2 Inspire Peace Inc.

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by 2 Inspire Change Inc.

In order for things to happen, action must be involved. This concept has been grasped and is one of the core values of the Dallas, TX, based organization, 2 Inspire Peace Inc. 2 Inspire Peace is led by Nikiaha Handy, visionary and Executive Director. She shares their mission is to decrease physical and mental stress by increasing self-awareness and mindfulness. They do this by using mental health first aid training and holistic art-inspired techniques. “At 2 Inspire Peace, Inc., we take pride in being problem solvers who are not afraid to take risks. We believe that with boldness, creativity and heart, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. Above all, our strength lies in teamwork. Every one of us can contribute, no matter their experience or background,” she says.

Nikiaha is a healing artist and the mother of a nine-year-old daughter. She is an educator and a free-spirited revolutionary. Nikiaha graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, minoring in psychology. She is currently working on obtaining a Master’s degree in Special Education, specializing in Behavioral Intervention. She says, “I love providing culturally relevant social-emotional opportunities to the BIPOC community. Seeing how people open up and share when art is involved motivates me to keep doing our work. I also love to feel the warmth of heart that we create as a collective when we create the spaces that embody our intentions. Whether the spaces are for children, adults, or entire families, the reactions and transparent moments of clarity, reflection, and storytelling never cease to amaze me.”

Nikiaha is working towards implementing social change by fostering engagement, self-awareness, self-regulation, creativity, healing, confidence, and purpose. She offers opportunities to implement resilience practically through mindfulness and social-emotional learning, arts, and intelligence. Her work also focuses on psycho-social and emotional well-being.

Additional team members with 2 Inspire Peace are King Shakur and GNO White. King serves as Vice President, and in his role, he focuses on assisting Nikiaha and GNO to ensure the program meets the needs of those they serve. King Shakur describes himself as a fun-loving poet, activist, mentor, lover, fighter, and everything in between. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Business from Allen University, a master’s in Public Leadership from UNT Dallas, and a Certificate in Social Emotional Arts from UCLA. He founded Volunteering While Black, R-CreateUs!, and The Art Inspired Healing Collective. He has 10-plus years of recruiting educators and executives across the United States. Additionally, he serves on several non-profit organizations’ boards, helps plan community-engaging programs and events, and is a Dallas Mayor’s Star Council Alumni.

GNO is a multi-talented artist from Dallas. He has worked in the field of creative arts for over three decades and is known for his eclectic range of artistic endeavors. He has achieved recognition for his poetry as a published author, finalist, and champion of the National Poetry Slam. His most notable works include “Process of Confession” and “101 Break Up Poems,” has been featured in numerous anthologies and literary reviews.

In addition to his work as a poet, GNO is also an experienced voice-over artist and has lent his voice to various corporate entities, including McDonald’s and NBC. He has a BA in Literary Studies, a BA in Art & Performance, and an MFA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, all of which were acquired at The University of Texas at Dallas. GNO is also a higher education professional at Dallas College and a former Assistant Director of Student Life Programs at his alma mater.

Being a community-focused non-profit organization isn’t always easy. The group shares the main challenge they face is funding. There are small pots of money and many organizations doing amazing programming fighting for that money. “We are working to build a strong donor database so we can continue to offer our services free to our community,” they said. “The goal to tackle any challenge is to look for creative ways to solve the issue. We are hosting events and growing our social media presence, as well as creating partnerships across the country.”

Additionally, the group shares knowing what options are available is vital for survival. “There are a lot of hidden rules in the non-profit world that can continue to become barriers if you just are not knowledgeable about the various available resources.”

Moving forward, 2 Inspire Peace Inc. is excited to kick off its Art Inspired Summer in May. as part of its 2nd Annual Art Inspired Healing Festival. It will be in Dallas, TX, at the world-famous Fair Park. Sa-Roc is one of the headliners, and the event will involve some amazing workshops for everyone interested. To learn more about 2 Inspire Peace Inc., please visit their website.