Kenyatta Hughes is a founding member of Voices From Within and a singer, songwriter, and activist who spent more than two decades incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. During his 24½ years inside, he earned a Master’s in Professional Studies from New York Theological Seminary and used music, theater, and programs like Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections and Rehabilitation Through the Arts to build community and healing behind the wall.

Now known publicly as Kenyatta Emmanuel, he has shared his music from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall—including a full live concert on the day of his release—and continues to lead initiatives such as Voices From Within that confront gun violence and uplift the children and families of incarcerated people.