About

Kristina Gray-Akpa is a writer, performer, activist, arts educator, and cultural organizer based in the Washington, DC area. She is committed to building vibrant, equitable, and inclusive futures for all and imagining new possibilities for liberation. Her work addresses how race, gender, and difference are constructed and performed. She is also interested in exploring black interiority and everyday acts of resistance.

She believes in the power of art, culture, and media to build community, spark dialogue, and foster transformative change. Over the years, she’s agitated for change on stages, in classrooms, in the streets, and on dance floors in DC and beyond. She uses storytelling, music, and performance to center the voices of folks on the margins and support movements for social justice.

She was the lead singer of the band Coup Sauvage & the Snips and co-founder of the First Ladies DJ Collective. She has performed in venues including the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Knitting Factory. As an arts educator, she has led numerous workshops, classes, and trainings for youth and adults. She has also spoken widely on topics including race, gender, activist music, and grassroots media.

In addition to her creative work, she has worked with national and community-based organizations focused on youth development, philanthropy, and health equity. She served on the boards of the Diverse City Fund and Girls Rock! DC. She holds a BA from Goucher College and MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.