Ep. 20 | What We Should All Know About Diversity And Inclusivity Before Stepping On Another Stage

Jesus + Juliet

Diversity and representation are both huge buzz words in the industry right now. Though I’d only spoken with him once before we recorded this episode, today’s guest opened up into the raw details of his journey and experiences with both topics, how he has coped with realizing his own self worth, and his walk with Christ. We’re diving into it all with Antonio LeRoy King, or King, to those who know him. King speaks about how his family’s support and guidance from an early age led him to find Christ in his own way. With no pressure from his parents about how to feel, King was driven to sing and dance in his praise and worship groups at church from a very young age. His desire to be of service in the church served as a transitional path into the arts. As he grew up, King attended a primarily black high school but was in for quite the culture shock when he arrived at what turned out to be a mostly white university. King speaks to how the pride he developed in high school helped him overcome this adversity from then on. As a youth empowerment and performance coach, King also answers several questions I’ve had as an educator looking to expand upon the diversity being taught or realized within our program, the Black Lives Matter movement, masculine identity in theatre, and lastly, what his motto, “Trust Your Gift,” means to him. King was born and raised in Indiana and has been a professional performer for over 20 years. His seasoned career and extensive training has helped him gain many professional opportunities and experience many forms of creative expression. His purpose and passion is to spread inspiration to youth by showing that creative expression can create a healthy mind, strong physical body, and can be lucrative with hard work. Though being in the spotlight is fun, King’s focus is always to uplift, mentor, and teach youth that their dreams can come true, and that performance technique is available to all who are willing to learn. You can find more information about King here: Website: antonioking32.weebly.com Instagram: @antonio_king32