Freedom of Expression

Lauren believes in bookjoy and bringing people together. Before becoming a community bookspace shepherd, she worked as a teacher, literacy specialist, teacher educator, and professor. For many years, she taught classes about the history of US schooling precolonial to present, and about critical pedagogy, critical literacy, and the literary landscape for children and young adults. Possible Futures is a 20+ years dream come to fruition, and Lauren is grateful to every bookspace angel that has helped it along.

Lauren loves reading, libraries, beaches and trees, fireplaces, eating spicy vegatarian food, walking with Sugar, and spending time with her partner of 24 years and her friends.

Sam Lee (she/her) has worked in libraries for almost 20 years. She serves as co-chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the CT Library Association, providing support to libraries and library workers dealing with book ban attempts, challenges and first amendment issues. Her committee won the 2020 Gerald Hodges Chapter Relations Intellectual Freedom Award from the American Library Association for bringing attention to privacy concerns on patron information. Sam holds a MLS from Southern CT State and a BA from UConn.

Harold Steward (they/he) is a cultural strategist from Dallas, TX and is the new Executive Director of The New England Foundation of the Arts.  They joined The Theater Offensive in Boston as the managing director in June of 2017 and currently serves as executive director & cultural strategist and oversees all operational and artistic functions of the organization. Harold most recently served as manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center, a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, which provides instruction and enrichment in the arts with an emphasis on the African contribution to world culture.

In 2009, Harold founded Fahari Arts Institute in Dallas after recognizing a gap in the landscape for local LGBTQ artists of color in Dallas. Fahari Arts Institute celebrated, displayed, and produced the work of queer artists from the African Diaspora.

Harold is a member of the board of directors of Theater Communications Group where they are the co-chair of the equity, diversity and inclusion committee. Harold is also the board treasurer for the National Performance Network and serves as the board clerk for MassCreative. They are also a steering committee member of the Black Theater Commons. Harold is also a founding member of NextGen National Arts Network and founding partner of Steward Cultural Development Group.

Steward served as a cultural equity facilitator with Equity Quotient and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Theater Studies at Emerson College where his current research interests include The Queer Trap Aesthetic in American Theatre and Identity Reclamation-The process in which oppressed individuals reclaim agency over their identity through cultural production.