J. LeShaé

J LeShaé is a historian, visionary creative and cultural genius who is obsessed with freedom. She appears in "Natural Hair the Movie," produced by Grind Over Matter Films, and "Building the Bridge," directed by E.J. Johnson. She also served as Historical Consultant to award-winning photographer Missy Burton on her series "Dynasty: A Peculiar Search For Totality", and directed the accompanying minute-movie. Born Jamie LeShaé Jenkins on March 6, 1985, this fourth-generation Dallas native comes from a large spiritually-rooted family. She is a proud graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in History, and National University with a M.A. in Teaching. Since 2003, J has spearheaded countless activist initiatives that have inspired thousands of students, teachers, and executives to center community and culture in their quests for social justice and excellence in education. Her work has been cited in Vox, Education Week, and Slate; and is included in the "Educating to Transform Society" course at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The activist and entrepreneur heads Ms. J's Classroom, a collective of education platforms and art campaigns founded upon the sole mission of liberation for all. The portfolio includes Conscious Consulting, a leadership development organization for professionals; Building Opportunities & Opening Minds (BOOM), a youth-led education community; and msjsclassroom.com, an online learning center. In 2019, J LeShaé debuted as a visual artist in "#ustoo: Phenomenal Women", the first all-woman exhibition at the African American Museum of Dallas. Her visual journals, "Finding Freedom" and "Who You Callin Slave", were exhibited later that year at the Goldmark Cultural Center of Dallas and the Abrons Arts Center of New York. Her "Journey to God: Return to the MotherLand" Series, composed of travel photography from her pilgrimage to African countries, was incorporated into the 2020 Black History exhibition at the J. Erik Jonnson Central Library in Downtown Dallas. Her latest works, "Matthew 7:14" and "Psalm 27:1", were added to the Msanii HOUS Gallery and the Pencil on Paper Gallery. Most recently, J was tapped by renowned artists Jennifer Cowley and Tyra Goodley to write and direct a documentary on their her-storic public art project: a monument commissioned by the city of Dallas to honor ancestor, artist, and activist, Arthello Beck, Jr. J is most passionate about indigenous sciences & technologies, ancient & aboriginal cultures, decolonization education, and matriarchal studies. She is known to keep a notebook, voice recorder and camera in tow, treating life as an ongoing experiment and examination of freedom inside the black-womb-body.