Participants

Suhaly Bautista-Carolina

Suhaly Bautista-Carolina is an educator, herbalist, and community organizer whose work has been executed throughout her roles at CCCADI, Creative Time, and Brooklyn Museum. Her work has been published in The New York Times and Oprah Magazine among others. Suhaly has been a panelist at conferences and festivals around the world including MuseumNext, ArtChangeUS, ArtPrize7, Open Engagement, and POWarts. She is a Weeksville Ambassador, a Laundromat Project Catalyst, and serves on the Advisory Boards to Black Girl Project and +More Art. She is a founding member of the arts collective, present futures, a member of Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter, and founder of Black Magic Afrofuturism Book Club. In 2019, Suhaly joined The Met as Senior Managing Educator of Audience Development and Engagement. She is a 2021 Women inPower Fellow at the 92Y Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact. She earned her B.A. and MPA from NYU.

Natalie Carter

Natalie is an educator and arts administrator with over fifteen years of experience. I am the literacy coordinator for Friendship Ideal PCS. I worked in NYC Public and Charter Schools for over 10 years. I hold a BFA in Technical Theatre from The University of the Arts a M.A. in Arts Education from NYU and a MSED from Long Island University. I am the Artistic Director of the Canady Foundation for the Arts. In 2020 I began my endeavor to start RISE School For Girls. RISE will provide Black and Brown girls with a holistic educational experience. RISE will cultivate scholarly excellence, emotional resilience, and self-efficacy among girls of color to make them agents of change, transforming their own lives and communities. RISE will address the adultification of Black and Brown girls by submerging girls in a holistic learning environment that focuses on a pathway to passion and self-actualization.

Marjuan Canady

Marjuan Canady is an award-winning Caribbean-American artist, entrepreneur, educator, and literacy advocate. She has been an arts educator for fifteen years, leading masterclasses and workshops at Universities, Non-profits, Museums, and schools. A native Washingtonian, her work spans theater, film, television, children’s media, and literature. Her original work has been seen at The John F. Kennedy Center, Sesame Street, The Smithsonian, The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, Miami Book Fair, and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. She is the CEO/ Author and Creative Director of the children's media brand, Callaloo Kids. She is the Founder of her production company Sepia Works and non-profit, Canady Foundation for the Arts. She is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Fordham University, and NYU Tisch. She is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America.

Ashley Jones

Actor/musician/writer, arts educator, graduate of NYU Tisch (BFA w/honors Theatre/Africana Studies.) Theater: Next Door @New York Theatre Workshop, The Public, A.R.T/NY, Williamstown, Corkscrew Theater Festival, The New Ohio, NOLA Project. Film/TV/Digital: Limetown, Grave Mysteries, James Bay’s narrative album/short film ELECTRIC LIGHT. Music: Mercury Lounge, World Cafe Live, Rockwood Music Hall, featured by Afropunk, Instagram, AirBNB, Hilton Hotels.

Have composed multiple songs and an original musical for young audiences as a teaching artist and Director of Elementary Programs of DYCD after- school arts programs in NYC Public schools. Started Department wide DEI Curriculum and Training works at organization

Akilah Morgan

I am a first generation American, born to immigrant parents from the Caribbean. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Claflin University, an HBCU in South Carolina. I received my Masters degree in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University where I will also start a PhD program in Leadership and Change. I work for the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles an organization I helped to found in high school, and currently serve as the Director of Programs.

Kimberlee Walker

Kimberlee is an actor, writer, director and teaching artist She acted in and directed plays by playwrights ages 8-18 as part of Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival. She has performed in shows for young audiences at the Hangar Theater and Kitchen Theater Co. in Ithaca, New York. She performed in a children’s show that toured elementary schools and community centers with Rabbit Hole Ensemble in Brooklyn and Queens. She created and facilitated a storytelling class for senior citizens at The Dream Center in Harlem. She’s participated in 3T workshops for writing and film with Naked Angels. She worked for seven years as a Senior Educator at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum leading programs for the public and private groups. Kimberlee is a founding member of the Uptown Collective, a community space for performing artists in the Harlem area. She’s currently writing a web series.

Precious Blake

Precious Blake is a visual journalist and non-profit administrator living in Baltimore, MD. Precious makes pathways for equitable access to the arts by working with arts education advocates, leading workshops, curating conversations, and creating collaborations that combine her passion for journalism, illustration and highlighting historically marginalized voices. Her current artistic project, Celestial Beings, collects the oral stories, portraits, environments, and visual ephemera documenting the intergenerational journeys of women and femmes of African descent who have infused spirituality in their creative practice. She supports and uplifts the financial wellness of teaching artists and creatives as the Arts in Education Program Director and Accessibility Coordinator for the Maryland State Arts Council. As a member of the design for well-being collective Black Womxn Flourish, Precious embodies her role as the Creative Synthesizer and Joy Cultivator to conjure moments of joy, breath, synchronicity, and mission alignment.

Lakeisha Frith

Born in Miami, violinist Lakeisha Frith is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in Arts and Humanities. In 2005 she began working with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, one of the oldest non profit organizations in Miami, Fl. In 2015 she was appointed Assistant Executive Director of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, her duties included managing the preparatory and summer camp programs and grant compliance. In September 2016, Ms. Frith became the Manager of Education at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts where she works in conjunction with resident companies, arts partners and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to enhance the arts education experience of all students and teachers throughout Miami-Dade County. Ms. Frith is an adjudicator for the Young Talent Big Dreams Competition and a panelist for Miami Dade County Cultural Affairs. Lakeisha Frith maintains a private violin studio and enjoys teaching and performing.

Jacqueline Reason

Born in Miami, violinist Lakeisha Frith is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in Arts and Humanities. In 2005 she began working with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, one of the oldest non profit organizations in Miami, Fl. In 2015 she was appointed Assistant Executive Director of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, her duties included managing the preparatory and summer camp programs and grant compliance. In September 2016, Ms. Frith became the Manager of Education at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts where she works in conjunction with resident companies, arts partners and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to enhance the arts education experience of all students and teachers throughout Miami-Dade County. Ms. Frith is an adjudicator for the Young Talent Big Dreams Competition and a panelist for Miami Dade County Cultural Affairs. Lakeisha Frith maintains a private violin studio and enjoys teaching and performing

Kimaada Le Gendre

Kimaada Le Gendre is an educator and author, who has 14 years of experience leading, organizing and creating youth, teen and adult programs in the metropolitan NYC and upstate NY area, ranging from activism, social justice, cultural immersion, community building and environmental education.

Alexandria Bradley

I started my artistic training in dance, theater, and music at home in Flint, MI with my father Bruce Bradley. I later studied theater at Marymount Manhattan College while training under Ted Levy, Savion Glover, and Dianne Walker. Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include assistant dance captain for “Shuffle Along: the 1921 Sensation And All That Followed”, NY and Touring cast of STOMP, special feature in "Cotton Club Parade" with Wynton Marsalis, and “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope”. As art for social change advocate, I led initiatives in Philadelphia funded by the Leeway Foundation called "Sound and Movement" and Fourth Wall Arts Salon. Currently, I am the artistic director of Tapology, Inc. in Flint, MI. I am also developing a work in progress with trumpeter Sean Jones called “Dizzy Spellz” to articulate the African American experience through the music of Dizzy Gillespie from an Afro-futuristic lens.

Candice Anderson

I am dedicated to improving the wellbeing of our communities through the arts, and cross-cultural solidarity, social and systemic change.

Marissa Stewart

Marissa is an actor and teaching artist originally from sunny San Antonio, Texas and currently living in Manhattan, NY. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Studies with an associated study in Psychology from the University of Evansville as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Marissa has taught for various organizations throughout the US; from resident teaching at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to teaching for Play On! Shakespeare, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Ramaz School and SOOP Theatre Company in NYC. What excites her most about bringing heightened language workshops to young minds is creating a conduit for students' to gain ownership of their own language and step into their artistic power in doing so.

Erin Margaret Pettigrew

As a Los Angeles girl and a New York woman, I have found my place and purpose in life as a artist-activist, and heralder of healing. Believing a bachelor's and master's was what I needed to be considered in this world, I have always put my integrity, productivity, and work ethic in front of all my goals. But the challenges of life created a fork in the road, revealing the roots of my personage, asking me to truly move through the world with love, honesty, and a burning desire to nurture and heal myself, and therefore my community. I now challenge the health of my body, the freedom of my mind, and the power of my soul to gently and honestly show up in every moment. I aim to challenge myself, which is my community, to live from a place of joy and light rather than trauma.

LaTonya Borsay

LaTonya Borsay, a Master Teaching Artist, has worked as a curriculum designer, facilitator and educational consultant for over 20 years. She has experience with students with learning differences and English language learners populations in both public and independent schools; Arts educational organizations she collaborates with are the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center Education, Lincoln Center Theater, and Roundabout Theatre Company. Her artistry is in acting; some of her television credits include: Evaline in Cinemax’s The Knick, Sadie Jefferson, in HBO’s Show Me a Hero, Janis in Luke Cage, and Dame Evelyn/Elderly Woman in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix. Films: "Reunion", "First Breath", and "It Takes Two. Off-Broadway: Margery Kempe at The Duke Theatre, Des Moines at the Flea Theatre, Exonerated at Bleecker Theater, and “Civil Sex”, “Macbeth”, Woyzeck at the Public Theater. Regional theatre: Yale Rep, Crossroads, Passage Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Denver Center Theatre Company.

Karen Collins

I was born in 1950, in Indiana and am a product of the civil rights movement; having witnessed and participated in marches, sit-ins, and community meetings as a young adult. This experience taught me about the struggle of attaining civil and human rights as well as the value of community. In 1971, after high school, I moved to California and currently call Compton home. My journey in the arts began later in life. I’m a self-taught folk art “miniaturist” who over time has honed my craft and have been documenting Black history through miniature dioramas. My art started as a way to deal with grief due to the incarceration of my son. I believe this art saved my life, giving me a renewed sense of purpose. Through my artistic community engagement, I have worked to bring vibrance in the telling of Black history and contribute to my community’s education.

Marcella Adams

I am 27 years old working in education field and using my theater background to foster love of learning within the classroom. I am also an actress when I am not teaching the next generation.

Ernell Mcclenon

Ernell Mclenon has worked in the non-profit industry providing services such as counseling, teaching, and organizing events for underserved communities. As an Educational Specialist at Community Access in New York City, she used theatre techniques to teach creative writing to adults with mental illness, as well as use Forum Theatre to help address issues of educational inequality, careers, and mental health. As a performer she has appeared in several Off-Broadway productions as well as touring with the National Theatre for Performing Arts Tours in an Educational Play entitled “Great Scientists”, used to teach science to elementary school students. Ernell wrote and performed “Cracking the Code”, a play that addresses the issues of Adult Literacy for an Adult Education Class in Brooklyn. Her play was also featured at the Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference 2012 in Berkeley, CA. Ernell holds a MA in Applied Theatre from The City University of NY.

Khadijah McCaskill

I was born and raised throughout Los Angeles, but I consider South LA my stomping grounds. Through my efforts in working with arts and educational institutions to create authentic learning experiences for youth of color, I was a recipient of Expose Your Museum's Fund the Change grant. I graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in Sociology in May of 2013. I am a certified youth development professional, and served as an Ambassador for Ethical Global Engagement with Omprakash from 2017-2019.

Joyia Bradley

I'm a indie writer, director and producer residing in NYC with my own production company currently gearing up for a feature film. I also am a black mom looking to empower our children through the arts and working with NYC to bring more art to children and help create other avenues of imagination, thought processes and access to other types of entertainment that have been scientifically proven to expand children's minds and outlook on life by showing different expectations and representations.

Jazsmine McDonald

Originally born in Brooklyn, NY but grew up in Windsor Mill, MD where I furthered my dance interest & training in performing arts at Southwest Academy Middle Magnet & Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts. After receiving All State Dancer in 2010 from Baltimore County Public Schools & graduating with honors, I went on to receive my B.F.A in Fine Arts from LIU Post in 2016. After graduating, I took some time to audition, perform and do teach artist work, which is when I truly found my love for education. From then, I went on to obtain my M.A in Dance Education from CUNY Hunter College and graduated winter of 2020. In the midst of the pandemic life came full circle once I started teaching performing arts at Unity Prep Charter School of Brooklyn in August of 2020 with students in the same neighborhood as I grew up.

Terina Hill

Terina Nicole Hill is the designer and founder of Jypsea Leathergoods, an eco-friendly line of home goods, handbags and jewelry made primarily of leather from discarded garments and other natural materials. She's been running this business for 12 years and during the Pandemic forged ahead to open the doors to her fashion design makerspace where she teaches the community to sew, design and create things by hand. Terina is also the host of The Fashion Business & Career Show, a podcast where she interviews fashion professionals to shed light on how to get into this industry and have a thriving career.

Nanya-Akuki Goodrich

Nanya-Akuki Goodrich is a Black Actor/Educator/Artivist who most enjoys using her artistry to break stereotypes and amplify unheard voices. She graced the Delacorte’s stage in The Public Theater's musicalized productions of Twelfth Night as Olivia. Nanya-Akuki can be heard on Twelfth Night: Original Public Works’ Cast Recording. She is a founding member of ACTivate (Artist, Citizen, Theatermaker), a groundbreaking expansion of Public Works. ACTivate created and performed original devised work, which spoke to the Black Lives Matter movement. She is a founding member of Re-write(s) of Passage Ensemble, which created original works by + for women of African descent. Nanya-Akuki has taught Theatre + Spoken Word focused on social justice for various organizations. She loves taking “Black Power Naps” + is a cultivator of #BlackGirlJoy. During the pandemic Nanya-Akuki has savored making Zoom theater, long walks, FaceTiming with her 4 year old niece and restaurants that now deliver to her.

Danielle Criss

Affectionately known as Dani Criss, The Artist; a multidisciplinary artist, artistic educator, and community organizer hailing from Durham, North Carolina, now based in Brooklyn, NY. Leading with a passionate perspective driven by her roots and studies of the African Diaspora, as well as the advancement of her people everywhere. Educating through the principles of the Diaspora, inspiring an appreciation, acceptance, and historical experience in each interaction; Using movement and knowledge as the source to obtain liberation while discovering ancestral connections within their liberative practices. Criss has trained and performed with numerous artists, companies and festivals. Choreographed and directed works have been shared in various ensembles, theaters, schools, universities, and festivals around the country. An artistic educator in primary and higher education in New York, NY including NYC Public Schools, Nassau Community College, and several cultural arts organizations around the city.

Susan Pope

Susan Pope holds a BA in dance from the University of Maryland and a MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is an Arnhold Fellow in the dance education doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University. 2017 Susan created I DANCE BECAUSE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to dance education, scholarship and the emotional healing aspects of dance. Her publications include: an article in Dance Education in Practice titled TEACHING DANCE HISTORY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, I DANCE BECAUSE…, a collection of stories, essays and poems about dance; DANCING MY PRAYERS, a guide to combining movement and prayer in your devotional life; an article in the International Journal of AAHPERD titled Mourning Into Dancing – The Transformation of Lives: A personal Journey; May of 2000, Susan was invited to the White House to speak at a conference titled Raising Responsible and Resourceful Youth.

Stephanie Berry

I am a lifelong resident of the Harlem community who has dedicated much of my artistic life to exploring and celebrating African-American history and our contemporary stories through theater. As a veteran actor, I’ve traveled throughout the country appearing in diverse and often groundbreaking productions. These parallel journeys have broadened my outlook, as well as deepened my passions and sense of humility. All issues that bespeak of injustice and any group of people whose voices have been marginalized are important to me. Thus, I am moved to champion the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. It is my relationship with my community and the different communities that I have encountered that continue to stimulate and provide the seeds for creative ventures.

Asma Feyijinmi

Asma Feyijinmi is am an artist that enjoys exploring expression through dance, percussion and writing. Her career as a performer has included working with: Urban Bush Women, Edwina Lee Tyler and A Piece of The World, Forces of Nature and her own solo work. As a teaching artist, she particularly savors facilitating community building, esteem enrichment and employing art as a vehicle to voyage themes that include social justice, history, science, math and language.

Kim Grier-Martinez

A native New Yorker, Ms. Grier-Martinez received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the prestigious Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, now the University of the Arts, one of the top undergraduate dance programs in the United States. She is a dancer, performance artist, master teacher, educator and choreographer. Ms. Grier-Martinez is presently Artistic Director of Rod Rodgers Dance Company and proceeded to step into the role after Mr. Rodgers’ passing in 2002.

Jeanika Browne-Springer

Jeanika has a B.A in Theater & Dance from Trinity College, minoring in Urban Studies and Studio Arts. She also has an M.Ed in Elementary Education with concentration in Multiple Intelligences from the University of Saint Joseph. She was a schoolteacher for six years at an International Baccalaureate Academy in Hartford, CT bringing a creative lens to classroom learning techniques. Currently, she is the Development & Marketing Manager for an arts education non profit that partners with the Hartford school district, supporting student success at 30 public schools while students are in the classroom or learning virtually. She is an active member of the Hartford arts community, using her many talents to bring joy and vibrancy to a small city. She recently became the Board Vice President for Night Fall Hartford and is a member of Artists of Color Unite!, an advisory committee to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Camryn Bruno

Camryn Bruno is a 22-year-old spoken word poet, author, and Curator at the Bowery Poetry Club. She has performed at the Brooklyn Library, The Apollo, The UN, The Public Theater, The Intrepid, The Apple Store, and many more. Her poems explore women’s issues, social justice, and community building and strive to help Black women's independence everywhere.