The world of sex positivity and sex education is too often dominated by white voices writing from white perspectives, yet there are so many Black and POC experts out there working hard on behalf of sexual health, freedom, and rights. Some of them specialize in teaching at the intersections of sexuality, sexual identity/orientation, and race, addressing specific needs within communities of color. Others speak to a multiracial audience, focusing their niche on certain areas of sexuality while bringing their point of view as a sexual person of color into their work.
Either way, theirs are voices that need to be heard and centered. We’re sharing with you a dozen acclaimed Black sex educators and leaders in the sex-positive movement, whose work excites and inspires us. Check them out, follow them on social media, buy their books, watch their shows, and share them with your own circles to spread the word!
Edited 6/4/20 to add: Thanks to our wonderful commenters, we were able to add 3 more amazing educators to our list. We’re so grateful for your recommendations!
MARLA RENEE STEWART, MA
Who she is: Sexologist/coach/educator, co-founder and –organizer of Sex Down South conference
Her work is aimed at: Through her Velvet Lips empire, Marla works directly with people from all walks of life to teach a breathtaking array of sexuality workshops, offer one-on-one sexuality coaching, and give talks and presentations at events all over the country. She works with polyamorous, queer, swinger, kinky, and sacred sexuality communities as well.
Why you should follow her: She’s committed to helping people have juicy, fulfilling, mind-blowing sex lives, no matter what their orientation or identity! She’s got a big, welcoming personality and a wide range of ways to learn from her. Plus, Sex Down South is a major conference that aims to bring sex-positivity and awareness to the southern U.S. and attracts luminaries from all over to teach and play. You can also pre-order her upcoming book, The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay, co-written with Jessica O’Reilly, Ph.D., due out this April.
Links to her work:
ERICKA HART
Who she is: Primary school and university sex educator, speaker, workshop facilitator
Her work is aimed at: Much of her work is targeted at providing social-justice-focused sex education to young people, but she also speaks to a general audience about her areas of expertise, which include kink, polyamory, and the intersection of sex and health care.
Why you should follow her: She connects sexuality to social justice, racial equality, and health care access for all. Her experiences as a breast cancer survivor shaped her work as a sex educator, and she teaches about body image and positivity, queer literacy, inclusiveness, and gender. We love her authentic real talk and raw honesty—and her amazing sense of style! (You can also check out the guest video blog she did for us at “Sex Positivity? A Video Blog by Ericka Hart”.)
Links to her work:
JIMANEKIA EBORN
Who she is: Sexual trauma and assault expert, queer media consultant, and sex educator who hosts the Trauma Queen podcast and is the co-creator of the Art of Healing Kit with partner Tango.
Her work is aimed at: Jimanekia specializes in working with survivors of sexual assault and trauma, as well as providing comprehensive sex education to adolescents.
Why you should follow her: She’s committed to sexual health and healing in everything from our earliest experiences of sex education, through our personal work as adults, all the way to the representations of sexual assault and trauma in movies and TV (she offers consulting services to production companies to help them get it right). She has a number of kits and products for sexual healing, and works to take the stigma out of survivorship. Even if you’re not a survivor yourself, if you care about how we talk about and treat trauma issues in everyday life and in the media, you can learn a lot from her.
Links to her work:
KEVIN PATTERSON
Who he is: Polyamory educator and author of the book Love’s Not Color Blind about the intersection of race and sexuality in the polyamory community; runs the Poly Role Models website.
His work is aimed at: The polyamory community and polyamorous folks in general, and specifically educating these groups about racial dynamics and the effects of systematic oppression and racism within polyamory.
Why you should follow him: As polyamory and other forms of ethical non-monogamy (ENM) become better understood and more common in mainstream society, it’s important for not just ENM folks but also monogamous folks to learn what polyamory is and isn’t and to have an understanding of the many shapes it takes. Part of that is unpacking the way that racism and systematic oppression of Black and Brown people affects the way we date and become intimate, and shapes the communities we form around those things. Even though Kevin’s work focuses on polyamory, everyone benefits from learning about the way that race in our culture has affected who and how we love. Kevin also educates through example, by profiling polyamorous role models whose daily lives show what healthy ENM looks like in practice.
Links to his work:
MOLLENA WILLIAMS-HAAS
Who she is: BDSM educator and former International Ms. Leather; performer and author with book credits that include Toybag Guide to Playing with Taboo and the popular guide to kink community dynamics and etiquette, Playing Well with Others (co-authored with Lee Harrington).
Her work is aimed at: The leather, BDSM, and kink communities in particular, but more broadly the sex-positive world and mainstream media, where she’s often sought as an expert to speak to non-kink audiences about alternative lifestyles.
Why you should follow her: Mollena has been part of the BDSM community for over 25 years and is a leader and expert in that world—even if you’re not sure you want to do any more than explore a little bedroom bondage, Mo’s work offers fascinating insights into all areas of the kink world from leather competitions to performance art to Pride to community organizing. She also speaks across the intersections of queerness, soberness, and color. Plus, she’s always got a new and intriguing project in the works, so let yourself be dazzled by her sheer star power!
Links to her work:
JAMILA DAWSON, LMFT
Who she is: Licensed sex therapist who works with individuals and couples through an approach based in “psychology and pleasure-positive activism”. She also works with clinicians and professionals in trainings that build their cultural awareness around sexuality.
Her work is aimed at: Anyone who needs to heal and improve their relationship to their sexuality and in particular overcome the effects of systemic racism on their sexual selves. She specifies that she works with womxn of color, interracial couples, queer folks, sex workers, and people in subcultures like BDSM.
Why you should follow her: Jamila works to help her clients move past shame and to understand how their culture and society has harmed their sexual evolution. She is involved in the communities she serves, and works with people across the sexual spectrum to become fulfilled, joyful, and pleasure-centered.
Links to her work:
DALYCHIA SAAH & RAFAELLA FIALLO
Who they are: Co-founders of Afrosexology, a movement with the mission to promote Black self-empowerment through sex positivity and sexual liberation.
Their work is aimed at: They specifically work with the Black community across gender, sexual orientation, age, size, and religious lines. Through conference presentations, they also address the sexual health and freedom professional communities.
Why you should follow them: If you’re Black, Dalychia and Rafaella are committed to your sexual healing and joy through a variety of workshops and presentations designed to help you embrace and revel in your sexual self. If you’re white or a non-Black person of color, check out their Pillow Talk blog or follow them on social media to listen and understand the social justice issues around Blackness and sexuality in our culture—something that we all should become well-versed in, whether it affects us on a direct personal level or not.
Links to their work:
SONYA RENEE TAYLOR
Who she is: Founder and CEO of The Body Is Not an Apology, an education-based movement and organization founded on the principles of radical self-love and body empowerment. Her worldwide humanitarian, artistic, and social justice work includes direct work with HIV+ and sex worker communities, among many others.
Her work is aimed at: The Body Is Not an Apology addresses humans globally, across all lines of gender, sexuality, age, size, color, religion, and culture with a message of life-affirming healing and celebration of our unique beauty and gifts to the world. Sonya has also worked within specific communities, such as at-risk youth and Black people who are HIV+, who suffer as a result of social inequality and racism.
Why you should follow her: Sonya’s book, also called The Body Is Not an Apology, is a manifesto of radical self-love packed with life-changing ideas for anyone who has a body and struggles to make peace with it—which is pretty much all of us. She has dedicated her life to healing trauma and oppression on a global level and addresses social justice and equality as part of every issue we collectively face. Even people well-versed in anti-oppression and body positivity can take away new ideas and inspiration from her work.
Links to her work:
CAMERON GLOVER
Who she is: Writer, podcaster, and business coach for other sex education professionals
Her work is aimed at: Cameron primarily works with people who are established in or just starting out in the sex education field, helping them develop thriving businesses. However, as a speaker and workshop facilitator and writer, she also speaks to sex-positive audiences about how sex education is shaped and presented within a pleasure-based, social-justice-focused framework.
Why you should follow her: Aren’t you curious about how sex educators build their careers, especially when they’re blazing their own paths? We sure are! But aside from that, her blog and podcast cover a fascinating spectrum of ideas, from healthy sex ed for kids, to ethical sex toy shopping, to masturbation, to the intersection of Black history and porn.
Links to her work:
BIANCA LAUREANO, MA, CSE, CSES
Who she is: Founder of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network, author, sexologist, activist, consultant, scholar, and director of the film Black Pervert, a documentary about the Black kink community.
Her work is aimed at: Bianca addresses communities of color and particularly Latinx communities, youth, and community organizers/curriculum developers with her work. The WOCSHN works with and empowers women of color who are or want to be sexual health professionals.
Why you should follow her: Get ready to get nerdy—Bianca writes and shares all kinds of information and research about sexual health, sexual politics, the intersections of color/culture and sexuality, and sex education policy and curricula. If you believe that “the personal is political”, you will get a lot out of her thoughtful, global perspective on sexual health and education.
Links to her work:
DIRTY LOLA
Who she is: Sex edutainer, performer, and self-described “dildo slinger” (we love it!), creator and host of the live sex ed Q&A and variety show Sex Ed A Go Go.
Her work is aimed at: Anyone who loves the funny, outrageous, and joyful aspects of sexuality and likes their learning delivered with a side of shenanigans; Lola also addresses the kink and polyamory communities in her work.
Why you should follow her: Because sex is fun! Dirty Lola delivers substance with her spectacle, and makes the world of sex positivity more inclusive for people who aren’t thin, white, and cisgender. As the manager of a sex shop, she’s got the goods on your sexy goodies—and if you’re planning a trip to NYC, see if you can line it up with a Sex Ed A Go Go date for a winner of a vacation story.
Links to her work:
EV’YAN WHITNEY
Who she is: Sexuality doula coaching sexual liberation and healing, host of The Sexually Liberated Woman podcast, founder of the #sensualselfiechallenge on Instagram.
Her work is aimed at: Ev’yan specifically works with women and femme-identified people, but her work reaches anyone who needs help embracing their healthy sexuality, recovering from trauma, and being liberated from shame and self-doubt in their bodies and sexual selves.
Why you should follow her: Even if you’re not ready to take sensual selfies, following Ev’yan’s #sensualselfiechallenge hashtag on IG offers a wide representation of everyday folks claiming space for their bodies and their unique beauty. Her work is compassionate and inspiring, centering pleasure as a priority for all of us and teaching you how to overcome your obstacles to sexual joy and liberation. The first thing you’ll see on her website is a photo of herself, looking directly at you, with the caption “I want you to know how erotic you are.” Wow—what an introduction to her world!
Links to her work:
DR. LEXX BROWN-JAMES
Who she is: Licensed marriage and family therapist and sex educator who is an author, keynote speaker, curriculum designer, and grand rounds lecturer. She combines therapy and education to offer shame-free healing and exploration to her clients.
Her work is aimed at: All people, and she specifies that she is queer- and trans-inclusive, fat-positive, and culturally diverse. She works with organizations and professionals as an educator, as well.
Why you should follow her: Her website includes a page full of self-help resources including writing prompts and worksheets– and she sells a children’s book about anatomy as well as adorable “Lover’s Planner” stickers!
Links to her work:
TANYA M. BASS, MS, MEd, CHES®, CSE
Who she is: Sexologist, speaker, and trainer who specializes in lesson planning, presentation development, adult learning, and training facilitation. She’s also the founder of the North Carolina Sexual Health Conference.
Her work is aimed at: Tanya primarily works with organizations to train-the-trainer as well as to provide staff trainings in healthy sexuality.
Why you should follow her: Her website includes a blog and videos full of great insights for aspiring sex educators as well as anyone who’s sex-positive and interested in healthy sex education. (She also has some sweet sex educator swag for sale!)
Links to her work:
The North Carolina Sexual Health Conference website
Of course, this is just a sampling of the many exceptional Black sex educators out there working hard to promote sex positivity, health, and freedom every day. Know of someone you think everyone should check out? Drop their name and links in the comments!
Loved this list! I added all the books to a amazon list so I can purchase them, eventually! As an aspiring sex educator this list gave me hope and validation to continue pursuing my dreams. If you ever write something about new/up-n-cumming/young(in terms of experience, and/or age) sex educators & presenters I would be ecstatic if I was featured. In all honesty, I feel silly doing my own self-promotion, but someone’s gotta do it! 😅 also super open to partnerships/collaborations/guest writing/whatever. No seriously, like whatever it is RomanBlckXonsulting is ready!
Thnxs and keep up this amazing work!!!!
Jamila Dawson is an amazing human that should be on this list!
https://jamiladawson.com/
She’s an amazing speaker, activist and licensed sex therapist.
Fantastic…thanks for this!
Dr. Lexx Brown-James and Tanya Bass both belong on this list of amazing people.
A premier educator in North Carolina!
Thank you all for doing your amazing work in the world!
Ooh, Shadeen Francis is a licensed psychotherapist, media personality, and author whose expertise spans the domains of sex therapy, emotional intelligence, and social justice. Give her a follow on IG @shadeenfrancis and check out the Mine’d app while it’s still free, where she regularly drops some loving knowledge along with many other incredible experts. 💝