Meet Nala Henderson, a Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellow
Nala Henderson will be doing community reporting work in New Orleans this summer as part of the Lede New Orleans fellowship program.
By Lyric Thompson
Nala Henderson was a junior at Warren Easton Charter High School Alumni when she got the chance to take a multimedia production class, introducing her to the world of storytelling on film. Henderson said she wouldn’t have gotten into film if it wasn’t for that class. Through the class she met Beth Burvant, a local actor and filmmaker, and founder of The COOL Cooperative, a nonprofit that connects local middle and high school students to opportunities in the film industry.
Henderson said working with Burvant and COOL “honestly opened a door for tons of opportunities.”
Today, Henderson, 20, is an emerging actor and director. Last year, she directed her first film: a short documentary about Marwan Pleasant, flag boy for the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians tribe. The film follows Pleasant as he hand-sews the suit he wore on Mardi Gras Day in 2023.
“I’ve been filming recently and I love it,” Henderson said.
Henderson also draws, crochets, and paints.
I spoke with Henderson about her work and her reasons for joining the Community Reporting Fellowship. Here’s what I heard. Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you join the Community Reporting Fellowship?
I became aware of the fellowship from a film teacher. She thought that I would be a great fit for it so I looked into it. I liked it and I applied.
What do you do for work?
I’m an artist of lots of things. I draw traditionally. I also do crafts: crochet and painting.
What’s something surprising about you?
I think spiders are cute and cuddly despite never having held one. I have friends that tell me they’re soft. I don’t know, they’re just cute. Once I grow up I’m going to have lots of exotic animals. That’s on my bucket list.
You’ve got my attention. What’s an exotic animal to you?
Something that you wouldn’t typically see as a pet, like spiders, snakes and centipedes.
Lyric Thompson, 22, is a Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellow with Lede New Orleans. Thompson, a New Orleans native, works as a security guard and is pursuing barbering.
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