Meet OUR BOARD

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Advocate, Activist, and Educator, Tamara Leigh has dedicated her life to championing for the BIPOC, QTPOC, LGBTQIA+ and Trans Communities. Starting her career in Public Relations, Leigh went on to become the Director of Operations and Public Relations for Out Alliance in New York and the Editor of Empty Closet Magazine (the longest continuously published  LGBTQ+ publication in the nation). In 2020, Leigh launched Blaque/OUT Equity & Inclusivity Architects and Blaque/OUT Magazine to further educate around Intersectionality and create space for Black and Brown Queer Voices. (www.blaqueout.com) Tamara is the Founder of Tampa Bay Black Lesbians in Central Florida. She has spoken and provided educational services around the topics of Implicit Bias, Queer and Trans Rights and the Intersectionality of QTPOC at rallies, in Board Rooms, and for classes and companies nationwide. Tamara consults with individual organizations and companies to improve their diversity, equity practices, and capacity as well as on a myriad of projects and curriculum creation for universities, municipalities and orgs nationwide to ensure that diversity, equity and accessibility is centered in their work. She developed the first Juneteenth event during Pride for a specifically Queer audience in Florida. That event is still held annually to this day and she has coordinated Trans Day of Remembrance events in both New York and Florida for nearly a decade. 

Immani Love is an Internationally acclaimed, award winning Erotic Poet and Author who regularly performs throughout the US, UK, Europe, and Australia upon booking. She was previously a radio personality on a weekly LGBT radio show and has toured around the world performing at several venues and festivals giving seminars. Named 2013 Erotic Poet of the Year by the National Poetry Awards she has toured in 9 countries over 6 European tours and one Australian tour. 

Now, post Covid, she has shifted her focus to more domestic appearances, freelance writing for several publications including Blaque/Out Magazine (a queer BIPOC publication), volunteering as a member of St. Pete Pride’s Board of Directors and a member of the Blaqqueer Unity Council representing Tampa Bay Black Lesbians (a POC lesbian social group.) As if she’s not busy enough, Immani Love is also a licensed Realtor and an Ordained minister providing nuptial services for anyone but specializing in same sex ceremonies.  An educated Vixen, cunning linguist, and overall witty seductress with the voice of a Siren.

Immani is the Master of Ceremonies & Engagement Chair

Angelique Davis is an Army veteran who found her passion in baking. She started her small baking business in 2016 and hopes to one day open a storefront. She is now a teacher who prides herself in uplifting the Black and Brown community not only within the classroom but also, within her social groups. 

 If she isn’t baking coaching volleyball, or teaching you can catch Angelique escaping into another reality with a book.

Angelique is the Chair of Small Business Coordination and the Influencer Business Network 

Jeri Brown is a native of Jamaica, then moved to NJ at 15. After a decade in the cold, she moved to sunny Florida. She has nearly twenty years of experience as a human services professional with a focus on youth. In her current role at a local Title I School she motivates students to succeed and encourages them to demonstrate positive behaviors. In the rare instances when students make poor choices she inspires them to get back on the right track and supports them through the process. 

Jeri attained an Associate’s Degree from St. Petersburg College and is finishing up her Bachelor’s of Science in Education and Community Leadership. 

In addition to her deep knowledge and involvement in youth development, Mrs. Brown worked in hospitality for ten years which provided an opportunity to maximize her customer service, time management, and project coordination skills. Jeri is a devoted wife and mother of nine-year old girl/boy twins.  She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, dancing, traveling, enjoying the beach and visiting museums. 

JeriLee is the Chair of  Parent & Family Programming

Advocate for mental health, self-care, body positivity, trauma informed person center care, and

all things Black and Brown, Tina Marie is passionate in giving a voice to those who are

speechless or less empowered to speak for themselves. Tina Marie has cultivated a career

of10+ years in human services of service to those who are in need, specializing in trauma and

crisis management. Tina Marie graduated with a Bachelor of Science cum laude in Community

and Human Services and is a lifetime learner taking classes and certification courses regularly

to cultivate her skills in engagement, human services, affective communication, health and

wellness, human and patient rights, and community organizing.

Tina Marie started her first business in 2019, Tina Marie Consultants, where she assisted

several churches and small businesses create business plans, logos, write and manage grants,

create websites, and other business-related needs. Tina Marie was trained to facilitate

parenting classes support groups and was asked by a few organizations to create safe spaces

for parishioners and patients to learn, voice their opinion, and see the light despite their trauma.

Tina Marie created several programs and helped create a few businesses before relocating from

Rochester NY to Tampa, Florida where she crated Uncover, LLC, an organization that focuses

on providing support to Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ individuals suffering from mental health

symptoms. Tina Marie is a certified Paralegal, Notary Signing Agent, Child Welfare Case

Manager, Master Grant Writer.

Tina Marie is engaged and a mother of 4 children and 2 grandsons. Tina loves to write pros and

poetry, sing, dance, travel, and spend time with her family.

Tina is the Chair of the Mental Health & Wellness Programming

Silk Jazmyne is a Navy Brat turned Florida girlie by way of New York. In 2002, she and her

family settled in the sunshine state and she hasn’t lived anywhere else since. She loves the

artistically strange and narrative in all its forms. Movie quotes, she got you. Novel lines, that’s

easy. She’s a speculative fiction writer and teaching artist. She holds a MFA in Creative Writing

from the University of Tampa and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Florida

International University. In addition to her creative side, she’s a billing and operations manager

for an advertising agency. Crunching numbers by day and being creative by night. She enjoys

shows like House of the Dragon and Bel Air. Most weekends you can find her hollering at her tv

screen in disdain or excitement if her WNBA or NWSL teams are playing. She likes being

outdoors but is in no way outdoorsy. She’s only sleeping outside if it’s a glamping situation.

Most of all, she’s passionate about education accessibility. She believes that knowledge is power

and the importance of telling your own story, “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you

and say you enjoyed it.” - Zora Neale Hurston

https://silkjazmynewrites.squarespace.com/

Michele Wearins is an Indigenous woman who grew up in an all-Native American Community in Baltimore City. In 1992 the HIV/AIDS epidemic had taken hold of her community, and she became the HIV Coordinator at the Baltimore American Indian Center. She left the BAIC in 1994 and started working in the African American Community as a Case Manager for a CBO that provided wrap-around services to African American women with HIV/AIDS. She has had the honor of providing education, prevention, advocacy, treatment and research to Black and Brown communities for over 30 years, providing services but also being a voice for often overlooked and underserved populations. Her passion, love and unwavering dedication has transcended from Baltimore to Florida. It is a privilege to be able to serve as a board member for the Tampa Bay Black Lesbians to help bring HIV/AIDS education and awareness to the Black and Brown communities in Florida.