Zeke Thomas’ Show ‘Amplify Voices’ Centers Queerness and Blackness

Joshua “Zeke” Thomas, an award-winning activist, is continuing his work to uplift the community with his latest project, Amplify Voices. Created last summer at the intersection of the anti-racism movement and the annual LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, Amplify Voices is a conversational streaming show focused on elevating the queer and BIPOC communities.

Thomas, who is also a DJ and son of NBA legend Isiah Thomas, is the show’s creator, host and co-executive producer. He says the series grew out of conversations around pushing for equal rights and equal representation for people traditionally marginalized.

The 11-episode season was released in December on Revry, an LGBTQ+ digital cable network, as a series of Zoom panels and fireside chats with some of the brightest thought leaders, politicians, celebrities, activists, artists, athletes and entrepreneurs.

Guests included political pundit Donna Brazile; Thomas’ father Isiah; entrepreneur, activist, and son of The Notorious B.I.G. CJ Wallace; celebrity makeup artist Yolonda Frederick; and trans activist and performer Mila Jam. 

“I feel so blessed that a lot of my friends that appear on the episodes gave their real perspective and real point of view,” Thomas says. “The response has been powerful. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people who say that they have learned something, and I think there is no greater compliment when you are putting together a panel-based conversation for somebody to say that they have learned something.” 

The first season of Amplify Voices brought important topics to the fore, including ones on race and the LGBTQ+ experience, transphobia and queer politics. On whether there will be more seasons, Thomas says, “I definitely hope and plan to do more. The hope is to be able to do them in person. Undoubtedly, there will be more episodes.” 

@revrytv