Top Black Sexual Wellness Leaders You Should Follow
In recent years, the conversation around sexual wellness has become much more open, honest, and normalized. We owe that in no small part to the following incredible black leaders dedicated to making this complex topic more accessible. Here is a list of five influential sexual wellness leaders you should know about and what they have contributed to the field.
Marla Renee Stewart: Marla Renee Stewart advocates for sexual health and wellness. She is the founder of Velvet Lips, a sex-positive workshop facilitator and coach. Marla Renee also produces workshops that focus on consent and communication between couples. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian and New York Magazine.
Over the last eight years, Marla Renee has co-led the Sex Down South Conference, which offers a sex-positive space for people from all walks of life to get together, explore, connect, and share knowledge and skills.
Jet Setting Jasmine: Jet Setting Jasmine is a licensed therapist, sex educator, award-winning adult film director, entertainer, and master fetish trainer. Jasmine is an advocate who has dedicated her life to helping people explore their sexuality safely and empoweringly. She creates content centering on decolonizing sex and pornography while offering an informed range related to sexual health, pleasure, relationships, body positivity, gender equality, and more through online videos, podcasts, live events, and workshops. Her goal is to offer resources that help individuals discover their sexuality without fear or judgment.
adrienne maree brown: adrienne maree brown is an author and activist whose work focuses on social justice issues related to race, gender identity, body image, mental health, and more. She is particularly interested in exploring how we can use our bodies as tools for self-expression and spiritual growth. Her book “Pleasure Activism” explores how we can use our bodies as vehicles for political change by reclaiming pleasure as a form of resistance against systems of oppression.
bell hooks: bell hooks (RIP) is an internationally renowned philosopher and author who has written extensively on topics such as feminism, race relations, spirituality, and social justice. She is known for her groundbreaking book “Feminism Is For Everybody” which explores the importance of intersectional feminism to create meaningful social change. Additionally, she wrote “The Will to Change,” a book on masculinity and love that we often recommend to clients at Rouse, and we have seen the transformative effects of this book first hand.
Brontez Purnell: Brontez Purnell is an artist, musician, writer, dancer, athlete, filmmaker, teacher, activist, entrepreneur —you name it! He has created art from every medium imaginable including films like “100 Boyfriends Mixtape”, books like “Since I Laid My Burden Down” , music with his band The Younger Lovers, dance pieces such as “Brontez Purnell Dance Company” —the list goes on! His work focuses on pushing boundaries while celebrating individual identities across all spectrums.
There are many incredible leaders working hard every day to make sexual wellness more accessible for everyone—especially those traditionally most marginalized by society's norms—and these powerful black leaders are just the tip of the iceberg! Through art forms such as writing or film; hosting workshops; giving talks; leading movements; starting organizations; or simply engaging in honest conversations about sex–they are helping individuals around the world learn to love themselves regardless of their physical appearance or their chosen lifestyle choices. Thank you Marla Renee Stewart, Jet Setting Jasmine, adrienne maree brown, bell hooks, and Brontez Purnell for your contributions to this important cause!