Monae Emmanda Freeman

Monae (she/her) leads with a civic engagement approach relying on research, transparent communication, and dedicated service. She comes to NYU Tisch following her time at the Brooklyn Arts Council as the Arts in Education Program Manager of Schools, Metrics, and Equity. There, she managed school programming with teaching artists, developed an equitable recruitment strategy for artist engagement, identified and responded to access needs of students, and facilitated forums within the community to foster belonging.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Monae graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Modern Languages, concentrating in Spanish. Monae strives to increase socioeconomic mobility among those who face significant barriers to participation in the arts.

Monae is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who spent a decade producing radio programs in Atlanta and Brooklyn. Now pursuing a Master's in Archives and Public History at NYU, she's passionate about the stories held within cultural memory and how they resonate today, often utilizing documentation, photography, and music as storytelling tools. Her creative practice explores the deep connections between sound and regional identity, particularly in the American South.