"I'll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear!" — Nina Simone

Mikey Murry, also known as Mikey Cody Apollo, is a Black queer writer, filmmaker, and educator hailing from the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through her work, Apollo aims to reshape the landscape where art, social justice, and cultural strategy collide.

With a degree in Community Engagement and Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Apollo now serves as Head Librarian at Niche Book Bar, a Black woman-owned bookstore. Their previous work with UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, as well as Milwaukee Film and Mitchell Street Arts, further highlights their deep commitment to establishing and sustaining Beloved Community.

Apollo’s writing is bold and unapologetic. It dives into the heart of what it means to exist in this world while demanding creative liberation. From personal anecdotes to societal critique, her essays and poetry spark conversation and introspection. Featured in publications like Womanly Magazine, YES Poetry, Blavity, Hooligan Magazine, Messy Misfits Club, and Genre: Urban Arts, Apollo’s work isn’t just written—it’s felt, seen, and shifts perspectives.

As a speaker and cultural architect, Apollo is a magnetic presence. Whether headlining events or leading thought-provoking workshops, they merge art, poetry, and social justice into powerful learning experiences. Two of her proudest accomplishments are presenting "The Art of (Be)longing: Queer Love Poetry, Literature, and Media" at the 2024 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference (MBLGTACC) & "Becoming Dangerous: Evaluation as Witchcraft" at the 2023 CREA Conference.

Apollo’s work has garnered recognition in the form of awards and accolades, including four-time finalist honors in Shepherd Express' Best of Milwaukee—Local Author category, and a first-time finalist for Local Philanthropist in 2024. Her self-published poetry collections, Opposite of a Suicide Note (2024) and Black Girls, Silence, and Other Things Made of Gold (2017), are testaments to raw authenticity and radical storytelling.

When Apollo grows up, she wants to be the first Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.