Cicely Belle Blain is a Black/mixed, queer femme. Their ancestry is a mix of Gambian (Wolof), Jamaican, and English. Blain founded Black Lives Matter Vancouver, is the CEO of Bakau Consulting, and serves as editorial director of Ripple of Change magazine. Their debut poetry collection, Burning Sugar, was shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award in 2021 and longlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award the same year. Originally from London, United Kingdom, Blain now lives on the lands of the Musqueam, Sḵwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.