led multiple grant-funded projects at OSU that explores ways of combining AI and Afrofuturism to increase arts and tech equity.

Iyana Hill is an artist, curator, and community organizer from Columbus, Ohio. She is a master of art education student at Ohio State University. As an artist she focuses on the liberation of Black people and the Black experience through the mediums of photography and ceramics. Her curatorial and community programming honors Black culture and thinks about accessibility, immersion, and arts equity to articulate and honor Blackness. She is the creator of Irrepressible Soul, a project, collective, and art-based model. 

Arrieonna is a senior at Ohio State University studying English with minors in human rights and professional writing. She is a community engagement art administrator at Urban Arts Space. She is interested in widening accessibility to art and artists in underserved communities. She is part of the marketing management team for the HHLC this year and assisted with program management. Outside of her work, Arrieonna loves to explore new genres, authors, and mediums of literacy. She enjoys running and yoga and is always trying to find new hobbies. Arrieonna is passionate about the advocacy and empowerment work she does at the Ohio Women's Alliance and The Center for Belonging and Social Change. No matter how complex and shifting the world is, Arrieonna recalls, “ Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”—James Baldwin.

Andrew is a second-year Industrial Design Major at The Ohio State University with a background in Psychology. As a designer, Andrew is committed continual growth throughout all different disciplines. He is experienced in designing physically and three-dimensionally. Currently, Andrew is exploring the more digital Graphic Design realm to broaden his horizons and become a better designer. 

Andrew has previously helped lead a unit in the behavioral health sector of Nationwide Children's Hospital. There he served suicidal, behavioral, and mentally ill children, teens, and their families. 

In his free time, Andrew enjoys being with the people he loves, snowboarding, and listening to music. Andrew is passionate about growing and living with the people in his life. He believes that in this life, we all have great potential to contribute to each other's lives by enjoying, educating, encouraging, and challenging each other. 

Dedié, a first-generation Togolese-American, is a fourth-year Industrial Design student at The Ohio State University. Passionate about design, Dedié believes that shaping a better future requires designing with and for people—amplifying their voices and stories along the way.

Recently, he has been reflecting on how his love for industrial design partly stems from the way objects can hold permanence and evoke a sense of nostalgia. In his free time, Dedié enjoys talking and spending time with family and friends, traveling, and watching great TV shows and films.

One of Dedié’s guiding principles is, "More is lost by indecision than by wrong decision." He believes that while everything we do involves calculated risks, being decisive is essential.