LeRon L. Barton is a writer from Kansas City, Missouri currently living in San Francisco, CA. A graduate of Paseo Academy of Fine Arts, LeRon is the author of two books, Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American Drug Culture and All We Really Need Is Love: Stories of Dating, Relationships, Heartbreak, and Marriage. In addition to his books, LeRon is an essayist whose topics cover racism, mass incarceration, politics, gender, and dating. These works have appeared in Black Enterprise, Salon, The Good Men Project, Your Tango, Media Diversity, Raconteur, Elephant Journal, East Bay Times, and MoAD. LeRon has given multiple talks and appeared on TEDx, Al Jazeera, the University of San Francisco, Speakers Who Dare, Glide MemorialChurch, Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, and Defy Ventures. In his spare time, LeRon enjoysmentoring African-American youth, teaching Creative Writing at the San Francisco County Jail, and backpacking around the world.