Kavi Ade is a black trans queer speaker, arts educator, and nationally recognized poet of Afro and Indigenous Caribbean descent. Speaking on race, gender, sexuality, mental health, domestic violence, and sexual assault, Kavi's work grapples with being set at the throne of violence, and exploring the ways in which a body can learn to survive. Using art as resistance, they create transformative dialogue that aims to combat supremacist powers, and heal communities that have been harmed. Kavi has given poetry readings and keynote speeches, led workshops, and spoken on panels in numerous cities and communities, including over 100 colleges and universities, domestically and internationally. Kavi received the leeway foundation's transformation of work that honors "women and trans* artists and cultural producers who create art for social change, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work."

This program is organized by the U-M Spectrum Center and co-sponsored by: the LSA Institute for Humanities, the LSA Residential College, Trotter Multicultural Center, the LSA Department of American Culture, the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), the University of Michigan School of Social Work, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the U-M Center for the Education of Women, M-Housing, the U-M Institute for Research on Women and Gender, M-Library, the Michigan Community Scholars Program, and the LSA department of Women's Studies.