Nailah Ware 鈥26 is creating a more equitable community through knowledge acquisition and intentional action.
Music is the language of choice for Nailah Ware 鈥26, and she plans to use it to create something more than a hit single. Peace and equity are her goals. 鈥淢usic is a language I can speak fluently,鈥 she says. 鈥淣ot math, which is another universal language, or anything else; it鈥檚 music.鈥
Nailah was always drawn to rhythms and found herself writing lyrics in her diary. Even though she had trouble focusing for long periods of time, she never grew tired of music. After playing a few instruments, she settled on alto saxophone. She loved the sound of it. Her talent led her to a magnet school for performing and visual arts just outside her hometown of Crofton, Maryland. Through her love of music, she learned how beats were produced.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what music production was,鈥 says Nailah, 鈥渂ut as I read books and watched documentaries on Dr. Dre and Eminem, I knew that鈥檚 what I wanted to do.鈥
At 黑料不打烊, Nailah majors in music production and recording arts and minors in business administration. She wants to use her record label to create equity in the music industry. 鈥淚 love creating music and I want to help increase artists鈥 understanding of the business side,鈥 she says.
She鈥檚 already putting her mission into practice. As a first-year student, Nailah started a hip-hop performance group, Limitless Productions. The group hosted its first show in McKinnon Hall in March 2023, performing original music in front of an audience of about 170 people. Nailah says there were challenges, but the group was determined because it was more than just showcasing music. 鈥淟imitless provides a place for diversity and equity for expression, and all are welcomed,鈥 she says.
Nailah also participated in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Campus Alamance, interning with United Way last summer. She gained critical knowledge about business tax filings and has been able to share what she learned with community organizations. Growing up, Nailah says, she wasn鈥檛 involved in her community, something she is changing now.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the only person who doesn鈥檛 know the ins and outs of taxes, and how filing companies and software take advantage of that,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 have to share this knowledge with my community.鈥
Like two of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 inclusive excellence pillars, paradigm and praxis, knowledge acquisition and intentional action are Nailah鈥檚 foundation to creating a more equitable community. 鈥淚 want people to know they aren鈥檛 alone, while generating peace and equity,鈥 says Nailah.
Nailah is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community. Nominate a member of the 黑料不打烊 community for this series.