Meet Our Leadership Team

Where Dedication Meets Passion

AliShah Watson

Executive Director

AliShah Watson founded Culture Restoration Project, Inc. and has served as the Executive Director since its inception in 2016. She has an educational background in Africana Studies, Ethnic and Cultural Studies, and English. She previously served as an Advisory Board member for community outreach and engagement for the University of Delaware's Africana Studies Department. She has used both her educational background and her involvement with the University of Delaware’s Africana Studies Department to help build the mission of CRP and develop the curriculums that guide CRP’s community outreach, youth engagement, and enrichment programs. AliShah is an educator, curriculum writer, and advocate for the liberation of Black and Brown communities across the country.

Richard (Raw)Watson

Program Director & Facilitator

Richard Watson is a national recording artist, arts and culture educator, and hip-hop scholar who has mastered the use of hip-hop pedagogy as an effective teaching tool to promote character development and healthy social skills. He has released ten studio albums and a short film. Richard has toured across the country as both a performing artist and lecturer speaking at numerous institutions, including the University of Delaware and Florida State University. He is a fervent grassroots social activist, community organizer, and youth advocate who uses his art as a mechanism for community transformation.

Our Team

Compassionate. Creative. Changemakers.

Intikana

CRP welcomes Bronx native, hip hop artist, and educator, Anthony Martinez aka Intikana to our CRP family. Mr. Martinez brings a wealth of knowledge and has over 10 years of classroom experience as a teaching artist. Mr. Martinez is currently facilitating Beyond Those Bars programs at several locations in Wilmington, Delaware. We are excited to have this dynamic teacher and artist on our team.

Twano

Anthony Townsend aka Twano, is a music producer with over 2 million views on Youtube. He has produced for internationally known recording artists and has worked for Kollege Kid, Coby White (Chicago Bulls), and Love & Hip Hop artist Papii Rose. He is a Beyond Those Bars co-facilitator and hip hop beats producer. He has assisted several CRP students on their journey to becoming professional recording artists.

Our Board of Directors

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha

Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha is an American politician and poet. He is a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives, representing District 1. He is a community-based master social worker with over 30 years of direct service and administrative experience working with and on behalf of youth, families, and communities. He is one-half of the Twin Poets - the acclaimed spoken word duo appointed as the State of Delaware's 17th Poets Laureate.

Hanifa Shabazz

Hanifa Shabazz, D.H.L. is a native Wilmingtonian and dedicated public servant. She was the first woman elected as the CIty of Wilmington's City Council President. In recognition of her decades of innovative community engagement, economic development, and leadership, Hanifa was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from Virginia University of Lynchburg. She led the charge to have Wilmington's gun violence recognized as a public health issue through a research study conducted by Centers for Disease Control. She continues to work to address the issues of violence and disparities in the City of Wilmington.

Brooklynn Hitchens

Brooklynn K. Hitchens is an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Using street participatory action research (Street PAR), she focuses on Black women and girls’ experiences with street life and the criminal justice system, victimization, and trauma. Her work in academia seeks to problematize and dismantle structural systems of inequality that harm marginalized communities.

Pastor Sheena Cameron

Pastor Sheena M. Cameron, a native Delawarean, is the head pastor of Mt. Pleasant and Saint Paul UMEs in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a contributor to By Faith Magazine, the exclusive communication vehicle for the 2,500 Black congregations in the United Methodist Church. She serves as a community advocate for social, racial, and economic justice through nonpartisan efforts in underserved communities. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care with her Doctoral project on the trauma-informed care model for churches, "Lift as We Climb".

We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of our future leaders.