Be Steadwell

Be Steadwell

(They, She, He, Be)

Be is a queer pop composer and author from Washington DC.  Be’s goal as an artist is to write love stories centering Black girlies, introverts and weirdos.

 Be earned a BA in Black Studies from Oberlin College and an MFA in film from Howard University.  Be’s short films Vow of Silence and Black Tea (2025) screened in film festivals around the world, including Black Star, HBO OutFest, The Schomburg Center, Inside Out Toronto and The Bush Films.

In 2019, Be wrote and directed Dear Ex, the musical.  Dear Ex imagines a queer black woman’s experience of healing after a breakup.  In 2021 Be released their pop and R&B album- Succulent.  In 2023, Be joined the cast of Parable of the Sower the Opera by Toshi Reagon and Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon.  

Be released their debut romance novel Chocolate Chip City in 2025.  Be currently lives in Baltimore.  They tour their music and work as an adjunct lecturer at Howard University.