2023-24 National Cohort: South Arts 

Nybria Acklin is an artist and administrator based in New Orleans. She is a human resources manager at an education and capacity building nonprofit, and she is a deeply invested supporter of the arts and equity initiatives. Over the past two years, she’s worked with Friends of the Freedom House — a house museum and community space in New Orleans — as a lead project manager doing grant writing, research, and coordination support; strategic planning support; and administrative support for the organization’s museum and archives projects. She commits to transition into the arts full-time with hopes of supporting BIPOC artists and culture workers to gain more access to funding, opportunities, and connections. Acklin graduated from Smith College in 2018 with a bachelors in Sociology. She is also a Venture for America and Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs alumna. Acklin is excited to participate in the National Leaders of Color Fellowship program, where she hopes to connect with like-minded individuals, and to better educate herself on the arts landscape and equity in the arts in order to make a positive impact in the field.

Kiana Del is a vocalist, radio host, and educator hailing from the valleys of Carrollton, Kentucky. She uses music to tell the story of our complex humanity, and to foster a safe space for others to create freely without the barrier of judgment. She is the engagement manager for Music Education and 90.5 WUOL afternoon host at Louisville Public Media by day and can be found performing her own music with her band Kiana & the Sun Kings by night. She demonstrates her activism by dedicating her time to local arts non-profits who she believes are stirring up good trouble,  including sitting on multiple boards such as the Fund for the Arts, as the director of communications for the Louisville Jazz Initiative, and as the current Hadley Creatives program coordinator. Del strives to continue weaving the importance of community and connection into her music-making.

Kayla Fuentes was born in Comayaguela, Honduras but currently resides in Meridian, Mississippi. She is a mezzo-soprano, vocal pedagogue, and quirky theater teacher from Starkville, Mississippi, where her passion for music and singing found its roots. She joins the Meridian Symphony Orchestra as the director of education and community engagement as she returns for her “reprise” role in Mississippi from a nine-year stint in NYC. She graduated with a bachelor of music degree from Mississippi College (2014) under the guidance of Meridian native, Dr. Kristen Johnson-Gunn. She then went on to graduate from Manhattan School of Music with a master of music in classical vocal performance (2016), under the tutelage of Mignon Dunn. While in New York, Fuentes found herself called to inspire, motivate, and entertain. Upon graduation, she invested her musical talent and passion back into the community while working for Opera America’s outreach program as their Education Assistant. She taught voice and piano privately and at Larchmont Music Academy for five years working with students of all ages. She thrived as an acting coach, and voice instructor for Manhattan School of Music summer program for six years and had the honor of performing on many great stages in NYC. She has joyfully spent the majority of her nine years in New York combining performance, educational outreach, and diversity to re-energize the allure of the musical arts. Fuentes looks forward to continuing her passion for education, performing, and music at MSA. She wishes to excite young minds, pique the interest of the musical weary, and maintain a current and diverse future audience of music appreciators for years to come.

Patrick Arthur Jackson, a Richmond, Virginia native now residing in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a dynamic creative, producer, director, actor, and teaching artist deeply committed to connection through storytelling. A Morehouse College drama graduate, he honed his skills at the British American Drama Academy and the Florida Studio Theatre Apprentice Program.

With a Certificate in Leadership from the Nonprofit Leadership Center and prior Fellowship in Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Boards, Jackson serves as the manager of education, outreach, and program design at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida. A versatile artist, he has showcased his talents across Southeast arts organizations, including directing acts of faith at American Stage and earning recognition as a 2023 Emerging Artist with Creative Pinellas.

Off-stage, Jackson is the host of The Black Hand Side Podcast, celebrating black culture, connection, and conversation. In addition to serving on the ministerial staff at Today’s Church Tampa Bay, he further engages with the community through The Black Excellence Collective, Actor’s Equity Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Grateful for the gift of storytelling, Jackson, the proud son of Cynthia B. Jackson-Ward and Patrick D. Jackson, envisions its power inspiring change globally.

Harvee White is the education and programs manager at History Cherokee in Cherokee County, Georgia. Naturally gregarious, Harvee loves bringing diverse and inclusive stories to the forefront of the community, and her work emphasizes the importance of shared authority and engagement. Harvee’s upbringing in Bossier City, Louisiana and the Atlanta, Georgia area has informed her love of Black Southern culture and history. She holds a bachelors in art history from Georgia State University and a masters in public history and museum studies from the University of West, Georgia. Harvee prides herself on her ability to keep multiple houseplants alive, and will never say no to sour gummy worms.