Of African American, Eastern European Jewish and Muscogee Creek Native American descent, Gina Loring alchemizes sociopolitical issues into art. As guest artist of the American Embassy under the Obama administration, she has performed her poetry and music in over ten countries. She was featured on two De La Soul albums, two seasons of HBO's Def Poetry, and was recently commissioned to write a poem for Quincy Jones. With a BA from Spelman College and an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles, she is a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and a professor in the Los Angeles Community College district. Additionally, she teaches poetry workshops with incarcerated teens and youth transitioning out of trafficking.