Personnel for
Conversations Between Four Black Music Makers Who Helped Bring About Abolition

Kaitlan is a playwright and aspiring theatre actress with a strong background in writing for the stage. She has created and developed six notable productions at NC State and recently had her play Time Travelers Anonymous performed at Southeast Raleigh High School. She is now expanding her creative work by stepping into the world of performance to deepen her understanding of storytelling from both sides of the stage.

Paul is from Durham, NC, and has studied theatre at NCCU in Durham. He is pleased to work with the whole cast and learn from the Mrs. Anderson and other experts on this journey. His theatre credits include Jonah the Musical, A Need Fulfilled and Living Fat (opening soon @ NCCU) When off the stage, Paul enjoys acting classes, volunteering and traveling to new places. He hopes that everyone in the audience will find joy and put aside any struggles from their day-to-day world. He sends a big thank you to the audience for bringing energy and raising our show to new heights. 

Davion is from Raleigh, NC and is a Freshman Performance Concentration Major. He has played Curtis in Sister Act: The Musical (2024) with Rolesville High School, and The Prince the Giant in The Stinky Cheese Man and Leo Bloom in The Producer (2024). He is excited to experience his debut performance on the SECU Auditorium stage at the NCMA.

He wishes to thank his parents for their support.

Divine Pipkins Divine has been active in theater since High School and has participated in Bright Star and Cabaret at the Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill and Hands on A Hard Body  for The Gallery Players in Burlington.

Alicia was born into a large family of singers and musicians, her life steeped in the sounds of harmony and rhythm from a young age. She boasts a one-of-a-kind tone and a powerhouse voice that commands attention, effortlessly soaring through jaw-dropping highs and soul-shaking lows. Her style is masterfully shaped by closely studying the legendary gospel greats like CeCe Winans, setting her apart as a true vocal force to be reckoned with. For Alicia, music is more than a passion—it’s a way of life. She believes in the transformative power of a great song, knowing it can shift a mood, calm the soul, or even unlock memories. Her dedication to music is evident. Alicia has written and recorded her own songs, stepped in as a guest worship leader at local churches, and even lent her voice to an episode of Disney’s Raven’s Home. Recently, she released a single titled He Did It For Love, and is currently working on a new project. Through her music, Alicia hopes to share the message of God’s love, honoring the gift she feels blessed to have.

Brandon is from Cary North Carolina and is a Recording Artist debuting in his first acting role. He has traveled as a musician with Who’s Bad the Ultimate Michael Jackson cover band and is currently working on an urban inspirational album. Be sure to follow him on instagram @Brandnuvizionz and SoundCloud @Brandnu.

Candace is a strong, prayerful woman of God who has been blessed to work in her field of choice as a therapist in mental health.  She has also worked in production and theater in different roles such as stage manager, cast ensemble, and singer. Candace is a wife and mother of USC violinist CT Thomas. 

Miles is a published songwriter and music teacher. He has performed live nationally with various acts, as well as his own music.

Duncan is from Raleigh, NC and is currently pursuing freelance voiceover work. He has played Billy Flynn in Chicago and Thenardier in Les Miserables at Raleigh Area Children’s Theatre, as well as  The Baker in Into the Woods at Starbright Youth Theater, and Rooster in Annie at Leesville Road High School. He is very grateful to be a part of this performance, and would like to thank the cast for being so welcoming!

Trinity is an American Songwriter, Gospel Singer, Actress, Screenwriter, Producer, and Mentor/Coach, who’s starred in Blues in the Night, an off-Broadway musical that toured in the county of India, in Hollywood P.O. alongside Sherman Hemsley (The Jeffersons), in the play The Gift and the film The Rec. She also co-directed the play Shop Life, starring Hosea Chanchez (The Game). And best known for wearing many creative hats, she’s produced theatrical events and fundraisers for The Los Angeles Woman’s Theater Company, performed several voiceovers for the first African American cartoon on Disney called The Proud Family, starring Kyla Pratt, and on Studio DC, starring Demi Lovato, to name a few productions.

In 2007 Cassandra Trinity Anderson co-wrote, starred, and helped cast, the Blockbuster release of the film, A Black Woman’s Guide to Getting Married, acting alongside Kel Mitchell from Kenan & Kel.  Trinity, who everyone knows loves children, was contracted as a writer and theatrical/music director for Great Beginnings for Black Babies in Watts California, creating music and skits for school wide performances in two at-risk middle and high schools for 7 years, in a critical effort to prevent gang violence and teenage pregnancy.

A triple threat performer since a child, Trinity began her professional writing career in music, penning the melody and singing a jingle for Pepsi’s, “Be Young Have Fun Drink Pepsi”, campaign. Then with a songwriting partner that was managed by Alex Goldberg (Whoopi Goldberg’s daughter), she wrote and demoed several songs to constantly pitch to R&B artists. Her big break finally came when she was given a track (by Bud’da, multiplatinum producer and now husband), to write for a group called Hands On. She co-wrote Got Me Open, and it turned out to be Dr. Dre’s new singing group on his new Aftermath label. Landing another track on the same album called, Do 4 Love, the album eventually went Platinum! Dre discovered Cassandra (Trinity) had a talent for story telling overall and she was hired additionally to work with Dre as the screenwriter for his life story while on tour.

Today, Trinity has released two singles of her own, is creating new songs, developing scripts for film and television, works for children’s stage, and for live events in the form of conversations as she is the co-creator of Chasing Substance Events that engage the community in creative ways around careers in media arts, their impact in the Hollywood community, and on minority communities around the nation.

Margaret has been playing the violin professionally since she was 17 years old, having auditioned and won a contracted position in the first violin section of the Louisville Orchestra in 1976. She spent six years in England performing everything from ballet with the London Festival Ballet Company, to period performance with the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists. Although semi-retired, she still freelances with North Carolina Opera and the Carolina Ballet, among other local groups. She founded the United Strings of Color in 2018 and currently handles both the Artistic and Administrative sides of the young non-profit. She researched and arranged for our instrumentation all the music by Black composers featured in the play.