Life & Work with Darnell Green

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darnell Green.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Darnell Green, and I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. As I grew into my professional career in other cities, I often heard family members remind me that “home is where the heart is.” Being away from Cleveland has definitely helped me to realize that this statement is indeed true. 

For more than twenty years, I have worked locally and nationally within the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically working with non-profit organizations who seek to increase resources and programs that best serve Black and Brown people as well as other marginalized communities. 

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to lend my talents and skills to some amazing organizations leading, including the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Mazzoni Center Philadelphia, AMAAD Institute, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life was not a crystal stair for me. I came back to Cleveland in 1989 from California after being in and out of the foster care system with my mother. Substance use, domestic partner violence, and gangs were prevalent in my youth household, and by the grace of God, I made it out. I had a praying grandmother, family members, and teachers at Warrensville Heights High who managed to redirect my path. 

My family has always been there for me when I needed them most. I recall the time when I came out of the closet to my dad in my grandmother’s basement. He looked at me and told me that his mother, which is my grandmother, had already chatted with him about how to handle the conversation, and he did just that. My family has never ostracized me about being Same Gender Loving/Gay. My family just wanted to make sure I was affirmed. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently doing some amazing work with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (DC). Currently working on a 10-week virtual Workforce Development app that will increase the capacity of LGBTQ+ members navigating through Financial Literacy, Job readiness, and overall Wellness. Look for the national campaign this Summer. 

The AMAAD Institute is an organization I work with in Watts, California that is becoming a national model for successful culturally led programs for underserved Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals in South L.A. Arming Minorities Against Addiction & Disease (AMAAD) has allowed me to incorporate creative activities into the learning curves we present to the community. It can be hard to sit in a room and discuss the trauma of being Black and LGBTQ+, so we use music, poetry, and voguing to heal and express the feelings from the inside. 

Part of my journey has been to discover the artist in me. I studied Theater at the University of Toledo, and I try to use those skills as much as I can in my work and personal life. My band ZSA ZSA debuted our first studio recordings in 2021. Our EP was released the day my father died. From that point on, I made a proclamation to myself to live my best life. 

I will not die with my creative talent left in me. I will use this life to give birth to music. ZSAZSA will be releasing their second EP this Summer, and the first single is called “Party Life.” 

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up with a lot of family around me in Cleveland. I have twenty-plus first cousins, so I never really needed a lot of friends. I was shy until I met Mrs. Winston, a musical instructor at the Warrensville Heights Middle School. She helped me discover my Baritone and my love of music. She even encouraged me to study opera in college. Mrs. Curry casted me in my first play here in Cleveland. My family, great teachers, and the village of neighbors around me have definitely been a part of my success story. They are the reason I strive so hard. I am a reflection of their love and prayers for me. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @livingpieceofart @darnell_anthony
• Facebook: Darnell Green
• Youtube: ZSAZSA Living Piece of Art