About Me

Hi! My name is Malaika (Muh-Like-Uh) Tinashe (Ti-Nah-Shay). I am a Zimbabwean-South African-American actor, writer, model and director who was raised in St. Louis! I am a Black, queer, non-binary/woman who values the intersections of creativity and humanity. My nickname growing up was “The Drama Queen”, and I decided to show everyone just how dramatic I can get for the rest of my life. I’ve always had a personal mission of honoring the stories and complexities of Black girls/femmes everywhere. As a creative, Black women are the heart of my work, and I value every opportunity to showcase the full range of emotions and experiences that comes from living life as a Black women/femme. Along with my acting and directing experience, I have written many plays, short stories, and poems including my first published poetry book titled “My Words, My Rules” in 2019. I have practiced the skill of interweaving these ideas by studying writing and directing through artistic internships and fellowships such as the Andrew W. Mellon Storytelling Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion. I was also heavily involved in Pace University’s Black Student Union all four years of college, and served as the Creative Director for my final two years. I was in charge of our social media accounts, our Social Justice Committee Board, creative consultation on all events, and moderated our annual academic MLK lecture in 2022 and 2023. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends, attending cultural or media-based social events, listening to music, eating Thai food, and going to at least two heels dance classes a week!