About Dr. K
How Can I Help?
My Story:
I am a singer and storyteller first. Both skills are gifts came naturally to me. My father told me that when I was born, all the other babies were crying their high, thrilling “Wah!”s while I was wailing my deep and grounding wah! Two octaves below. I knew then that my song was unique and powerful.
And when a bully approached me when I entered a new school in 6th grade, I used humorous stories to save my hide. As I continue to grow, I expand knowing that each new dimension brings with it new and deeper responsibility.
My Mission:
My mission is Two-fold:
- To uncover African Culture in the History of the United States and to share what I have learned with the widest possible audience, and
- To learn and share tools that help us to be better at being human
African Diasporic Culture and Intellect in US History (ACUSH)
I am dedicated to identifying African cultural and intellectual presence and contribution in the history of the United States, and to revealing the way this presence has transformed and been transformed by US societies over the past 400 years. For me, any and all holocaust – from refusing to acknowledge African cultural and intellectual presence, thus erasing Africans from the historical narrative of the United States, to killing African people with wanton abandon whether in their homes or on the streets – is unacceptable. Thus my work establishes, explains, and celebrates this presence.
On Becoming More Deeply Human
Making babies is usually pretty easy, but it is only the beginning. Becoming human is a life-long work.
Over millions of years, we have learned that technological innovation - from the hand held hoe, the wheel, and the abacus to the tractor, the automobile, and the computer - can make life easier. But what is it that actually makes life better? How do we understand ourselves as both loveable and capable? How do we grow as listening learners? What does it mean to be moral? How do we heal ourselves when we are hurt or broken,? How do we heal a hurt and broken world?
These are challenging problems, and over millions of years, the Arts and Humanities have emerged as integral to the answers we need. Both lie at the core of what I bring..
My Services:
These are the areas in which I am professionally active. How can I help?
I am a Singer, Storyteller, Performance, and Spoken Word Artist. Within this framework, I write, curate, produce, and direct experiences that bring historical and contemporary issues to life through Song, Story, Movement, Drama, and Visual Art.
I am a Arts Educator, Curriculum Developer, and Staff Developer creating educational opportunities for excellence within a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math with a good dose of Humanities on the side.) environment.
I am an Interdisciplinary Scholar of African Cultural and Intellectual History in the United States. As such, I perform research in primary and secondary sources (which is to say, I seek the testimony of those “whose face was in the place” and those who might have wanted to be a fly on that wall) and write my findings in language accessible to both scholars and everyday folk.
I facilitate workshops and offer training in conflict resolution techniques, cross-cultural communication, and cross-generational communication for communities and in corporate settings. I also offer workshops in Storytelling in a wide range of settings, including classrooms, in workplaces, and for community groups.
As a Public Speaker, I bring Story, Song, and History into one, alignment to make a point clear without a hammer, but with a combination of touching, truth-telling stories, and serious fun.
My Policy:
In traditional societies all that I do is considered professional, and therefore, warrants compensation. For more information, to schedule an appointment or book my services check out my Contact Page. Just click on the fuchsia button in the black box to your left.
I also bring tools, :
- Communication techniques that diffuse conflict and build trust;
- foresight and insight that help us navigate challenges;
- information that helps us dispel stereotypes; and
- empathy that allows for deep listening and patience.
In traditional societies, all that I do is professional and, therefore, warrants compensation. For more information, or to make an appointment to discuss your need for a project or presentation, click the fuchsia button in the black box below.
Learn More
I'm available for performances, workshops, lecture/demonstrations, residences and much more.