FREEDOM FELLOWS & SCHOLARS

We created the Freedom Fellow program in 2020 to support young creatives and projects related music, dance, visual art, films, literature, and fashion. We support and mentor the young artist as they highlight social justice issues in their art. We now offer several awards every year and accept applications on a rolling basis. Awardees are announced in the Spring and Fall.

SIX AWARDS

• Artivist Curators

• Afro Unidad Youth Ambassador

• ArtWalks & Festivals in South LA

• System-Impacted/ Kahlila Williams Scholar

• Fashion Design & Branding

PAST & CURRENT FREEDOM FELLOWS & SCHOLARS

Atlanta, GA @TrapboneRadical

ARTS: Music/Beats CREW: The Radicals

BIO: Trapbone is a musician who has performed around the world and on stages with artists like Jay-z, Rakim, and the late Congressman John Lewis. Yet the harassment and brutality from the police has led to arrested over 20 times for playing his trombone in the public streets of the Atlanta metro area  He has been harassed hundreds of times but still rises. His freedom music is streaming on all platforms and you can learn more and sign our petition at www.trapbone.com.

Los Angeles, CA @Hitoshily

ARTS: Visual & Digital Art CREW: Youth Liberty Squad

BIO: Alysha Boone is a student at the University of Southern California and artist who creates cartoons that showcase diversity and advocate for issues in our society. Alysha has organized several petitions at her school and is working on a children’s book about the Uprising and social justice movements. Her art can be seen here.

Bronx, NY @Pryzito_gog

ARTS: Music/Beats CREW: Gift of God Ent.

BIO: Michael Rodriguez, aka Pryzito is a young artist crashing into the hip-hop music scene with his unique sound and rarely seen command of the craft. He was introduced to the music business by his father who took him to the studio as a teenager. There, he developed a passion for music as he displayed his talent. His music is streaming on all platforms and his “Project KnuckleHead” track is our official anthem!

Los Angeles, CA @Myaed.wards

ARTS: Dance, Poetry CREW: Students Deserve LA

BIO: Mya Edwards-Peña is a Venice High School graduate, Class of 2020. She is a mixed (Black and Mexicana) writer, dancer, and activist in Students Deserve. While in high school, Mya was a member of the Venice Dance team, Venice Slam Poetry team, and Black Student Union. She hopes to become a dance teacher and counselor and to open her own community center to provide more artistic spaces for youth.

Miami, FL @DJKaiOrion

ARTS: Music/DJ/Visual CREW: House of Bless

BIO: Kai is a 13-year old DJ talented in many forms of artistic expression. This kid is putting down a heavy groove in the 305! Kai is mixed with roots in Jamaica. One Love!

Los Angeles, CA @Maintainthegreat

ARTS: Music/MC, Cinematography, Comedy,

CREW: Project KnuckleHead, AMG Ent.

BIO: Allen is a multi-talented artist, MC and beat maker who also does amazing cinematography work. Check out some of his music here. Allen was part of Project KnuckleHead’s LA program and is now taking the lead in teaching the next generation of youth in the program.

Los Angeles, CA

ARTS: Public Speaking CREW: Black Lives Matter LA Youth Vanguard, Students Deserve LA

BIO: Kahlila is a student at UCLA who has been recognized in People Magazines “Girls Changing the World" 2020”. Kahlila is our first Freedom Scholar and we’ve created a scholarship named after her that will continue in the future.

Lima, Peru @CheloBeats

ARTS: Music/Beats CREW: PeruBeats

BIO: Marcelo is a 16 year-old Afro-Peruvian musician who enjoys making Trap beats and plays guitar. He comes from a family of musicians and can play multiple instruments. You can purchase beats from him on his Beatstars page and listen to them on Youtube as well.

Los Angeles, CA

ARTS: Film/Media, Creative Writing CREW: Youth Liberty Squad

BIO: Catherine is a student at UCLA and actress who play's Yessika on Netflix's "Gentefied". [VIDEO HERE] Catherine also enjoys screen writing and other forms of creative writing. She is working on a book to empower youth of color with creative ways to tell stories and reclaim our narrative.

Pennsylvania @Jerome_dloading

ARTS: Film/Media, Music CREW: Project KnuckleHead, Smart Streaming

BIO: Jerome was one of Project KnuckleHead’s first student when he was 15-years old in Miami. He is from Chicago originally and expresses himself through many creative platforms. He is developing his Smart Streaming platform to provide a more viable alternative for artists to monetize their creations.

Los Angeles, CA @Its.Marshe

ARTS: Fashion/Afro Aesthetics CREW: Students Deserve LA

BIO: Marshe is a student a Santa Monica college and graduate of Dorsey High School in South Los Angeles. She leads the Making Black Lives Matter in Schools effort in LA which tackles the school to prison pipeline and over-policing of schools in black communities. She is a nationally recognized speaker, organizer and activist, known for Direct Actions and addressing crowds of over 50,000 people. Her work was featured on BET “Fighting Justice” [VIDEO HERE]

Los Angeles, CA @Tau_creative

ARTS: Poetry/Creative Writing CREW: Youth Justice Coalition

BIO: Tauheedah is a proud Black Muslim woman scholar who has written for “Teen Vogue” and other publications. As a child in the foster care system who has also been affected by mass incarceration, poetry was her way of making sense of the world. Her housing would change but my poetry book would always be there for me. She is a proud poet representing south-central LA. "Words give me can agency it has helped me fight systems that seek to oppress me."

Los Angeles, CA @WimberlyChristian

ARTS: Music/MC CREW: BrothersSonsSelves, PositiveVibesOnly

BIO: Christian is an MC and class of 2020 graduate in LA. He’s now a freshman in college and has released several albums over the summer. His music is streaming on all platforms and check out his “Why We Need School Police” video that Project KnuckleHead supported!

Los Angeles, CA

ARTS: Poetry, Public Speaking CREW: Students Deserve LA

Sarah Djato is a student at the University of Pennsylvania and leader with LA Students Deserve, a grassroots organization that works to make Black Lives Matter in and beyond schools. She is an amazing organizer and advocate and was published in the United Teachers magazine that goes out to nearly 40,000 educators. Sarah has been instrumental in the fight for defunding and abolishing the LA School police department, ending random searches, and putting an end to the use of pepper spray on LAUSD schools. She has been featured in the LA Times and aspires to continue her organizing work after high school to pursue a career in law.