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Mission
M'Shai S. Dash is a Muslim author, writer, and speaker from Washington, D.C. Her work is centered on how to transform adversity into purpose and art, the evolution of Afrofuturism as an aesthetic and literary genre, and how to use storytelling as a tool to connect with online audiences. Dash has always had a passion for activism, art, and literature. After appearing in a documentary on race, politics, and injustice, she began speaking publicly about social justice issues, the contributions of people of color in speculative fiction, and the power and reach of digital storytelling in a social media-driven world.
Author & Speaker
Dash has spoken at the Apollo Theater, Charles Sumner School, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Trinity University College, AFO Theater, MiraCosta College, and other venues and conferences as a panelist, commencement speaker, and lecturer. Her recent releases are a volume of poetry called Woman In Sujud, and Quirky Black Sci-Fi Tales: Volume II, the second installment in her debut sci-fi series. She is a 2022 Fountain Magazine award winner, and poetry from Woman in Sujud was featured in the art catalog for The Black Angel of History: Myth Science, Metamodernism, and the Metaverse exhibition at Carnegie Hall, and her heroine led cli-fi story 'Fumes' (Quirky Black Sci-Fi Tales: Volume II) is being adapted into a comic book series.
Writing & Voice Acting
Dash's writing has been featured in Blavity, For Harriet, Blackscifi.com, and Madame Noir, and she is a former co-host of Black Sci-fi TV, an award-winning public access television show which airs on PhillyCam. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in WinC Magazine, The Scribes of Nyota: Our Voices, Our Imagination, A Compendium, the Awakened Voices online magazine, and Spacefunk!, an afrofuturist anthology. She recently added voice acting to her repertoire and can be heard voicing Mamma Cherrie in season one of Afflicted: An Audio Thriller Horror Drama, created by Tonia Ransom and Jenz Ink.
Recent Engagements
MultiverseCon 2024
San Diego Comic Con 2023
Atlantic ComicCon 2024
Panelist: "Black in the Black: The African Diaspora in Space"
"Budgeting for your Author Career"
"Writing as Activism"
"MCs That Look Like Me: Religious Protags"
Atlantic ComicCon 2024
San Diego Comic Con 2023
Atlantic ComicCon 2024
Panelist and vendor for the debut of this arts, culture, and gaming conference.
San Diego Comic Con 2023
San Diego Comic Con 2023
San Diego Comic Con 2023
Panelist: Super Salaam Nerds Geeks & Fans. A meetup, and discussion about "Muslim Futurism, Sci-Fi & Fantasy" moderated by Dr. Shamika Mitchell.
New York Comic Con 2022
New York Comic Con 2022
San Diego Comic Con 2023
Panelist: Super Salaam Nerds Geeks & Fans, a meetup and discussion about Muslims in the fandom industry (cosplayers, content creators, and gamers) moderated by Dr. Shamika Mitchell.
BlerDCon 2022
New York Comic Con 2022
BlerDCon 2022
Panelist: Blerdmom 2.0, a discussion about parenting in a world of online gaming, social media, and a digitally connected world.
221BCon 2022
New York Comic Con 2022
BlerDCon 2022
Guest speaker: "Sherlock Holmes' Influence on Anime"
"Fandom Activism"
"Feminist Characters in Sherlock Holmes"
MultiverseCon 2021
Black Writers Week 2021
Black Writers Week 2021
Moderator, speaker: Afrofuturism: Where do we go from here?
The Alien as Other
Fantasizing the Future
Black Writers Week 2021
Black Writers Week 2021
Black Writers Week 2021
Featured virtual speaker: The Intersections of Speculative Fiction and Social Activism.
Blacks Nerd Expo 2019
Black Writers Week 2021
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
Speaker, presenter: Mira Costa High School commencement, and Black Nerd Expo, at Mira Costa College.
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
Presenter: Memes, Vemes, & Short Clips: Learn the Art of One-Minute Storytelling and Get the Tools.
BlerDCon 2018
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
AFO Theater 2018
Featured Panelist: "Controlling Our Narratives: Help Us Create the Next Black Sci-Fi Character"
AFO Theater 2018
Blogger Week DC 2017, 2019
AFO Theater 2018
Panelist: "The Impact of Black Sci-Fi on Popular Culture"
This panel discussion followed a production of The Brobot Johnson Experience, a production of the Bushwick Starr.