Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs is a Black writer and filmmaker originally from New Jersey who started breaking ground as @shewillspeak on Instagram. Initially, Cheyenne was posting her poetry anonymously, but after stepping into spoken word and the release of her book“The Tragic Type of Beautiful” her voice started being noticed. In 2018, her words and work started being featured on numerous platforms such as MeTOO, Army of Survivors, Black Love Page, N.O.W, and End Rape on Campus. During this time Cheyenne was receiving daily messages of people’s support as well as their truth and experiences. She noticed that people were sending their poems, drawings, and essays and that’s when she realized that her platform was not meant to only support her voice. In 2019, the She Will Speak Series was created with the purpose of working towards gender equity through activism and art. This platform has been able to partner with other grass-root and national organizations and has curated 3 anthologies centering gender-based violence, women empowerment, and mental health.
While balancing her own platform and creative pursuits, Cheyenne also started creating her own presentations and workshops. She believes education is a huge key in ending all forms of oppression. Her approach examines social narratives to discern the roots of “why” and “how” oppressive ideologies form. She is deeply intrigued by the pursuit of that knowledge. This led her to become a keynote speaker for Georgetown Day School’s Sexual Assault and Consent Summit and Holton-Arms School Mental Health Day. In 2021, Cheyenne was regarded as a social scholar by the GOTU App for her workshops and community engagement work. GOTU awarded her the annual Crucial Point Award for her Transformational Educational Services. This work although hard at times is necessary and Cheyenne believes she is just doing her part. Currently, Cheyenne resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is continuing her work tackling the issues of racism, sexual violence, and homelessness through her art and activism.
