About Culture Queen

Jessica “Culture Queen” Smith is an award-winning, internationally celebrated creative visionary known for her dynamic work as a children’s performer, educator, playwright, curator, and arts leader. She creates cultural arts experiences that are magical, meaningful, and memorable—sparking joy in celebrating one’s own heritage and honoring the cultures of others.

Since 2010, she has served as the founder and owner of Culture Kingdom Kids, LLC, an acclaimed educational arts company that produces interactive, Black history-centered performances and festivals across the country. Her royal stage presence has shone at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture,  Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, Reginald F. Lewis Museum, National Children’s Museum, and hundreds of schools, libraries, malls, restaurants, theatres, and festivals nationwide. As a cultural ambassador, she traveled to Ghana with the L.E.A.P. (Literacy, Empowerment, and Action Project) to lead cultural literacy-building workshops for teachers and students.

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Her debut album and book I Like the Me I See! are beloved tools for raising confident, culturally grounded youth. Her TED-Ed film “Mansa Musa: One of the Wealthiest People Who Ever Lived” has over 6 million views. Her published children’s musical Bone Soup: A Kwanzaa Story is produced nationally and published by Pioneer Drama Service, and her viral line dance The Kwanzaa Slide topped Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live. In 2022, Jessica attended the Grammy Awards when the One Tribe Collective album—featuring her original anthem “I Am the Future of Black History”—made history as the first compilation of all-Black children’s music artists ever nominated for a Grammy.

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For 5 years, Jessica was the originator and producer of Arts Career Day and Blacktastic: Virtual Children’s Festival of Maryland African American History and Culture, which reached over 50,000 students and teachers across Maryland. Her arts leadership includes serving as Executive Director of the Prince George’s African American Museum, Director of Early Childhood Cultural Literacy Programs at Busboys and Poets, Chief Arts Officer at Arts for Learning Maryland and Managing Director of Motor House. Her work has been featured on Fox 5 News, NBC, NPR, Good Morning Washington, and TV One’s NewsOne Now with Roland Martin.

Jessica received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre Education and African American Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Communications from Morgan State University. A proud native of Prince George’s County now living in beautiful Baltimore City, she’s a doting cat mom, cupcake connoisseur, Uno lover, and volunteer baby cuddler at the local pediatric hospital. Stay on the scene with Culture Queen by following @culturequeen_official or visiting www.culturekingdomkids.com.