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Nahshon Ratcliff
Nahshon Ratcliff (born April 1, 1978) is an Afro-Latin American transgender LGBT+ activist, non-fiction author, and creative director. Ratcliff is a critically-acclaimed creative author from Altadena, California. Known primarily for their autobiographical novel Shootin’ Range (2014), it explore subjects such as discrimination against young people of color and the LGBTQ community. Ratcliff is the recipient of numerous awards, grants, fellowships, and accolades. They won their most notable award, the “Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Award", in 2014 from the Bronx Council of Arts. Ratcliff is also known for their involvement in activism, having been one of the panelists for the 2016 Brooklyn Arts Council Community Arts Grants. Ratcliff also goes by the name Nahshon Dion Anderson.

Early life
Nahshon Ratcliff was born in the United States on April 1, 1978. At the age of 19 they were working in Hollywood as a P.A. On The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show. The same week he started working they were held at gunpoint at a 7/11 parking lot. It escalated into a fight at which point both suffered minor gunshot wounds. The assailant was not found guilty of this crime, but later sentenced to jail time for pedophilia.

Inspirations
In the summer of 1998 when Ratcliff was 20 they met Stanley Bennet Clay. They subsequently lived with each other and Ratcliff worked as an assistant for Clay who worked as a journalist. Clay introduced Ratcliff to other writers such as Tina Andrews who mentored them in writing. Under the guidance of Gigi Rosenberg Ratcliff started applying for grants, artists; fellowships, and residencies which led her them being able to fund a short film of their memoir Shooting Range.

Awards
Ratcliff won the “Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Award", in 2014 from the Bronx Council of Arts. Ratcliff also had numerous grants from the Council.

Contribution
Ratcliff contributed to the BCA anthology Bronx Memoir Project, Volume 1. They have writing workshop at Red Umbrella Project, the Actors Fund of America and the Bronx Writers Center.