sHANIECE cRISS

Producer, Actor, Researcher

Shaniece Criss joined 7Adinkras with much excitement and energy in January 2006 in order to grab hold of her dreams in a creative and supportive environment. She has always been drawn to performance art and has over a decade of experience. She attended a high school of the arts, had a theatre scholarship in college, and is working as an actor in the Atlanta market. Specifically, she has acted in film, television, commercials, theater and voiceovers. Currently, she is an on-air host for an Atlanta-based 24-hour music video station, and works regularly in film, television, and commercial projects.

Shaniece also has a strong academic background with a Bachelor of Arts from Oglethorpe University in communications, a minor in sociology, and a focus on urban leadership, as well as, a Master of Public Health from Emory University with a focus on minority health. In graduate school, Shaniece realized the importance of communicating the truth to the community in a way that would penetrate their hearts and change their thoughts and behavior for more fulfilling, healthy, and optimistic lives.

Merging her artistic and academic interests has resulted in using film to get the real story to people that are most affected by injustices in society. As a public health researcher, Shaniece focuses on health communication by applying theories and frameworks to most effectively get the message to the community. She was inspired at a conference by the scientific and creative expertise of the “Truth” campaign sponsored by the American Legacy Foundation concerning telling the truth about tobacco companies. From that began Shaniece’s exploration into research for developing health campaigns and public service announcements (PSAs). Currently, she is developing PSAs and television-quality episodics around various health issues.

Shaniece has a desire to show God’s love and power in everything that she does. Shaniece and her husband, Demond, facilitate a young married life development group that focuses on cultivating healthy, loving, and lifelong marriages. She has an active leadership role at Fusion, a ministry of Victory World Church in Norcross, GA. Also, through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Shaniece has been connected with her little sister for over 5 years. Her other interests include: missions work, travel, dancing, and singing.

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Photo Credits: Richard Mellinger Photography

Yanik Martelly

Producer, Researcher

Yanik Martelly joined 7Adinkras in August 2004 to pursue her interest in film and video.  As a dedicated professional, she brings a stellar reputation as a thorough organizer and skillful problem solver.  Yanik has over twelve years experience supporting CEOs and executives in both Fortune 500 organizations and entrepreneurial firms.  Having had the privilege of being the “right hand” to various executives has afforded her invaluable experiences in leadership, integrity, professionalism, and vision.  As an executive assistant, she has quickly anticipated and assessed needs; remained flexible and open to change; fine tuned her organizational skills; communicated with poise and purpose; and intuitively adjusted her work style to fit the needs of a myriad of personalities.

Yanik has extensive experience as a meeting planner and researcher, managing all logistical needs for companies’ participation in national and international tradeshows and conferences.  This includes contract negotiations with vendors; forecasting and preparing conference budgets; coordinating travel and hotel arrangements; sourcing and selecting caterers; ensuring timely submission of contracts, sponsorship and booth registrations; verification and payment of vendor invoices; and serving as liaison with project team and third parties.

In her role as a researcher, Yanik has performed detailed research and analysis, summary and presentation of findings.  She has participated in formal risk analysis both at the onset and during project development and has compiled weekly project status and staff time usage reports.

Yanik artistically expresses herself through poetic performances and visual art.  She has performed her poetry in one-woman shows and with the performance troupe Sisters with Tongues. The highlight of these performances was a tribute at Arizona State University honoring Angela Y. Davis (known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad) during the Unfinished Liberation Conference.  Yanik’s decision to share in the arts is motivated by her desire to “provoke thought”.  This desire is grounded in her belief that, “thought affords the opportunity to converse, listen, understand, accept, and ultimately love one’s inner knowing,  thereby allowing oneself to be a direct conduit of the Creator’s Love.”

Yanik’s other interests include world travel, herbal healing and community service. She has volunteered with CASA (Center Against Sexual Assault) serving as a hospital advocate and answering calls for their crisis hotline.  She also worked with the Tungland Corporation as a residential staff member, supporting women with mental disabilities by promoting daily living skills using behavior building plans (e.g., personal care, nutrition and participation in community activities).  

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Photo Credits: (top) Akanke  Rasheed; (bottom) Daya Lizcano

Akanke Rasheed

Senior Producer, Executive Director

Akanke Rasheed is the Executive Director and Senior Producer for 7Adinkras.  As an Atlanta-based television and radio producer, she has produced, co-produced and hosted a variety of progressive community-based programs since 1991.  She produced and hosted two live television talk shows, The Africentric Agenda and Creating Empowerment, which aired on community cable stations in Atlanta from 1991 to 1996.  She has interviewed a variety of captivating guests known locally and internationally for their culturally-enriching and scholarly contributions.  Among her guests for these shows were: Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Charles King, Dr. Charles Finch, historian Modupe Sais, Michael Joseph, author of Animals In The Digestive System (AIDS), Hakim Yamini, Nurriddin Faiz, and her late husband—artist, author, and historian Yusuf A.-K. Rasheed.  In addition to her credits as a television producer, Akanke has hosted several programs including Community Forum, Conversations, Innerview and Faith and Good Works. She has also played acting roles in short films and corporate videos, works as voiceover talent.   

In 2003, Akanke's interest turned towards documentary production.  She co-produced Walking Together: A Family Tradition which highlights the triumph of an African-American family whose love, strength and resilience carried them through thirty-four (34) consecutive years of family reunions.  Her focus now is to help bring 7Adinkras projects to completion.  Additionally, she and her husband Nashid Abdul_khaaliq, are producing Miracle in America: African Americans, Islam and the First Experience which is a documentary and oral history project.  She also hopes to adapt these projects into radio documentaries in the future. 

Akanke’s other areas of interest include media advocacy and visual anthropology, the use of film as a medium to study people and culture.   She envisions traveling throughout Africa and the Middle East to produce historical documentaries on culture and religion.  She would also like to work with other media professionals to offer interactive media literacy workshops to middle and high school students in which they learn about the power and influence of media and the importance of being conscious consumers and being aware of the impact media consumption has on their lives and society.       

Akanke’s production experience is complemented by a degree in Communication from Georgia  State  University where she studied film, television and cultural anthropology.  She is also a senior graphic designer and abstract visual artist.  She currently resides in the Middle East. 

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Nadirah Z. Sabir

Producer, Multimedia Journalist

Nadirah Z. Sabir joined 7Adinkras in August 2005 to pursue more creative expressions in a supportive, empowering environment. The native New Yorker and global citizen brings with her more than a decade of print and online journalism experience.

Most recently she was an award-winning online editor and columnist at The Atlanta Journal Constitution/ajc.com in Atlanta, Ga. During her eight-year stint there, she was responsible for designing and producing channels; coordinating story development; and writing her award-winning reported column tagged, “The Adventures of a Muslim Woman in Atlanta.” In it Nadirah tackled both local and international issues including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, polygamy, and a four-part, multimedia series about her trip to Kenya, East Africa, in 2000.

Whether it’s career advice to journalism students, analysis of world events, culture or religion, Nadirah is a seasoned public speaker. Her appearances include CNN, WXIA-Atlanta, WBLS-Atlanta, Georgia State Bar Association, Clark University, Georgia State University, National Black Arts Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Her work garnered a 2004 Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) award for her compilation of columns. The previous year she won honors for her poignant feature, "Journey from Ground Zero," an intimate profile of three Muslim Americans involved in the evacuation and other emergency efforts in New York during 9.11. That year she won another prize for an online news project, a six-part series titled: "State of Muslims in America, " which also garnered a national nod in 2002 from CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations).

Prior to joining the Atlanta staff, she worked at Black Enterprise and Money magazines in New York.

Nadirah’s more creative bent has been explored through world travel and crewing on several independent film projects including the TV movie “Nandi” (Script supervisor, 1998); trailer “Oreo” (Assistant Art Director, 1995); and trailer “He Aint Heavy” (Extra and Production Assistant, 1994).

Just before joining 7Adinkras, she kicked off her midlife crisis a decade or so early. She left her job, sold her home and prepared to move to West Africa to pursue her love of travel and be more creatively expressed – preferably in a midsize convertible and matching Harley. She did succeed in leaving the security of her job and selling her home in Stone Mountain. Today she lives in Smyrna, Georgia, still enroute to her self, her balance, her possibilities and driving her blessing of an Oldsmobile Alero.

The multimedia producer’s current projects include the 2005 Women and Power conference in New York (post production) and the World Pilgrims multifaith group trip to Jerusalem (post production). She is co-editing the 7Adinkras anthology “Daddy’s Girl.” And she’s working on her an autobiographical book of essays tentatively titled: “A Provision of Vanities.”

She continues to contribute to several publications and wire services including Azizah magazine, Black Enterprise magazine, Upscale magazine, The Associated Press and more.

In November 2005, Nadirah will actually get to West Africa – as part of a group of journalists visiting four African nations. Look out for her pieces in December editions of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Atlanta and the World.

Juicy tidbits, little-mentioned facts and conundrums that have surfaced in this year of outer stillness and inner revolution:

• I grew up playing the violin cause my elementary school didn’t have guitars. Later I became a majorette (gold sequins, flaming baton, sub-zero weather et. al.) cause a few folk in my family felt my Tom Boy stage needed neutering. Observation: Though the adults in my childhood were sometimes off base, my inner child never led me astray. But in my need to please the ones around me, I sometimes chose not to stand up for the little, wise one in me.

• My mother did name me Nadirah, but she had first named me Tjitana (Cha-THA-nah). Just when I had mastered how to spell it, she changed her mind. Question: Can a woman’s prerogative sometimes go too far?

• One of the most insulting questions I’ve ever been asked but have made my peace with: “Which one was your mother?” Answer: “His wife.”

Catch you on the blog.

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Sandra Yee

Producer, Writer

Sandra Yee joined 7Adinkras in September 2004 to return to her first love: writing – what she has longed to do since learning to type on her mother’s gray Olivetti at the age of seven.  Like many women, she wandered and wondered along many detours before awakening to the dream that slept in her heart.

Born to a long line of Chinese peasants in Phoenix , Arizona , Sandra grew up a stellar honor student.  She confounded her family when she chose to major in art at the University of Arizona and, upon graduation, abandoned art, and began working her way around the world.  

Her family wondered from where she had inherited her wanderlust, as her ancestors had taken such great pains to leave (or escape) China and instill the values of security, safety, sparing-ness, and self-denial in their offspring.  But off she went to Western Europe, then China, then Southeast Asia, then the Middle East, collecting tales of language barriers, financial woes, post-youth crises, career disappointments, sexual harassment, and betrayals of intimacy that she surely could have experienced all at home in the air-conditioned comforts of Phoenix , AZ , USA .

The sudden illness and passing of her father shook dear Sandra out of her cynicism and selfishness and led her into the field of natural medicine.  Under private tutelage of world-renowned masters, she received a Doctorate in Complementary Medicine, specializing in acupuncture and homeopathy.  (“Acupuncture!?” her grandparents cried.  “No one uses that old stuff anymore!”)

Combining her love of wellness coaching and writing, Sandra inspires individuals to take greater responsibility for their physical and emotional health through her twice-monthly e-newsletter Hang-On’s E-Tips for Self-Health.  Her writings on natural healthcare also appear in several local and regional publications, including The Life Line, New Life Journal, and the Complementary Alternative Medical Association’s online journal Choices.  Her creative non-fiction recently appeared in the national anthology: Aunties: 35 Writers Celebrate Their Other Mother, published by Ballantine Books in Spring 2004.  Another of her essays will be included in the inspirational book Journey to a Blissful Life, to be published by BET Books in 2005.

As “Dr. Yee,” she currently offers private coaching sessions and leads workshops in self-healing and self-empowerment in Atlanta , Georgia . Please visit her website at www.onewithall.net/hangon.

Sandra recently wrote and completed her first documentary.  This short is centered on the dynamics in her Chinese American family and her 80-year-old grandmother.    

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Photo Credits: (top) Sandra Yee; (bottom) Daya Lizcano