Chantay Monique Leonard - Resume

Chantay “Legacy” Leonard
Writer/Performance Poet/Activist/Freelance Journalist/Playwright/Host

Site: www.myspace.com/legacyleonard

For Booking:
Uhuru Cipher Management
Omari Barksdale
(313) 989-8957
Omari.uhuru@gmail.com
Performances:

• Detroit Institute of Arts - 1995
• Dell Pryor Gallery - 2001
• Tastefest - 2001
• The Key Club - 2001
• The Camillian -2001
• Coffee & Cream Café - 2002
• The Cultural Extravaganza - 2002
• The Midwest Writer’s Conference All Star Poetry Jam - 2002
• The National Black Society of Engineer’s Student Conference - 2002
• Detroit Summer Hip Hop Summit - 2002
• Java Jazz Series @ Wayne State University - 2002
• Marygrove College -2002
• University of Detroit Mercy Literary Café - 2002
• Gospel event for Councilwoman Brenda Scott (City Council Building) - 2002
• Bert’s Jazz Marketplace -2002
• Words Unravel – Stage production - 2002
• Comerica Java Jazz Series Literary Festival w/ Amiri Baraka - 2002
• Detroit Youth Empowerment Summit (Hart Plaza) – 2002
• Politics Meets Poetry w/Kwame Kilpatrick (Camillian) - 2002
• Dreams of Cream Café – 2003
• 736 Java (Cultural Bash)
• Black Cinema Café – 2002/2003
• Hosted Soul Bliss Series @ Heavenly Places Café – Highland Park - 2003
• Poets Against The War 2003 - documentary (Camillian) - 2003
• Co-host/Talent management – OUAM series – Club Envy -2003
• Co-host/Talent management – OUAM series – Serengeti Gallery – 2003
• Northwestern Activity Center with Baba Ibn and Pitch Black Poets - 2003
• Black Woman’s Tribute to Councilwoman Joann Watson – 2003
• Juvenile Institute Outreach shows with Pitch Black Collective - 2003
• The Ebony Showcase Lounge - 2003
• Redd Apple Gallery w/The Last Poets – 2004
• Cream Café – 2004
• Shrinking Cities (documentary) – 2004
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Max Fisher Theater with BLAIR - 2005
• Artists Village – CD Release/Blight Buster Festival – 2005
• Prysmatic Dreams Spoken Word Showcase – South Carolina – 2005
• Hip Hop Mile – BOTS Entertainment – 2005
• Meetery Eatery – 2005
• Progressive Artists for the Millions More Movement Rally – September 2005
• Agave Benefit for Hurricane Katrina - 2005
• University of Dearborn, MI – Over The Counter, Under the Skin – 2006
• University of Dearborn MI – feat. Dephonyx- 2006
• Amnesty International Slamming for Human Rights – 2006
• The Element – 2006
• Knowing Is Positive – HIV Awareness - 2006
• Return II Consciousness 1515 Broadway – 2006
• NeoVintageSoul presents Deph-Onyx – 2006
• Northwest Missouri State University – 2006
• Beans & Bytes Café – 2006
• Poetic Flow (Comcast TV 68) – 2006
• Feature w/Malik Alston & Painted Pictures – Buzz Bar - 2006
• Black History Month presentation – MI Department of Human Services – 2007
• Poetic Passions (D &G Entertainment) – 2007
• Marygrove College – Urban Leadership & Contemporary Literary Voices w/Queen Sheba – 2007
• The Rebirth – Hunter’s Supper Club– 2007
• Eastern Michigan University w/Omari King Wise -2007
• University of Santa Barbara California – 2007
• 2nd Annual Knowing Is Positive AIDS Awareness event – 2007
• National Conference On Race & Ethnicity (San Francisco) – 2007
• Yale Miller Memorial Tribute w/Jessica care Moore - 2007
• Evening of Artistic Expression: Campaign Against Domestic Violence – 2007
• Citywide Block Appreciation Community Festival – 2007
• Hip Hop Poetry Bash 2007 w/Strange Fruits – Bowery Poetry Club (NY) – 2007
• EchoVerse Poetry Series – Java Exchange – 2007
• Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) – 2007
• 30th Annual Dally In The Alley Festival – 2007
• Mahogany Revue – Detroit Music Hall – 2007
• Poetry, Pages & Scribes – Southfield Public Library – 2007
• Change The Music @ Charles Johansen Gallery (Detroit) – Oct 2007
• Women’s Appreciation Night (9 Ray Productions) – Oct 2007
• FIRE @ The Loft series – Nov 2007
• The Essence of Motown Literary Conference & Jam – Charles H. Wright African American History Museum – Nov 2007
• Know The Flow: Rhythmic Playground –Nov 2007
• Earth Appreciation @ Coffee Makes You Black Cafe – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Dec 2007
• The Woodward w/Jessica care Moore and Aurora Harris – Jan 2008
• Women’s Appreciation Night II (w/Sista Dynamite Stiletto Red) – Mar 2008
• Java Exchange – Echoverse Series – April 2008
• Live In Peace Art Party I – 4731 Gallery – May 2008
• Juneteenth Celebration – Harlem, NY – June 2008
• “”Gaming of the Shrew” w/Jessica Care Moore – Music Hall – June 2008
• Literary Community Celebration @ Southfield Public Library – July 2008
• African World Festival (Detroit) – Aug 2008
• Poetry In The Hills – Farmington Civic Theater – Aug 2008
• Live In Peace Art Party II @ Wayne State University – Oct 2008
• Voices of Gaza – Washington, DC – Jan 2009
• Jessica Care Moore’s The Revolution’s In The Ladies Room @ Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History – Mar 2009
• Hoodstock – June 2009
• They Say Jazz Club – Aug 2009
• Soul Lounge: The Grand Edition @ The Music Hall – Oct 2009
• Metamorphosis @ The Music Hall – Nov 2009
• Neo Minds Poetry & Slam Series – December 2009
•



Film

Detroit Poets Against The War (2003) Documentary
Shrinking Cities (2004) International documentary/exhibit

Television

Homegrown Detroit (2002) Channel 62 (Detroit)
Poetic Flow (2006) Channel 68 (Detroit)

Radio

Interview WHPR 88 FM
Guest host for Fuzion segment WGPR 107.5 FM
Interview for Knowing Is Positive WXMD 92.3 FM
Interview (Honey B Chronicles) CST Radio 102.3 FM

Publishing Credits

1993 Master Mixx, City of Detroit, Summer Youth Arts program publication

1994 Purlie, City of Detroit, Summer Youth Arts program publication

1994 Passages II, Communication & Media Arts High publication

1995 Thunderous Words, Detroit Institute of Arts publication

1997 Style!, InsideOut Literary Arts publication

2002 Black Ink: Volume I, independent anthology

2007 "Babylon Batafurai" and "In Defense of Poets", Chaotic Dreams Online E-Zine

2007 "Bleeding Sunset", Stanford University Black Arts Quarterly

2007 "11Kings", "Gita", "Kali" and "Lousiana Goddamn", Chaotic Dreams Online E-Zine

2008 Estrology: Woman of The World Poetry Slam Anthology, Poetry Slam Inc. publication , The Wordsmith Press

2008 The Bandana Republic Anthology edited by Louis Reyes Rivera and Bruce George, Softskull Publishing

Freelance Journalism

Interviews with Common and Lil’ John Fuzion Magazine (Detroit)
Book reviews and articles Detroit Poetry Collective (E-Zine)

Plays Authored/Produced

A Cry Out 4 Help (1996)
Double Jeopardy (1997)

Events & Series Hosted

Politics Meets Poetry (2002)
Heavenly Places Café (2003)
Once Upon A Mind Series (2003)
The Detroit Hip Hop Olympics (Red Bull) (2003)
Detroit Poets Against The War (2003)
Step To The Mic Youth Slam Competition (2004)
Mayor’s Time After School and Community Fairs (2004-2006)
Knowing Is Positive Aids Awareness (2005)
Broadside Poets/Dally In The Alley (2007)

Community Work

Hip-Poe-Tics Performance Activism & Lecture Series: Artists tour colleges and universities teaching students how to utilize their art as a tool of activism

Strange Fruits (501C3): Conducts self esteem workshops and creative writing sessions with girls aged 8-18

Detroit Poetry Collective (501C3): Advocates literacy among youth and organizes readings and support systems for urban artists

Progressive Arts for the Millions More Movement – Organizes artist to participate in community activism

Pitch Black Poetry Collective: Local and national artists engage in hands on activism and advocacy of the arts among youth and community