Red Summer
In 2008, Red Summer left a career as a high school and college educator to pursue her dream-to become a full-time performance artist, writer and filmmaker. The decision coincided with her international tour promoting her first book of poetry, First Person, and in 2012, she released her second book of poetry, Raw Sugar. She´s never looked back. Today, this dynamo´s projects involve performance art, activism, motivational speaking, leading workshops, writing and making documentary films, and performing spoken word on issues ranging from gender equality, race and sexual identity to education and relationships. Summer´s recent documentary has won critical acclaim: Al Nisa: Black Muslim Women in Atlanta´s Gay Mecca, premiered in Atlanta last July; it was chosen for the 2013 Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the 2014 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival, and Frameline 38: San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. Summer has spent the past year personally presenting the film at colleges and universities. What keeps Summer motivated for the long run? ″Having someone I´ve never met introduce themselves and say that something I wrote, or a project I worked on, has helped them get through a rough experience in life,″ she says. ″I love doing work that makes a positive impact on the world.″ -KL
What Do You Think?