About

Walela Nehanda (they/them) is a Black, nonbinary, queer writer, cultural worker, and leukemia warrior dedicated to societal change, cultural commentary, and archiving. Author of Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir (Penguin Teen) and recognized as one of the most transparent and thoughtful voices of this generation, their work explores the intersections of race, gender, disability, and economic justice with honesty, depth, and a commitment to self determination and collective liberation.

Born, raised, and based in Los Angeles, Walela discovered spoken word poetry at nineteen years old. From the beginning, they recognized the power of language and expression to foster connection, inspire reflection, and self advocacy. Their poetry has been featured in Poetry Foundation and Split This Rock. They have also written for TIME and Self Magazine. Walela has also been featured in The Cut, Out 100 (2020), Teen Vogue, The Guardian, Nylon, Vice i-D, Jubilee, Unbound, Afropunk, InStyle Magazine, and more. They have performed at events for The Atlantic, Politicon, The Hammer Museum, Black Lives Matter, and numerous universities across the country, including University of Iowa, UCLA, Occidental College, SUNY New Paltz.

At 22, Walela navigated houselessness, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges faced by marginalized communities. Soon after, they were diagnosed with advanced-stage chronic myeloid leukemia, an experience that deepened their understanding of medical inequities and the resilience required to navigate them. These experiences reinforced Walela’s praxis and philosophy as a facilitator and teaching artist and melding that with their artistic sensibilities.

Beyond performance, Walela has built a strong online presence, previously using social media as a space for education, reflection, and mutual support. By sharing their personal journey with cancer and disability, they were able to bring visibility to topics like medical racism, accessibility, and mutual aid. Their approach is intentional, balancing vulnerability with critical analysis to encourage deeper conversations and collective action. An example of this is when Walela needed a stem cell transplant in 2020, after seeing the racial disparity for Black people in need of matches for a life saving procedure, they worked alongside Be the Match to inspire over seven thousand people to register as potential donors.

Walela Nehanda’s work is a testament to the power of art as a catalyst for understanding agency therefore shaping perspectives on the impacts of living under capitalism and imperialism while encouraging people to challenge themselves towards emotional literacy and base building for a future rooted in freedom.