A.J. Haynes is a Black & Filipino queer-identifying musical artist and educator. She is the leader of genre-expansive soul power band Seratones which has garnered national and international acclaim. She also has a history in community organizing and Reproductive Justice. A.J. is a member of the Grammy Recording Academy’s Black Artist Collective–special advisory group that aims to amplify Black voices–and an active member of the Grammy Recording Academy. A.J. spent her early childhood in rural Columbia, Louisiana and has been an active community member of Shreveport, Louisiana for nearly two decades. Her adolescent years were spent weaving between the DIY punk clubs, blues jams, and AME & CME youth choirs. It was in these spaces where she learned how empathetic learning and collective song are integral to community survival. While working on her B.A. in English and throughout her academic and music career, she worked at the Renzi Center for Arts and Education with whom she continues to foster a relationship through providing community connections as well as mentoring students. Touring with her band Seratones offers unique perspectives on the potential of co-creating community spaces. She has garnered many accolades for her songwriting, most recently winning second place in the International Songwriting Competition. Through the diverse richness in her experiences, A.J. embodies how creating art from a place of intersectional vulnerabilities helps to create liberatory futures for us all.