Kalima Young is a doctoral student and instructor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her MA in Mass Communications at Towson University and a BA in Communications and Women Studies at Goucher College in Maryland. A Project Coordinator at the Maryland Institute College of Art and lecturer at Towson University, her research focuses on race and gender-based trauma in Black American identity and cultural production. Additionally, Young owns and operates Kubla Khan Productions, an independent video production company. She has produced two feature length horror films and several short-form documentaries for Equality Maryland and the ACLU of Maryland as well as, "It Gets Better, Baltimore," a collection of LGBT testimonials addressing the topics of teen bullying and suicide prevention. A former Open Society Institute Fellow, Ms. Young has a depth of experience in coalition building, anti-oppression training and project management.