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These change-makers are putting their mark on our community
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chapelhillmagazine.com
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By An n a- Rhesa Versol a P h o to g rap hy by Jo h n M ichael S im pson
January/February 2024
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Soteria Shepperson
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Ind epend ent a r tis t a nd yo uth a dv o cate
oteria Shepperson has a lot going on through her
work as a self-described “artivist,” using spoken word poetry and self-expression to help vulnerable youth find their own voice. Soteria, whose name has origins in Greek mythology, is the daughter of a formerly incarcerated father and was raised in Richmond, Virginia, by a working single mother who was also a Southern Baptist minister. With her mother’s support, Soteria earned a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from George Mason University. “Being a Black, queer woman, I know my identity and the ways I’ve been able to show up in the world,” she says. “I truly believe this is a part of my spiritual walk and path.” Previously the co-owners of now-shuttered Carrboro coffee shop Present Day on Main, Soteria and her wife, Sophie Suberman, received the Pauli Murray Award in 2021 from Orange County’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. The award recognized their efforts in building a diverse community through a creative project called “Turning the Tables,” in