Positively Positive

Positively Positive (they/them) is a multifaceted artist and an African-American/black queer, transgender, nonbinary, HIV positive at birth educator, spoken word artist, and a hip hop emcee who is a survivor of violence. Positively Positive’s artistic journey is a testament to resilience.

They hold a graduate certificate in Environmental Education from the University of Washington’s Islandwood enriching young minds through science investigations and literacy-enhancing lessons .

Positively Positive conducted impactful and meaningful undergraduate research on HIV stigma within the LGBTQ community during a study abroad in Ghana.

Their dedication to the arts led to a Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s King Street Station Studio Residency Award in 2021, awarded the Cry Baby Studios Residency in 2020 and now a current Jack Straw Artist support residence of 2024 to record their album Breaking the Chains of Silence, a narrative on overcoming hardships and trauma as a young person born with HIV giving hope to survivors. Positively Positive’s commitment to community service is exemplified through their AmeriCorps volunteer work with City Year, Youth Speaks Seattle, the Student Conservation Association (TheSCA), Seattle Parks and Recreation.

In their free time, Positively Positive practices Vipassana meditation while listening to audiobooks. Their favorite authors are Charlie Jane Anders, Brandon Lacy Campos, Angie Thomas, and Becoming Michelle by Michelle Obama. They possess remarkable talents in freestyle rap and in beatboxing.

Artist Support Program 2024: Breaking Chains of Silence: Non-fiction essay, prose, spoken word.