Bio.

Nuri Chandler-Smith is Boston based artist, activist, and Harvard trained educator. Currently, she serves as a Dean at Bunker Hill Community College, where she oversees a wide range of student success, college transition, and partnership programs.

 

Nuri has performed dance and spoken word poetry throughout the world. She was a featured performer at the closing ceremonies of a United Nations Conference in Beijing China, toured throughout South Africa, directed the youth arts ensemble Universal Tribe in Bermuda, and toured the United States with BLACKOUT Arts Collective’s annual Lyrics on Lockdown Tour. Nuri has taught extensively on the subject of Hip-Hop culture and co-wrote the chapter “Flava in Ya Gear: Transgressive Politics and the Influence of Hip-Hop on Contemporary Fashion” which appears in the book Twentieth-Century American Fashion. A student of ballet since early childhood, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the José Mateo Ballet Theater.

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In addition to her work in higher education and the arts, Nuri is a wellness practitioner with extensive training in herbalism (centering indigenous and African American traditions), who holds certifications in Classical Pilates, multi-style Yoga (RTY-200), and Mindfulness Coaching. Her specializations include meditation with mudrās, pranayama/breathwork, and visioning/goal setting.