Nahshon Dion
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 |
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.
Life
[edit]Dion 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 It is based on her unpublished memoir of her upbringing in Los Angeles County, California and life in the Bronx.[7]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 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 and an Individual Artist grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for her unpublished memoir."[5] "[8]"[9]
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.
- ^ "New York State Council on the Arts Grants Award List" (PDF). arts.ny.gov/. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ "Intercultural Leadership Institute Year 6 Fellows". weareili.com. 2024-11-16. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
External links
[edit]
- Living people
- 1978 births
- Filmmakers from New York (state)
- American women documentary filmmakers
- Filmmakers from California
- 21st-century American women artists
- Artists from California
- 21st-century African-American women writers
- 21st-century American women writers
- 21st-century African-American writers
- 21st-century African-American artists
- 21st-century African-American women artists
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- People from Altadena, California
- John Muir High School alumni
- American transgender artists
- American transgender women
- American transgender writers
- African-American LGBTQ people
- Writers from the Bronx
- Artists from the Bronx
- LGBTQ people from New York (state)
- LGBTQ people from California
- Louisiana Creole people