Project Contributor Bios We Shall Overcome: Poetic Witness to Civil Rights Nashville Vol. 1 was the capstone assignment for students enrolled in Creative Writing Poetry at TSU (Spring 2020). It is part of the “I Want to Write” initiative in TSU’s Languages, Literature and Philosophy Department. Learn more by visiting: www.tnstate.edu/llp/iwanttowrite. Jacqueline Asamoah was born and raised in Ghana. Shortly after high school, she relocated to America to continue studies. At Southwest Tennessee Community College, she was the Creative Editor for the Southwest Source, Sergeant at Arms for SGA, Vice President of Public Relations for Phi Theta Kappa, and a Peer Tutor at the Academic Support Center. She studied abroad in Peru and Greece. She is currently an honors student and peer tutor at Tennessee State University. She aspires to become a surgeon, and writes poetry in her free time. Nikayla Cobb is a graduating senior at Tennessee State University where she is majoring in Human Performance and Sports Science with a concentration in exercise science. During her time at TSU, she has joined a community service based organization called “Love You Like A Sister,” where she participated in different community service projects that confirmed her desire to pursue her passion in education. Service activities included volunteering at local elementary schools and tutoring an AVID class in a high school.
WaTeasa Freeman is a Junior at Tennessee State University. She majors in Mass Communications with a double minor in Africana studies and English. Freeman is 20 years old and from Columbus, Ohio. She has been writing poetry since 2011 and considers it a passion of hers. When she is not writing she enjoys crochet, painting, makeup and singing.
Joseph B. Hart is a senior at Tennessee State University, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Business and Psychology. He served and the United States Army for 23 years and retired as a Staff Sergeant, during that time he deployed five times. He aspires to pursue a career in Theology and work as a Chaplain in hospitals and Hospice. When he is not busy serving at his church and missions, he enjoys training for the Track and Field Masters and being a Personal Trainer. Maya Mayes is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and studying civil engineering at Tennessee State University. She serves as the executive chairman of ASCE, the secretary of Allure Modeling Troupe, and the revamp chair of Society of Women Engineers. Maya is interested in a career in transportation engineering. Norel McAdoo (Ceo Norel) was born in Little Rock Arkansas, is a super dynamic creative. Entering the rap scene in 2015, his career began with the releases of the album series “Step Into My Office” volumes 1-3 and the eps: “Slumber’s Over” and “C.E.O”. At the end of his junior year of high school, he became known as an award winning poet. A part of the poetry troupe The Writeous, he became a published and professional poet with publication of a poetry book entitled: A Writeous Look at the Crises: Poems Inspired by the Little Rock 9.
Adazia McDonald is a student of language. She is currently teaching herself Japanese and learning Spanish. She plans on using her language skills to become a translator or an interpreter. She is 20 years old and is in her sophomore year at Tennessee State University. She also works a serving job at Rodizio Grill.
Jasmine Moseley is a recent graduate of TSU, with a BA in studio art. She is a Nashville based painter and illustrator that specializes in paintings depicting African American women and/or children in a wide array of settings, moods, and/or hairstyles that help reflect their beauty, strength, and tenacity.
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