A former features editor for Essence magazine, asha bandele is the author of two collections of poems, the award-wining memoir The Prisoner’s Wife, and the novel Daughter.

Saul Williams is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film Slam and the 2013 jukebox musical Holler If Ya Hear Me

Danny Simmons is a visual artist, poet, author, curator, collectors and community philanthropist. He is the co-founder and co-producer of Def Poetry Jam, and won a Tony Award for the Broadway version of the show.