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Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D.

NEW BOOK!

THE SUMMONING OF BLACK JOY 

by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman

On Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, Liberated Muse Arts Group performed poems from this book in the presentation, "Voices of Freedom and Resistance," written and directed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman and featuring her original songs and poetry and songs and poetry by Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, Maya Angelou and Billie Holiday.

In this captivating poetry collection by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, released during the Juneteenth 2023 weekend, the power of words becomes a force to reckon with. Through poignant verses written both before and during the COVID-19 global health pandemic, Ali-Coleman weaves a tapestry of emotions that delve into the ongoing struggle for the liberation of Black people in America.

In a world that too often tries to silence voices, Ali-Coleman's poetry resounds with unyielding power, demanding to be heard. This poetry collection is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and a celebration of the indomitable joy that can rise even in the face of adversity. It is a book that will leave an indelible mark on its readers, reminding us all of the importance of recognizing and amplifying the stories of the Black experience.

LEARNING-CENTERED EDUCATOR, SCHOLAR, CURATOR & MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST

Photo by Ben Dawson, Jr.

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.  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 poetry collection, 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.

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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.  Her plays can be found on the New Play Exchange. She has been awarded grants and fellowships for her writing, performance and teaching from the Maryland State Arts Council, Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, Watering Hole Poetry, Poets & Writers, Prince George's Community College Foundation, and Northern Virginia Community College.

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.

Thank you for joining me for 2024 National Poetry Month Festivities in Prince George's County, MD!

2023 Prince George's County, MD Poet Laureate Installation

Watch a Recent Performance or Interview

Order My Children's Book, MARIAH'S MARACAS

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I would love to share an EMPOWERING message with your audience. I talk all things EDUCATION and ARTS and a few things in between.

 

HOMESCHOOLING BLACK CHILDREN IN THE US

 


In 2020,  Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman had just finished defending her doctoral dissertation on dual enrolled African American homeschooled students and their perceptions of preparedness for community college. The COVID-19 global pandemic and quarantine had just gone into effect. She was offered an opportunity to publish her dissertation into a book. She opted to edit an anthology of voices on Black homeschooling instead. During her own research study, she had seen the lack of Black voices in the research on Black homeschooling families. As a homeschooling mother and researcher, she wanted to expand the research literature and offer an opportunity for other homeschooling parents and researchers to share their experiences and research. And, that is what this book is. Released January 2022, it is on sale today.
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Booking & Media Inquiries

media work as a producer, host and director

Podcasts, Radio & Film Work

The Black Writer's Studio


Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman is the host of the Black Writer's Studio podcast. She is the executive director of the Hurston Wright Foundation. The podcast highlights writers of the African diaspora. Each new episode is released on Sundays via YouTube, Anchor.FM and Spotify.

Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling



The Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling podcast is hosted by Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. This podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Apple, Google Play and other podcast spaces. Learn more about BFHES at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Who Is Liberated Muse?



A short film about the arts collective Liberated Muse Arts Group. Khadijah Ali-Coleman founded Liberated Muse in 2008.


 

Be Who You Are (Official Video) by Khadijah Moon


Using the stage name, Khadijah Moon, Khadijah Ali-Coleman has appeared on numerous stages showcasing her talents as a versatile singer with incredible depth and musical instinct. She has appeared on renowned stages such as the Apollo Theater in New York and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with her arts collective, Liberated Muse and as a solo artist.  As a spoken word artist, she was featured for two years as a poetry host at Busboys & Poets in Washington, DC and has edited three volumes of the Liberated Muse anthology series featuring writers and visual artists from around the world. As a poet, singer and playwright, she has served as the Creative Director of the arts collective Liberated Muse Arts Group which she founded in 2008.

In 2016, Khadijah compiled her music into a one-woman show called Song of a Space Cadet, presented by Artscape, the nation's second largest arts festival. The production featured music, poetry and monologues to share her memoir of how she rebounded from personal and national tragedy to create powerful art.
Soon after, she released a CD of the music from the show titled Song of a Space Cadet. 
 

READ MORE
 

Theatre Reviews

A playwright, Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman has had more than a dozen of her plays presented publicly in venues throughout the country, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Theater Alliance, and Baltimore Theater Project. She was selected as a Theater Alliance Quadrant Playwright in 2019, working on a commissioned play that was presented as a film by Theater Alliance in 2021.

"The songs [in Running:AMOK] are slow-burning little gems: some smoky, some bluesy, some sparkly."- DC Theatre Scene

      

Original music from the stage musical WHEN WE WERE GODDESSES, book written by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman and song lyrics by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman & Angela Ballard with music composed and performed by Ben Dawson, Jr. Vocal performances by Lyn Halstead, Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Colie Aziza and Anonamas

Original music from the stage musical RUNNING: AMOK written by Khadijah Ali-Coleman. Book/lyrics by Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Music composed (and performed) by Gary Young. See playlist for vocalist names.
Running: AMOK debuted in the 2010 Capital Fringe Fest and was featured in a successful five-day run in 2011, presented by the DC Black Theater Festival (DCBTF) in May preceding the DCBTF summer festival.
 

Executive Produced by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
All music composed, produced and engineered by Ben Dawson, Jr.
Co-produced by Colette Williams, Angela Ballard, and Lyn Artope
All song and spoken word lyrics written by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman EXCEPT the following:

"The Awakening" written by Lyn Artope, music composed by Ben Dawson, Jr.

"Us" written by Angela Ballard, music composed by Ben Dawson, Jr.
"Baltimore" written by Randy Newman, used with permission. New music composition by Ben Dawson, Jr.

"Mardi Gras" written by Colette Williams, music composed by Ben Dawson, Jr.

"In My Song" is written by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman with an excerpt of Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" included.

Vocal performances by Lyn Halstead, Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Colie Aziza and Anonamas