Ayana Byrd is an author and journalist who divides her time between Brooklyn and Barcelona, Spain. A Barnard College graduate, she has contributed to numerous anthologies and magazines such as Vibe, Essence, and Rolling Stone. Akiba Solomon is an award-winning advocacy journalist, columnist, and editor. A graduate of Howard University, the Brooklyn resident and former senior editor for The Source is the editor at Essence magazine. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications including Essence, Vibe, XXL, POZ, and ColorLines.