Tawana “Honeycomb” Petty is a mother, social justice organizer, youth advocate, poet and author. She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is intricately involved in water rights, digital justice and visionary organizing work. She is the past recipient of the Spirit of Detroit Award, the Woman of Substance Award, the Women Creating Caring Communities Award, the Detroit Awesome Award, the Black Law Student Association’s Justice Honoree Award, and was recognized as one of Who’s Who in Black Detroit in 2013 and 2015. Tawana is a board member of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership, a Data Justice Community Researcher for the Detroit Community Technology Project, a Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) Fellow, and a member of Detroiters Resisting Emergency Management, and The Detroit Digital Justice Coalition.

As an organizer, Tawana has organized a vast array of social justice initiatives bringing together thousands to advocate for social justice and create alternatives and solutions in Detroit and around the world. In 2014, she spoke with comrades on water rights issues at the United Nations in New York on International Peace Day and in 2015 was a featured speaker at the School of Americas Watch Vigil (SOA Watch Vigil) in Georgia. Tawana’s work and writings have been featured on numerous television and radio programs and in print and online media publications. Also known as Honeycomb on stage, she is the author of Introducing Honeycomb and Coming Out My Box.

Learn more about Tawana “Honeycomb” Petty by visiting honeycombthepoet.com.