Angelica Ross, Da Brat, Kalen Allen And More Celebs Celebrated Black History Month In Exclusive Interviews With BuzzFeed

Join us as we celebrate Black History Month through exclusive interviews with Black queer trailblazers, from Angelica Ross to Da Brat, and many more!

BuzzFeed / Logan Perrin

BuzzFeed proudly presents "Black, Out & Proud," a month-long interview series highlighting contemporary Black queer creatives shaping history daily. This series, born from a commitment to counter Black queer erasure during Black History Month, pays homage to exceptional Black queer individuals whose talents and contributions to Black culture and history demand recognition.

This year's participants were chosen for their cultural impact and noteworthy advocacy of LGBTQIA+ people. Whether you're an existing fan or on the cusp of becoming one, we're shining a spotlight on pioneering Black and queer personalities who deserve acknowledgment. 

Keep reading for intimate conversations with luminaries such as Angelica Ross (Pose, American Horror Story), Ts Madison (RuPaul's Drag Race), Kalen Allen (The Ellen DeGeneres Show), and critically acclaimed author George M. Johnson (All Boys Aren't Blue), among other outstanding individuals. 

Editor's note: This post will be updated weekly. Check back for new interviews each week!

1. Ts Madison

Jamie Mccarthy / WireImage

Ts Madison (she/her) is a TV & media personality, known for her roles in Zola and Bros. She also serves as a rotating judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. In 2021, Ts became the first Black trans woman to star in and executive produce a reality series, The Ts Madison Experience.

In her own words: "My voice is loud. When I speak, people listen. [I know] that when I walk into a spot, I will make you think. All I need is a moment in a room with a person to make them understand that I'm human. I'm not other, I'm human."

Read Ts Madison's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

2. Da Brat and Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart

Paras Griffin / WireImage

Da Brat (she/her) is a Grammy-nominated rapper who broke out after the release of her smash 1994 single "Funkdafied." Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart (she/her) is an influencer, businessperson, and founder of Kaleidoscope Hair Products. Together, they star on the WETV series Brat Loves Judy, chronicling their lives, including the recent birth of their first child, True.

In Brat's own words: "I met somebody that inspired me to not give a fuck, actually. I wanted the world to know [that] I'm in love with this woman — like, I want to hold her hand in public. I had never been able to be publicly affectionate with anybody or anything like that. So it was just a good, good feeling."

In Jesseca's own words: "I kind of have been, like, 'I don't give a... about what people say,' for a while."

Read their full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

3. Angelica Ross

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Angelica Ross (she/her) is an actor and human rights advocate with credits in shows like Pose, American Horror Story: 1984, and American Horror Story: Double Feature. In 2022, Angelica made history as the first openly trans woman to ever play a leading role on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago.

In her own words: "Candy's funeral [in Pose] was a rude awakening for so many people. I had a flood of messages, and I still get a ton of DMs, from families who tell me how much Candy has changed their relationship with their child or with their parents."

Read Angelica's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

4. Kalen Allen

Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Kalen Allen (he/him) is a comedian and internet personality who first stole hearts with his hilarious food reaction videos in 2017. Since then, he's worked with the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Seth Rogen, and Robin Thede.

In his own words: "My initial [food reaction] videos are usually everyone's favorites. Why? Because if you look at the original videos, I was reacting to people making cornbread, potato salad, and sweet potato pie. Those dishes are specific dishes that are rooted in African American culture. The reason why [those videos] had comedy in them is because I had a personal connection to them."

Read Kalen's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

5. Dewayne Perkins

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Dewayne Perkins (he/him) is a multi-hyphenate talent—actor, writer, and comedian—who was recognized as one of Variety's top ten comics to watch in 2020. In 2023, he co-wrote the highly anticipated comedy horror film, The Blackening.

In his own words: "When I was writing for a show called The Break with Michelle Wolf on Netflix. I remember that was my first job and I was the only Black person on this staff. It was very hard because I was [thinking], "I'm not a fan of being the token." [I] helped [Michelle] write some of the jokes [for] the White House Correspondents Dinner that year. There was a joke that I wrote that basically called Sarah Huckabee Sanders the archetype of white women. It was chosen as one of the best jokes that year by the New Yorker."

Read Dewayne's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

6. George M. Johnson

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George M. Johnson (they/them) is an author, journalist, and activist. In 2020, George published their memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, which became the second most banned and challenged book in the United States.

In their own words: "A few of weeks ago, someone wrote a beautiful review of my book. At first, they said they weren't sure why I included the parts about losing my virginity or my sexual assault in a young adult book. Then, they said they challenged themselves because the book helped them to realize something that happened to them when they were younger that they had been thinking wasn't assault, actually was. That is why it is important."

Read George's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

7. Brian Michael Smith

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Brian Michael Smith (he/him) is an actor best known for his roles on FOX's 9-1-1: Lone Star and OWN's Queen Sugar.

In his own words: "When I booked 9-1-1: Lone Star, I thought, "I am doing something that has never been done before." Broadcast television is everywhere so I knew that it was an opportunity for me to reach people who were probably feeling the way that I felt years ago. It's been incredible knowing the impact on people who are trans like me, and for people who have always felt like an outsider."

Read Brian's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

8. Aunjanue Taylor-Ellis

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Aunjanue Taylor-Ellis (she/her) is an Oscar-nominated actor whose résumé includes roles in critically acclaimed projects such as When They See Us, Lovecraft Country, Origin, and King Richard, alongside Will Smith.

In her own words: "The first time that I saw The Color Purple, it [was] before I understood who I was. I knew that watching Margaret Avery kiss Whoopi Goldberg was astonishing, exciting, and affirming. It showed me the possibility of myself and the possibility to love a woman who loves me in return. I'll never get over that."

Read Aunjanue's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

9. Shea Couleé and Monét X Change

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Shea Couleé (she/her and they/them) is a performer, musician, and actor known for winning RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5. She's also set to appear in Marvel's hugely anticipated Ironheart series and tour her Love Ball concert later this month.

Monét X Change (she/her and they/them) is a performer, podcaster, and reality star who competed on and won RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 4. Monét will be joining Shea on tour, alongside other former contestants, including Tayce, Lala Ri, and Luxx Noir London.

In Shea's own words: "Know your worth and don't be afraid to take up space. Don't shrink for anybody else."

In Monét's own words: "The show really taught me to not be afraid to make mistakes. I have made so many mistakes on TV for millions of people to watch. Some of it is embarrassing. Some of it I wish I didn't do. But I think it's all part of the development of who I am now."

Read their full Black, Out, & Proud interview here!

10. Nicco Annan

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Nicco Annan (he/him) is an actor, dancer, and activist, best known for his role as the fashion-forward, gender-fluid Uncle Clifford on Starz's P-Valley.

In his own words: "Sometimes, as an artist, you can create what has not been seen. I grew up knowing the portrayals of queer people and certain tropes in the industry. Now as an artist and a man, I want to be able to put my own stamp on something and show more of the differences and nuances that were being missed in the things that I saw."

Read his full Black, Out, & Proud interview here!

11. Darryl Stephens

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Darryl Stephens (he/him) first captured hearts playing the effervescent Noah in Noah's Arc. The groundbreaking Logo network series was the first scripted television series to center on a group of Black gay men and continues to reach and impact younger audiences today.

In Darryl's own words: In the context of what was happening culturally, it makes sense that the initial responses to the show were negative. I think Entertainment Weekly gave us a D-minus review. You have to remember that, in 2005, straight acting was the norm [for some queer people]. Noah's Arc challenged that directly. I think, at the time, a lot of Black gay men thought, "You can't air our dirty laundry. We're not ready for that yet."

Read Darryl's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

12. Kidd Kenn

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Kidd Kenn (he/him) made history in 2021 becoming the first openly gay male rapper to participate in BET's coveted Hip Hop Awards cypher. His freestyle went viral and earned significant praise from his fans and industry peers. Now, at 21, he's ready to shatter even higher glass ceilings in hip-hop.

In Kidd Kenn's own words: "I was on Twitter one night scrolling through my message requests and saw that [Lil Nas X] DM'd me before he blew up with 'Old Town Road.' I didn't even know who Lil Nas X was when he sent the message," he said. "He sent me two messages saying, 'You really can [rap]' and 'I fuck with your bars. Never stop.' [It was] so sweet."

Read Kidd Kenn's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

13. INIKO

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INIKO (they/them) is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, known for singles like the Nicki Minaj-influenced "The King's Affirmation" and the TikTok hit "Jericho." To date, INIKO has over 40 million views on YouTube and a loyal social media following of more than 2 million on Instagram.

In their own words: "I make music trying to better understand the human experience, and in turn, it helps other people understand and see truths for what they are and not what others tell them. It's not an agenda. It's reality."

Read INIKO's full Black, Out & Proud interview here!

14. Jonica Booth

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Jonica Booth (she/her) first caught our attention when she appeared on Season 12 of the hit Oxygen series Bad Girls Club and quickly gained a reputation of being a "chick magnet." Jonica, who openly identifies as bisexual, returned to our screens to star in Issa Rae's Rap Sh!t as Chastity Killens. She stole scenes and the hearts of millions. Now, she's ready to become a household name in Hollywood!

In Jonica's own words: "Honestly, I think a lot of bisexual people might be sapiosexuals, meaning they care more about the mind. I'm attracted to energy and the mind, so if you just happen to be a girl or you just happen to be a guy, it is what it is. We're fine, people...leave us alone. We're happy."

Read Jonica's full Black, Out & Proud interview here.

15. Mal Wright

Courtesy of Mal Wright

Mal Wright (she/her/they) instantly became a fan favorite when she appeared on Netflix's dating show The Ultimatum: Queer Love. Viewers couldn't help but fall for her high sense of emotional intelligence, quick wit, enviable style, and infectious charm. Since the show ended, Mal, who identifies as queer, has made it her mention to spread joy in any way she can — which includes creating a queer-positive party collective and having open discussions about equality. Now, in a full-circle moment, Mal is back at Netflix, working behind the scenes in casting for Season 2 of The Ultimatum: Queer Love.

In Mal's own words: "I hope that we're able to exist without other people policing everything that we do or making it seem like we can exist, but only enough for the audience to tolerate...like queer, but not too queer. Be queer and stay that version of queer for the rest of your days. I hope that we can just exist, period." 

Read Mal's full Black, Out & Proud interview here.

16. Samira Wiley

Christopher Shintani

Samira Wiley (she/her) is creating change one role at a time and the impact really stuck with viewers when she landed the role of Poussey Washington in the popular Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Since then, Samira has prided herself in pursuing characters that illicit open conversations and highlight the marginalized communities (Black, queer, woman) she's a part of. This was proven when she later starred as Moira Strand in The Handmaid's Tale. Now, a mother and wife, Samira is focused on promoting more positive images of Black joy on-screen and creating a safe space for her daughter to thrive in.

In Samira's own words: "I want to be known for my authenticity. I want to be known for my genuineness. I want to be known for my excellence in my field. I just really want to be an inspiration — I want someone to be able to look at my life and have an acceptance moment or an I-can-do-this moment."

Read Samira's full Black, Out & Proud interview here.

17. Monaleo

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There's something in the water in Houston because it seems to raise some badass women, and Monaleo (she/her) is one of them! She busted on the scene as a rapper and quickly caught the attention of millions with her hit single "Beating Down Yo Block." But there's more to Monaleo than her fun rap persona. Along with singing, she's also a huge mental health and LGBTQ+ advocate. In fact, she created an organization called Stay One More Day to help anyone battling with suicidal ideations and to show them just how much value their lives hold.

In Monaleo's own words: "Being able to talk about those feelings and emotions out loud was really pivotal in my healing process because if I wasn't able to vent those frustrations that I had, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Read Monaleo's full Black, Out & Proud interview here.

BuzzFeed / Logan Perrin