05/21/2026
Undergraduate Painting + Printmaking student Zakari Yonkers was recently featured in a VCU News article after their acceptance into the latest GLAAD Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative cohort! 🎉
GLAAD is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1985 to focus on LGBTQ+ advocacy and cultural change, and offers national and local programs that advance LGBTQ+ acceptance. GLAAD’s Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI) is a program designed to address the gap in equitable representation among various entertainment media, particularly in regards to Black LGBTQ+ storytellers and individuals living with HIV. This year, the program is highlighting visual artists!
As part of the accepted cohort, Zakari will be participating in an exhibition opening in June in New York City. For their project featured in the exhibition, Zakari will be interviewing four individuals to highlight their careers and identities as Black, q***r artists.
“In the final exhibition, I plan to have some of the audio from the interviews playing in the background. I want it to feel like an immersive space and experience.”
Congratulations, Zakari, on this momentous achievement!
To read the full article, follow the link our bio! 🔗