D. Inez “Z” Bell

Z Bell [pronouns: they] is a poet and community organizer. They graduated from Barnard College in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology and will go on to earn their MFA in the study of Poetry. Z currently resides in their hometown, New Haven, CT. Z believes in the power of redefinition and visioning as a means towards self-love, community care and liberation. They have done justice work with the Audre Lorde Project, Black Youth Project 100 and Brooklyn Movement Center. Z is passionate about writing and music and taking care of Grandma. They spend time at local cyphers and open mics performing poetry and spitting verse. You might be surprised that Z loves fishing and rugby. You might not be surprised that Z spends a lot of time on SoundCloud. Unapologetically Black, fat, disabled, (gender)queer and still here, you’ll most likely catch them wearing big headphones and nodding in time to the latest indie hip-hop.