You might remember Mugabi Byenkya from the guest post he wrote for Yopp back in 2022. He and and Denny Upkins, our resident interviewer extraordinaire, hatched a plan to add an Interview with Mugabi Byenkya to to Denny’s ongoing series, Uplifting Black Voices.
Author: Denny Upkins
Dennis R. Upkins is a speculative fiction author, a journalist, and an equal rights activist. His first two young adult novels, Hollowstone and West of Sunset, were released through Parker Publishing. Both Upkins and his previous work have been featured in Harvard Political Law, Bitch Media, MTV News, Mental Health Matters, The Nerds of Color, Black Girl Nerds, Geeks OUT, Black Power: The Superhero Anthology, Sniplits, The Connect Magazine, and 30Up.
Uplifting Black Voices: A Roundtable with 5 Black Youtube Creators
Continuing Denny Upkins’ new series “Uplifting Black Voices,” this week’s interview features not one, not two, but FIVE black youtube creators who have contributed to the Black LGBTQ entertainment community online.
Complexion for the Protection: White Privilege– Real World Edition
For today’s post, it was extraordinarily difficult to find photos representing white privilege: the phenomena of white people receiving umerited protections from external consequences, which is the topic of Denny Upkins’ second installment of Complexion for the Protection. Only this time, real-world public figures are in the spotlight.
Uplifting Black Voices: An Interview with Ressie G.
Regular guest writer Denny Upkins held an interview with Ressie G, a reality TV producer who has brought Black LGBT representation to the world of reality shows, as part of Denny’s new series “Uplifting Black Voices.”
Choosing Violence: On Allyship and the Legacy of John Brown
Something that hasn’t been explored a lot on this blog is historical figures in the social justice world. There is a lot to be learned in the accomplishments of activists of the past, as well as in the present day reactions to these activists’ legacy. Denny Upkins is back with a look at the historical …Read More
A Tale to Tell: A Cherie Priest Tribute
Just a few months ago I re-published my article, “Creating Social Change One Person at a Time,” in which I talked about how the impact you have on individual people around you can, in itself, be a form of social activism. Denny Upkins is back to demonstrate exactly how this phenomenon can happen and the ripple effect it can create in his tribute to Cherie Preist.
A Gay Man’s Guide To Life: An Interview with Britt East
Dennis Upkins gives us this awesome interview with Britt East in which they discuss everything from his book, A Gay Man’s Guide To Life, activism, his new podcast Not Going Quietly, personal development and so much more.
Stonewalled: That Time I Fought the Law and the Law Lost
One of our favorite re-occurring guest-writers, Denny Upkins, is back with this amusing and empowering tale to remind everyone fighting the impacts of marginalization to share and celebrate our wins.
We Hold These Truths of the Black Experience To Be Self Evident
White Supremacy is so insidious that even if you’ve spent years working to eliminate anti-black beliefs from your subconscious, there will always be more hiding under the false pretense of reason and logic. Denny Upkins is here to keep us on our toes, make sure we check our biases at the door, and to direct us toward the beliefs we should actively be trying to incorporate into our understanding of the black experience, instead.
Interview with Alice Wong: Engaging with Stories of Disabled People
Today’s article is a first for Yopp: We have our very first interview! The wonderful Dennis Upkins had the opportunity to connect with Alice Wong, an amazing disability activist who I’ve admired from afar for several years, about the importance of the stories of disabled people. If you’ve been looking for some disability related resources …Read More