Nahshon Dion Anderson (born April 1, 1978; previously Nahshon Ratcliff) is an American artist and writer whose work explores themes of discrimination, identity, and violence against minority youth.
Nahshon Dion | |
|---|---|
 Dion in 2011 | |
| Born | April 1, 1978 Altadena, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Nahshon Ratcliff Nahshon Dion Anderson |
| Education | California State University, Los Angeles |
| Occupation(s) | Filmmaker, artist, writer, photographer |
| Awards | New York State Council on the Arts 2024 Bronx Council on the Arts 2023 |
| Website | nahshondionanderson |
Life
editDion was born on April 1, 1978 in Altadena, California.[1][2][3] Her father died at a young age and she was raised with her siblings by her mother.[1] They were part of a Jehovah's Witness community.[1] She is an African American Louisiana Creole.[4][2] In high school, Dion participated in the drama club and was part of a television commercial for Chuck E. Cheese.[1] In 1996, she met Tupac Shakur at her senior prom who put her in touch with a production company, Look Hear Sound & Vision Productions.[1][5] She interned with them following graduation.[1] While in school, she came out as a gay man.[1] She graduated from John Muir High School.[6] Dion attended California State University, Los Angeles for two semesters.[6]
In early July 1997, at the age of 19, Dion was working as an actor and production assistant when she was shot by a homophobic individual.[1][5] She was later diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.[1] Dion worked as an assistant to actor Stanley Bennett Clay where she helped him produce SBC Magazine focused on gay Black men.[5] She later came out as a transgender woman.[1]
In 2013, Dion relocated to New York City to pursue writing a memoir and nonfiction.[1][5] She moved to the Bronx in 2013.[4] Dion writes on discrimination, identity, and violence.[1]
She is the host and producer of a YouTube show, "TRANSBRATIONS."[7] In 2019, she began work on a historical and educational film and documentary titled Renewed Life. It is based on her unpublished memoir of her upbringing in Los Angeles County, California and life in the Bronx.[7]
In 2020, Dion was interviewed by writer Sheldon Pearce for Changes: An Oral History of Tupac (Simon & Schuster).[8] The book was a New Yorker writer’s intimate, revealing account of Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of his birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. Pearce, an editor and writer at The New Yorker, interviews dozens who knew Tupac throughout various phases of his life including those who have never before spoken on the record.[9]
In September 2021, Dion created a tribute to Tupac, a significant figure in her journey. This was the twenty-fifth anniversary of his untimely death, and she wanted to honor his legacy. She discovered the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Artist Corps Grant, which aimed to support artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of three thousand applicants, Dion was one of the recipients of $5,000. With this award, she hosted a virtual event featuring Tracy D. Robinson, a producer and director, as well as Tupac's former manager and mentor Leila Steinberg, and other artists and writers. Together, they paid tribute to Tupac through readings from his poetry book "The Rose That Grew from Concrete" and a discussion on his lasting impact on culture and society through his words, images, and music.
In 2024, Nahshon Dion organized the 25th anniversary of Transgender Day of Remembrance in South Central Los Angeles at ST. John's Community Health, honoring Meraxes Medina and other victims of transphobia. The California State Senate acknowledged her for her impact on the community. Additionally, she received a leadership fellowship from the Intercultural Leadership Institute.[5] [10]
Honors and awards
edit2024 New York State Council on The Arts Individual Artist grant[11]
2024 Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA 28th District)[10]
2024 West Hollywood Rainbow Key Award[12]
2024 Rick Chavez Zbur California State Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition[13]
2023 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) nonfiction award, Bronx Council on The Arts
2023 18th Street Arts Center Artist Residencey[14]
Published Works
editEmerge: 2017 Lambda Literary Fellows Anthology. (Volume 3) Lambda Literary Foundation ISBN 978-1985384361
Our Happy Hours: LGBT Voices From the Gay Bars. Flashpoint Productions. ISBN 978-1633048133
Emerge: 2016 Lambda Literary Fellows Anthology. (Volume 2) Lambda Literary Foundation ISBN 978-1546327097
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Schwartz, Leah (2024-02-15). "A Story of Resilience: Altadena native and artist Nahshon Dion has lived a life worth telling". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b "Biography". Nahshon Dion. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "X: Nahshondion". X. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b Swanson, Emily (2024-04-18). "Black transgender artist Nahshon Dion draws inspiration from her home in the Bronx – Bronx Times". www.bxtimes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c d e Ford, Sarah (2017-11-01). "Formerly Homeless Writer Rises Above Personal History". The Denver VOICE. Retrieved 2024-07-04. Cite error: The named reference ":2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b Goodstein, Steven (2015-12-14). "Local organization brings Bronx filmmaker's dream to life – Bronx Times". www.bxtimes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b Binns, Tony (2023-10-12). "YouTube host Nahshon Dion continues her journey toward self-realization". rollingout.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Pearce, Sheldon (2021-07-01). "'Changes: An Oral History of Tupac Shakur'". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Gabler, Jay (2021-07-01). "Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Changes: An Oral History of Tupac Shakur'". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b "Intercultural Leadership Institute Year 6 Fellows". weareili.com. 2024-11-16. Retrieved 2024-12-22. Cite error: The named reference ":9" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "New York State Council on the Arts Grants Award List" (PDF). arts.ny.gov/. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ Garcia, Brandon (2024-05-01). "Jan 30 Rainbow Key Awards". wehoonline.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Zbur, Rick (2024-01-30). "California State Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition". nahshondionanderson.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ 18th Street Arts Center (2023-12-01). "18th Street Nahshon Dion". 18thstreet.org. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dion, Nahshon (2021-09-11). "New York City Artist Corps Grant". nahshondionanderson.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (2021-09-10). "NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Press Release". https://www.nyc.gov/. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=
External links
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