Our People: Heidi Hemphill Samples
No matter when an individual joins the LGBTQ+ community through self-acceptance, everyone has an opportunity to make an impact that resonates. Heidi Hemphill Samples is one such individual. Born in Toledo, Ohio, reared in the suburbs of Cincinnati and landing in Charlotte in 2018, Samples continues to make her mark in a community that might…
Our People: Lupe Silva
With a warm heart, an easy smile, and two green thumbs, Lupe Silva cultivates more than plants – he nurtures connection, laughter and community. Since moving to Charlotte in 2018, Lupe has built a life rooted in partnership, purpose and personal growth, all while navigating the complexities of being a Hispanic gay man during a…
Our People: Lakhiyia Hicks
Lakhiyia Hicks wears many hats (literally and figuratively), from a fashion statement wide-brimmed dandy positioned just so, to roles as event curator, poet, university professor and an overall creative individual. The Charlotte area transplant (originally from Rockford, Ill.) has made the Queen City home and had an impact on the Charlotte community in less than…
Our People: Ali Steele
“You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don’t live the only life you have, you won’t live some other life, you won’t live any life at all.” When famed author and social justice warrior James Baldwin said that – he couldn’t have possibly known how much his words would capture many…
Our People: A Conversation with Richard Stevens
Richard Stevens is a progressive thinker who hails from Hampton Roads, Virginia, graduated from Tidewater Community College and eventually landed in the Charlotte area during the summer of the COVID pandemic. If any of that sounds familiar, it’s because QNotes first met and interviewed this young professional about three years ago. Back then we were…
