My mission as a creative is to transform spaces into arts spaces where people can learn and grow together. Art is transformative. My vision as an artist has allowed me the opportunity to use art to teach, mobilize, activate and bring together people of all walks of life. I will continue to share my words in communion with all-- from schoolchildren as I use my poetry to teach history, social skills and life lessons to seniors enrolled in a poetry workshop of mine, learning to articulate their thoughts and emotions through rhyme and verse. I travel this world with art as my sharpest and most valuable tool. I am a poet of and for the people.
About the Artist
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. is currently the 2023 Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, MD. She is a cultural curator with over 20 years of applied experience transforming places into arts and educational spaces. She is award-winning performance artist Khadijah Moon, and a multi-genre writer who is a producing playwright and filmmaker. She is editor of the Liberated Muse anthology book series and has creative work and scholary writings featured in several books. Her plays have been staged, workshopped and read on dozens of stages, including the John F. Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Baltimore Theatre Project and Anacostia Arts Center. Dr. Ali-Coleman is author of the book The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), the children's book Mariah's Maracas (2018) and co-editor of the book Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture (2022). Dr. Ali-Coleman founded the multidisciplinary arts group Liberated Muse in 2008 and co-founded the national education research group, Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC (BFHES), in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 quarantine. BFHES has provided a supportive space for over 3000 families since then, offering annual teach-ins and workshops. She has maintained the youth development blog So Our Youth Aspire since 2006. Dr. Ali-Coleman has been featured in the The Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, The Financial Times and more because of her work in arts and education. She has been interviewed by various broadcast media outlets, including NPR, CNN, Slate, and local affiliates of NBC, FOX and CBS. For over 20 years, she has created and led educational programs at numerous institutions, and has taught Communication Studies, Professional Writing and Fine & Performing Arts at different colleges and universities since 2011, including Montgomery College, The University of Maryland, Community College of Baltimore County and Prince George's Community College. She is a professional member of The Dramatists Guild, The Recording Academy and the Association of African American Museums. She is a board member at Montgomery Community Media (MCM) and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, an organization that has supported Black Writers since 1990. Dr. Ali-Coleman holds a doctorate in education from Morgan State University; a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Towson University; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (African American Studies and Mass Media) with a minor in Writing from the University of Maryland Baltimore, County (UMBC). She earned a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida, Muma College of Business in 2021.Khadijah Ali-Coleman website General Website Khadijah Ali-Coleman website Music Website Khadijah Ali-Coleman website Liberated Muse's Website
Featured Work
Videos
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Mami Wata- Liberated Muse at The Kennedy Center (2019)
Year: 2019Details: Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Performance -
Liberated Muse: Zora Past the Sun - Millennium Stage (January 20, 2023)
Liberated Muse Arts Group presents Zora Past the Sun, a musical and poetic birthday tribute to literary icon Zora Neale Hurston.
Show produced, written and directed by Khadijah Ali-Coleman
Liberated Muse is:
Khadijah Ali-Coleman
Lyn Artope
Colie Aziza
Angela BallardYear: 2023 -
Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman's Keynote Address at Prince George's Community College (Fall 2022)
Khadijah Ali-Coleman presents the keynote address during the Fall 2022 New Student Convocation at Prince George's Community CollegeYear: 2022 -
Bunt
Liberated Muse Arts Group presents their indie short film BUNT, a recent entry in the Washington DC 48 Hour Film Challenge. BUNT is a sports comedy starring Lyn Artope, Susan O'Hara, Timothy Honablew, Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Ben Dawson and introducing Lisette Ruth-Stovall. Written and directed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Score by Ben Dawson, Jr.
BUNT won BEST ORIGINAL SONG award in the 2018 Washington DC 48-Hour Film Project Best Of Awards
The award-winning music was produced by Chez Soleil Music (http://www.chezsoleilmusic.com), a music production partnership between Ben "Beta" Dawson, Jr. and Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman. Listen to music from the film here:
"Manic Ride" https://soundcloud.com/khadijahonline...
"This Is It" https://soundcloud.com/khadijahonline... -
Yo Mister
Yo Mister by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, presented by Theater Alliance’s reading series for new short plays, Hothouse.
This reading took place in October 2019.Year: 2019 -
BE WHO YOU ARE (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
Be Who You Are by Khadijah Moon
Written by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Music and Production by Ben Dawson for Chez Soleil Music Group (http://www.chezsoleilmusicgroup.com)
From the CD titled SONG OF A SPACE CADET (2016)
BUY THE ALBUM at http://www.KhadijahMoon.com
Video visuals by
Kelly Lacy https://www.pexels.com/video/a-person...
RODNAE Productions https://www.pexels.com/video/a-woman-...
Cottonbro https://www.pexels.com/@cottonbro
Special thanks those who submitted their own photos and signs for inclusion in the video:
DeWayne Alston
Ogbonna Hopkins
Venus Jones
Sumayyiah Talibah
Tanisha Nixon
Sherryle Jackson
Maura Alia Badji
Jennah Wooten and Jamel
Belinda Halstead
Roberta Speight
Taryne Warren
Tracey George
J. ScalesYear: 2018
Music/Audio
Booking
Booking Price: $1,001-$2,000