current + past projects
Love and LiteraTea
Founded by shea wesley martin and Dr. Cody Miller, Love and LiteraTea is a safe and affirming space for LGBTQ+ high schoolers to connect through literature and pop culture. Using a dynamic cohort model, students read LGBTQ+ Young Adult Literature and meet bimonthly with adult facilitators to discuss books and current events. In addition to book discussions, participants participate in creative activities, author talks, and leadership development.
Rainbow Summer
Rainbow Summer is an online book club for educators and caregivers seeking to build community, read LGBTQ+ young adult books, and explore ways to discuss gender and sexuality (along with other identity markers) with youth. In the space, shea and Jess (along with youth interns) facilitate discussions about dynamic LGBTQ+ YA books, current events, and supporting LGBTQ+ youth in our schools and homes. Read more about the pedagogy and goals behind Rainbow Summer in shea and Jess’ article in English Leadership Quarterly.
The Unicorn Express
The Unicorn Express is a (U.S-based) community-supported effort established in response to the widespread banning of books that are written by LGBTQ+ authors, feature LGBTQ+ storylines, and/or discuss gender and sexuality. The Unicorn Express sends free LGBTQ+ titles by mail to LGBTQ+ youth living in states and/or districts where bans have been put in place.
swm in colors
swm in colors is an open-access project that invites community members to take an intentional creative pause. Each “set” includes a coloring sheet and accompanying playlist designed to be engaged simultaneously. Made for kids of all ages, swm in colors is an explicit attempt to disrupt the grind of capitalism through sound, color, space, and rest. Engage with the first volume here.
Yours, Truly for Educators
A writing workshop designed by and for educators, Yours, Truly began in spring 2020 with two cohorts – one open to educators of all backgrounds and another specifically for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. The multi-week workshop invites educators to reflect, write, and share their stories in community. Guided by the tenets of strength, vulnerability, confidence, and truth (Rose-Chavez, 2020), the Yours, Truly series makes space for educators to develop their own writing practice and heal through storytelling. To date, the workshop has been offered three times and served more than 70 educators across the world.
An Anonymous Teacher Speaks
An Anonymous Teacher Speaks was an archival project founded and run by shea wesley martin from October 2020 until May 2021. The project began on October 2, 2020 when shea spent 10 hours anonymously tweeting the experiences of educators teaching during the pandemic. Posts from An Anonymous Teacher Speaks have been featured by national news outlets. The project accepted submissions through Padlet and the Anonymous Teacher Speaks Twitter account. A partial archive is available by request.
Liberate and Chill*
Co-founded by shea wesley martin, Liz Kleinrock, Kass Minor, and Kelly Wickham Hurst in March 2020, the Liberate and Chill* Collective was a dynamic group of educators, consultants, and writers who specialize in antiracist, abolitionist, and liberatory pedagogy. The group offered professional development experiences for educators, resources, and community programming via virtual platforms. Past collective members included Daniella Boyd, Dulce Marie Flecha, Lizzie Fortin, Paul Gorski, Liz Kleinrock, Jess Lifshitz, Cody Miller, Kass Minor, Cornelius Minor, Kelly Wickham Hurst, and shea wesley martin.
Fresh Air for Black Educators
A radical community space, Fresh Air for Black Educators was hosted by Aeriale Johnson, Cornelius Minor, and shea wesley martin. The space opened in spring 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and state-sanctioned murder of George Floyd. Fresh Air is open to all Black educators and features music, reflection, and community dialogue. Reaching more than 250 Black educators around the world, it was a recurring space of restoration, connection and joy.