Archives: Team Members

Marvin Tate (he/him/they, Pookie and Nem) (Word) is a Chicago native, born and raised on the city’s west side. He is an award-winning Poet and Performer. His works have appeared and been heard on stages internationally and locally, including National Public Radio’s “This American Life,” Def-Jam Poetry, and on the BBC Radio program “The Poetry Detective.” He has recorded or shared the stage with the following Artists: The late, International Anthem Recording Artist, Jamie Branch’s, Jazz Drummer, Pitch-Fork Music Founder, and Band leader, Mike Reed, multi-instrumentalists, Ben LaMar Gay, Angel Bat Dawid, Bill Mckay, Leroy Bach and Visual Artists and performer, Theaster Gates Jr., The Black Monks of Mississippi, Temple of Doom,  Feminist- and legendary Porn Actress,  Annie Sprinkle, Alabaster Deplume, Bitchin Bajas, The Separatist Party, Circuit Des Yeux, Funkidellic, Tim Kinsella and Angel Olsen. Lastly, Tate is the founder of the legendary, experimental soul band, D-settlement. Their 3-vinyl boxset (American Dream Records) was voted “The Best Of” in Pitchfork, Band Camp and NY Times in 2022. Presently, is “The Artist in-resident” at Theater Y. 

Fawn E. Pochel (They/Kwe) (Grounding) An advocate for social and environmental justice, Fawn Pochel is the co-founder of the First Nations Garden located in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. Fawn has over a decade of community organizing and advocacy experience focusing on raising awareness of Native Peoples living in Chicago. Fawn has worked closely with communities across the city to incorporate land-based pedagogies and Indigenous worldview into curricula and policy while working towards dismantling systems of white supremacy. Fawn is currently the programs coordinator for Northeastern Illinois University’s Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs. In their free time Fawn prides themselves on being an Auntie to an autonomous grassroots collaborative, Chi-Nations Youth Council, whose mission is to create safe space for Native Youth through Arts, Activism and Education.