Queen Muhammad Ali
Queen Muhammad Ali (Queen Melé Le'iato Tuiasosopo Muhammad Ali) is an American Samoan award-winning film director,[1][2][3] photographer, graphic design artist, multimedia activist, lecturer,[4] television producer,[5][6] humanitarian,[7] writer, visual anthropologist, the founder of Nation19 Magazine, and the Director of the Manuia Samoa, a social wellness hub in American Samoa.[8][9] Ali is also the great-granddaughter of Paramount Chief Tuli Le'iato of American Samoa.[10][11][12]
Queen Muhammad Ali | |
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Queen Melé Le'iato Tuiasosopo Muhammad Ali | |
Born | Queen Muhammad Ali November 12, ? Watts, California, U.S. |
Occupation | |
Website | www |
Queen was also one of the organizers and a speaker at the highly publicized indigenous peoples march that occurred on January 18, 2019.[13][14][15]
Early life
Queen was born in Watts, Los Angeles, the daughter of an American Samoan mother who worked as a teacher, and an African American father who toured the Caribbean working as a percussionist and singer. Graduating high school at an early age, Queen attended Mt. San Jacinto College, where she studied art. Queen's grandmother, Princess Masaniai Tunufa'i Le'iato Tuiasosopo, is the daughter of Paramount Chief Tuli Le'iato of American Samoa. It is rumored that Ms. Ali also has family ties to late boxing champion Muhammad Ali.[16][17][18][19]
Career
Early career
From 1999 to 2007, while attending college, Queen worked as an elementary grade school teacher for a private school. She also composed music for network television in 2007.[20]
2009-present
Queen made her debut as a TV producer in 2009, when she worked on T.I.'s Road to Redemption starring American rapper and actor T.I.[21][22] Aside from TV her multi-media production company Mobile Regime's client roster included State Farm,[23] Xbox, Adidas,[24] P. F. Chang's[25] and pop icon Michael Jackson.[26][27] In the winter of 2010, Queen and long time partner Hakeem Khaaliq established Nation19 which doubles as an artist collective and printed magazine that produces documentary films, and exhibits. In 2016, her short film #Bars4Justice was an official selection at the 24th Annual Pan African Film Festival[28] in Los Angeles and she was the only woman selected to speak at the United Nations Global Peace dialogue in NYC on December 15th 2020. [29]
Activism
![](../I/Front_of_march_procession.jpg.webp)
- United Nations UN75 Global Peace Intergenerational Dialogue, New York City December 15th 2020[30] (selected speaker)
- Indigenous Peoples March 2019 - (Indigenous Health) Washington DC[31] (selected speaker)
- Manuia Samoa - (Indigenous Health education and archival) American Samoa[32]
- Visual Anthropology Activism TEDx. [33]
Awards and honors
- YBCA 100 list
- Official selection at the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2021 (Co-Director Comin' Up Short)
- Winner of ArtPlace America's 2017 highly competitive National Creative Placemaking Fund (Manuia Samoa) (NCPF)[34][35]
- Official selection at the 24th annual Pan African Film Festival February 2016 (Co-Director #Bars4Justice)[36]
- Mutianyu Fellowship Residency Awardee (Film/Multimedia) Beijing, China September 2016[37]
- Selected guest speaker at MoMA's 2017 Doc fortnight International film festival [38]
- Winner 2017 ISF Film Grant / Scholarship Recipient (Documentary)[39][40]
Works
Film and television
- Comin' Up Short (Director)[41][42]
- #War on Us (Director)[43]
- #Bars4Justice (Director)[44][45][46]
- The Last Matai [47]
- ¿Quiénes son los afro-mexicanos?[48][49] - Univision International Television
- T.I.'s Road To Redemption[50] - MTV
- Adventures in Hollyhood - MTV
Educational Exhibits and Installations
- Invisible México : Afro-Mexicanos Arizona Community Foundation (The Karen Work Seleznow Gallery)
- Invisible Mexico: Global Education Center Nashville, TN September 2017[51][52]
- A New New Wave! monOrchid Gallery Phoenix AZ
- Invisible Mexico: monOrchid Gallery Phoenix AZ March 2017[53][54]
- Exhibit19: February 2015 Glendale Community College [55]
- Invisible Mexico: Private Gallery Univision Television April - July 2014 [56]
- #TURNUP Denver: DVSN WEST Cherry Creek Denver CO 2014[57]
Music videos and commercials produced or directed by Ms Ali
Design and multimedia
Michael Jackson commissioned Queen and her partner Hakeem Khaaliq to design for his "This Is It" London tour. The work included the design of The Earth Song website, design of MichaelJacksonCO.com website, print campaigns and the design of The Earth Song Logo.[63]
References
- "Black African Coalition brings award-winning documentary, #Bars4Justice, to ASU". www.statepress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- Ali, Queen Muhammad; Khaaliq, Hakeem (2015-10-01), #bars4Justice, retrieved 2016-03-07
- Jehoul, Sanne (2020-02-14). "#Bars4Justice: Interview with directors Queen Muhammad Ali and Hakeem Khaaliq". glasgowfilm.org.
- Mumphrey, Cheyanne. "During the week, NAU Ethnic Studies Program hosted Chuck D, leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy. Other speakers during the week included Queen Muhammad Ali, a multimedia activist and CEO and founder of Nation19, and MC Supernatural, an American rapper best known for his "on-the-spot" freestyle and battle rap abilities" – via The Lumberjack.
- ¿Quiénes son los afro-mexicanos?, 2014-07-14, retrieved 2016-03-07
- T.I.'s Road to Redemption, 2009-02-10, retrieved 2016-03-07
- "Samoan artist to create 'Manuia Samoa' wellness hub". Radio New Zealand. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- "African Diaspora Authority Dr. Runoko Rashidi Lectures In Arizona For First Time". azinformant.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- "American Samoan woman takes local health issues to the nation's capital". www.samoanews.com. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- America, ArtPlace. "ARTPLACE AMERICA ANNOUNCES 70 FINALISTS FOR THE 2017 NATIONAL CREATIVE PLACEMAKING FUND". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
- Westlake, Sarah (2015-03-24). "Artplace America's 2017 Finalists for NCPF". ArtPlace. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
- "TEDxSouthMountainCommunityLibrary". www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- Vargas, Theresa (January 2019). "'We will not be silenced': A march takes on new meaning in the age of Trump". The Washington Post.
- "American Samoan woman takes local health issues to the nation's capital". www.samoanews.com. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- "IPM Speakers Bureau". Indigenous Peoples Movement. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
- LLC, The Music Snobs. "ENTRY POINTS - Queen Muhammad Ali". entrypoints.fireside.fm. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Queen Muhammad Ali- 2017 Film Grant Recipient - Islamic Scholarship Fund". Islamic Scholarship Fund. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- 93KHJ Interviews Nation19 / APDTA, retrieved 2017-12-09
- Whitney, Malika Lee. "WBAI Pacifica Radio NY: Voices and Visions interview w Nation19's Queen Muhammad Ali Hosted by the remarkable Malika Lee Whitney". WBAI Pacifica Radio NY.
- "Adventures in Hollyhood" (2007), retrieved 2017-12-09
- "T.I.'s Road to Redemption" (2009), retrieved 2017-12-09
- T.I (2009-06-11). "Responsibility Is A Lifestyle: It's Time to Bury Da Beef". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Texas State Farm® Original Score contest". www.behance.net. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Derrick Rose / Adidas". www.behance.net. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Pei Wei Asian Diner". www.behance.net. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Mobile Regime Re-launches Website While Establishing Partnerships with Grammy Award Recording Artist T.I. and the King of Pop Michael Jackson". PRWeb. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "Behance". www.behance.net. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- "#Bars4Justice a.k.a. Bars4Justice - Available from TWN". www.twn.org. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- UN75 GLOBAL PEACE INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE, NEW YORK CITY - UNITED STATES, retrieved 2020-12-17
- UN75 GLOBAL PEACE INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE, NEW YORK CITY - UNITED STATES, retrieved 2020-12-17
- Nast, Condé. "21 Powerful Moments at the Indigenous Peoples March on Washington". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- "Samoan artist to create 'Manuia Samoa' wellness hub". Radio New Zealand. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- TEDx Talks (2019-02-07), Anthropological Activism | Queen Muhammad Ali & Hakeem Khaaliq | TEDxSouthMountainCommunityLibrary, retrieved 2019-02-12
- Sarah, Westlake (2017-10-17). "Manuia Samoa". ArtPlace America. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
- "ArtPlace America winner | Samoa News". www.samoanews.com. 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- Nation19 film "#bars4Justice" on KTLA!, retrieved 2020-12-17
- "Film/Video Maker". www.twn.org. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
- "The Revolution Won't Be Televised. 2016. Directed by Rama Thiaw | MoMA Preceded by #Bars4Justice. 2015. Directed by Queen Muhammad Ali, Hakeem Khaaliq February 17th-18th T2, Theater 2 The Museum of Modern Art Followed by a discussion with Thiaw, Ali, and Khaaliq". The Museum of Modern Art.
- "Queen Muhammad Ali- 2017 Film Grant Recipient - Islamic Scholarship Fund". Islamic Scholarship Fund. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
- Islamic Scholarship Fund (2017-11-02), ISF Annual Banquet 2017: Film Grant Winners, retrieved 2017-11-10
- "Comin' up Short". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- Comin' Up Short (2021) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-01
- Ali, Queen Muhammad; Khaaliq, Hakeem (2016-04-19), #WarOnUs, retrieved 2016-03-28
- "#Bars4Justice (trailer)". Vimeo. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- "Saturday "Gayle on the Go!", Saturday, February 13th, 2016". KTLA. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- "Black African Coalition brings award-winning documentary, #Bars4Justice, to ASU". www.statepress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- Khaaliq, Hakeem (2000-01-01), The Last Matai, retrieved 2016-03-05
- "¿Quiénes son los afro-mexicanos?". Univision.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11.
- "Culture Clash: New Univision TV Documentary Reveals Afro-Mexican Struggle for Identity". EBONY. 2016-07-22.
- "T.I.'s Road to Redemption Crew". IMDB. IMDB.com.
- Lester, DeeGee (September 2017). "GLOBAL EDUCATION CENTER: THIRD ROOT OF MEXICO". nashville Arts. Archived from the original on 2017-09-20.
- "Invisible Mexico". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2017-09-19.
- "New exhibit showcases indigenous Afro-Mexicanos through photos". Paradise Valley Independent. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- "Artists uncover 'Invisible Mexico' through augmented reality | Cronkite News". Cronkite News - Arizona PBS. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- "African Diaspora Authority Dr. Runoko Rashidi Lectures In Arizona For First Time". azinformant.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- "Culture Clash: New Univision TV Documentary Reveals Afro-Mexican Struggle for Identity - EBONY". www.ebony.com. 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- "Shout out to Plug1 of DeLaSoul....! #turnupdenver #djchonz City Limitz Dont miss the last day. #APDTA @nation19 @radiobums the artwork of Queen Muhammad Ali & Hakeem Khaaliq". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- P.F. Chang's (2013-06-20), P.F. Chang's Summer Vegetable Quinoa "Fried Rice", retrieved 2016-03-05
- Pei Wei (2012-07-09), Pei Wei InspirAsia 2012 Trip Summary, retrieved 2016-03-05
- "Behance".
- Nation19APDTA (2016-02-13), #Bars4Jusice film LA premier, Russell Simmons All Def Digital Awards, DGA, retrieved 2016-03-28
- Nation19APDTA (2015-12-18), Native Pharaoh™, retrieved 2016-03-28
- "Behance".