Dominique Stephens on Community, Leadership, and Being Unsilenced

Dominique Stephens, an influential leader and drag king in Seattle joined host Deaunte Damper in July on “We Live In Color” to discuss her artistic and emotional journey, her perspective on activism, and the strength she draws from her identity and mother. Stephens, who Damper called a part of the compass of his heart and leadership, has been a sought-after guest since the show's first season.

Stephens attributed her ability to stay "unsilenced" to the wisdom of her mother. Stephens's mother, who recently "transitioned into the ancestors,” raised Stephens and her sister in Seattle to navigate a potentially unwelcoming world.

"My mom was clear that Seattle wasn't like her hometown on the south side of Chicago," Stephens said, explaining that her mother prepared them for a world where opportunities might be given to others but not to them. "This space, this land, this whatever, is as much yours as it is theirs and anyone else,” she said, recalling the words of her mother. 

A proud Seattleite, Stephens was born in First Hill and grew up in the city, attending Garfield and Nathan Hale High Schools after being a "pioneer kid" of the African American Academy. She went on to attend Tennessee State University (TSU), a historically Black school in Nashville.

Discussing the culture shock of moving from the predominantly white spaces of Seattle to an HBCU in the South, Stephens shared that her upbringing taught her to be very open-minded. She saw her Seattle roots as giving her the strength to stand tall. 

"If you're born and raised in Seattle, put your shoulders back, stand up, put your head up," she said. "It is something to survive a chocolate city that has a lot of different things going on. It's another thing to thrive as a Black person in a predominantly white space where they act like they don't see you.”

Stephens is also known as Dynasty, her drag king persona, and she referred to herself as “Seattle's prolific drag king.” She created Dynasty around 2014, and is part of the House of Dynasty, advocating for authenticity above all else, she said. Through her journey as a drag performer, she adopted an inspiring philosophy: "This is my train. I slow down at stations, but if you can't get on, if you ain't riding the ride, you can tuck and roll off,” she said. 

In her call to action, Stephens urged the community to pay attention to everything happening in the world. 

"Pay attention, activate when it feels right to activate, rest and heal…be mindful of your chosen community, be mindful of how you treat your family, and be mindful of how you treat yourself,” she said. 

The new season of “We Live In Color” premieres Thursday, February 5 at 8 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

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