Meet The Fellows
Jheanelle Owens
Smokey Vale, Jamaica
Jheanelle Owens, also known as Yinga The Bad Violinist, embodies Jamaica's motto, "out of many, one people," by embracing ancestral wisdom and celebrating diversity. With a degree in Computer Science from Tufts University, she chose to immerse herself in Jamaica's sound system culture instead of pursuing a Ph.D., sharing stages with artists like Stalk Ashley, Najeeriii, and Sizzla Kalonji.
At Tufts’ Experimental College, Jheanelle co-designed and taught the innovative course “Techquity” with a peer, urging students to explore what it means to be revolutionary technologists. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Reparatory Justice via the University of Glasgow and the University of the West Indies Mona while lecturing part-time at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
A descendant of people who worked with Marcus Garvey, Jheanelle embraces her identity as an African woman, dedicated to preserving her ancestors’ legacy. Beyond her activism, she finds solace in powerlifting, embodying the resilience and strength of the Black Liberation Movement. Jheanelle Owens exemplifies a commitment to Black Revolutionary Culture, embodying strength, resilience, and unwavering determination.
Artists Name: Yinga
Age: 26
Artist Influences: Peter Tosh, Protoje, Bob Andy
Genre: Reggae, Hip Hop
Social Impact Project: Jheanelle Owens started a library for the Jacques Garvey community centre in Kingston, Jamaica.
"This Fellowship has pushed me to be very intentional with my energy and firm with my boundaries.
I have a much stronger sense of self now. My therapist has commended me on being intentional with who I surround myself with and who I choose to become.
""The power of becoming to being"" is a phrase my therapist used to describe the way this program has impacted me from her point of view.
I am so grateful for the fact that this Fellowship came into my life. Never before have I felt so powerful in knowing who I am.
And part of that power is understanding that the work is never finished. The garden that is myself, my art, and my energy will always require me to revisit my values, my truths, and my history.
I am dynamic. I am constantly in motion. I am a work in progress that is progressing well. I have no clue what the future holds, but I am open to the idea that all is well and all will be well.
For the first time in a long while, I am excited about doing the work that's required to live my life.
I am now in the process of starting graduate school; I am part of the first cohort of students in the University of Glasgow's Masters of Science in Reparatory Justice program."
