OnRaé LaTeal
Our founder
OnRaé Watkins, aka OnRaé LaTeal, is an award-winning producer, experienced creative arts educator, and cultural organizer. Specializing in out-of-school education programming, OnRaé supports local and national organizations to curate inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for marginalized audiences. For over10 years, OnRaé has offered high-quality art education experiences and community driven public programs to organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, National Crittenton Foundation, Open Society Foundations and many others.
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​Her most coveted endeavor to merge the arts and social justice includes the Black Joy Experience, a compilation album of mainstream freedom songs and liberation chants she produced in conjunction with the national activist organization, Black Youth Project 100. OnRaé has continued to transform sounds from the movement into contemporary music prompting her alias as "The Liberation Music Maker." Her work was further propelled when she began integrating hip-hop music, liberation chants, and live footage from D.C. protests following the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. OnRaé's multi-media work has taken the city by storm serving as the soundtrack of the revolution and on-going groundwork of organizers in Washington, D.C.
the youth activists
Fabiola has been producing music since her junior year of high school when she learned to play multiple instruments. Art and music have been at the forefront of many revolutions and political movements, especially civil rights movements. Her music connects people, gives them something to relate to, brings awareness to present situations of systemic struggle. She’s performed with many groups in high school and college and has recently released her debut album “Khoros” on all streaming platforms.
Liv is a singer, songwriter, and producer who specializes in vocal arrangement. Her goal in life has always been to create music that resonates with people and allows them to feel freely. As an activist, Liv hopes to use her gifts to spread awareness on Black issues as well as amplify the voices of her people and uplift them in their times of trouble.
Rob, aka "Ellipsis," is an electronic music producer and filmmaker. Above all, he just likes creating. Currently studying Philosophy and Cinema at University of Maryland, College Park, Rob is particularly interested in how to recruit allies and develop understanding of social issues. It’s his belief that art can be an incredibly powerful tool in fostering empathy for social justice issues.
BLVKLITE (pronounced black-light) is a Maryland-based interdisciplinary artist focusing on identity in relation to technology. BLVKLITE realizes their dreams of liberation from within an oppressive society through mask production, animated video, and digital portrait, with an expanding list of mediums. They have exhibited in the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum as a part of the ARTLAB Emerging Artist program (2018-2019), as well as exhibited as part of a digital residency program with The Nicholson Project (June 2020).
Tréology is a songwriter/producer/musician from the Washington, D.C. area. He first started his musical journey as a vocalist, but picked up percussion, piano, and guitar. Trélogy is the main branch to describe the 3 parts of the artist. ‘TréMendous’ represents The Good, ‘TréMenace’ represents The Bad, and ‘TréLone’ is the Unknown. These three slit parts form the Trélogy. He would like to use his art as an energy wave for others to ride off of and continue to shine the light on the wrongdoings currently faced.
S.O.C. Mbasi is a music producer and musician from Lanham, Maryland. He works on projects in a variety of different genres including hip hop, trap, r&b, rock, afrobeat, and pop. He merges cultural aspects of different genres of music to create unity within the audience. He would also like to use music and influence as a platform to spread messages that advocate for racial equality. As a long term goal, S.O.C. Mbasi wants to use some of his profits and resources to fund and aid organizations that fight for racial equality.
Radiant Rage is an award winning poet, photographer and award-winning videographer. She believes in teamwork and creating art that sends an enlightening message to her audience. Radiant Rage uses her art to highlight multiple perspectives when exploring controversial and socio-political topics.
The artists
Reggie Volume, aka "(RVOL)", is a Washington, D.C.-based record producer, songwriter, DJ, and teaching artist. Since graduating Elizabeth City State University, Reggie has created a sound called B*N*C*E, aka BOUNCE. B*N*C*E stands for Beyond Noise Creates Energy. This style blends genres such as Go-Go, Slow Bounce, Rap, R&B, House, Trap, Dance, and Electronica. Currently, Reggie is working on his debut project titled B*N*C*E, VOL. 1. Aside from his individual work, he partners with songwriting savant PNMA to form the production and songwriting duo “The Hvns.”
Candice is a co-founder of CreativeJunkFood, a multimedia creative studio focused on making big ideas easy to digest for audiences using a mix of design-driven services. Boasting over 15 years of professional design, animation, and branding experience, she is known to mix it up and has a tenacity for breaking barriers. A VCU alumna, Candice received her BFA in Communication Arts with a concentration in design and media.
Allysa is a DMV-based photographer, cinematographer, and filmmaker and originally from the Midwest. Inspired by the expanse and the infinite, her work explores the moments that define us and are often overlooked. She specializes in producing stories of people of color, bringing out the beauty of people in a medium that was not made for them. Proficient in film/video production as well as audio recording, and photography, Allysa also does commercial work throughout the DMV area and is the owner of the independent multi-media production company, Saturn Studios.
Didas is a filmmaker, director, producer, and screenwriter born and raised in Bladensburg, Maryland. His parents migrated to the United States from Benin, West Africa. He received a degree from Bowie State University in Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts (VCDMA), Concentration: Digital Cinema & Time-Based Media. Didas is well-versed in many other concentrations in arts and entertainment, including photography, graphic design, TV production, stage lighting and set design. Didas is the owner of DDOT Visualz LLC, an independent multimedia production company.
Sarah Cappo
Our DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Sarah is an arts educator and community convener who values building relationships with individuals and communities through inclusive, collaborative, and equity-centered approaches. A trained visual artist, vocalist, and pianist, she has spent the last several years working with young people to create spaces where they feel valued and comfortable, are involved in creating their own experiences, know that their voices have power, and that they have the ability to enact change within their own communities.
Activism in her educational practice is built around equity-centered community design principles—designing “with, not for”, acknowledging and dismantling power structures within the design field, and making sure every voice has a seat at the table until we can turn over the table. Sarah has led and curated museum education programs at the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and National Building Museum. She is the owner of the independent consulting agency, Sarah Cappo Creative LLC.
