Michael Thornhill, M.A., is an AfroCuban author and recovering DEI practitioner examining race, erasure, and tokenism. Through what he calls mirror memoir, his work challenges systems that demand performance while reclaiming identity, voice, and belonging. He creates language for what many have lived but never named -what it means to be the only one with your face in the room.

Showcasing at the festival: The First and The Few and The Only