Day 2 | Black Futures Cypher – The Power of One

For Carolyn Malachi, sound is more than music—it is a living archive, a catalyst for dialogue, and a blueprint for collective power. A GRAMMY-nominated artist, producer, and audio engineer based in Baltimore, Malachi’s work explores how listening itself can become a form of participation, connection, and long-term cultural impact.

Her practice spans music, immersive audio, and collaborative media projects that invite public listening and shared experience. Whether composing, producing, or facilitating spaces for dialogue, Malachi approaches sound as a tool for storytelling—one that honors nuance, proximity, and the quiet accumulation of change over time.

Beyond her creative work, Malachi is shaping the next generation of storytellers as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Media, Journalism & Film at Howard University. She is also the founder of Call & Response, a Baltimore-based production company supporting creative work through audio production, sound design, and consulting. Across all of these roles, her commitment is clear: meaningful power is built through consistency, collaboration, and sustained investment in people and place.

The Power of One

For Malachi, The Power of One is an invitation to rethink scale, distance, and perspective. “One can appear minuscule or mighty depending on your position,” she reflects. Rather than chasing spectacle, she grounds her work in appreciation for the raw materials already available—ideas, abilities, tools, and time—and stays curious about what those elements can yield when combined with intention.

This approach strips away pretense and unproductive struggle, making room for clarity and care. In her view, shaping healthy Black futures begins with honest engagement with what we already hold, and a willingness to work steadily with it.

Art, Sound, and Black Futures

Malachi’s contribution to Black futures lies in her attention to process. Her work embraces patience, curiosity, and sustainability—values often overshadowed by urgency and visibility. By centering sound as a communal experience, she creates space for reflection and listening, reminding audiences that power does not always announce itself loudly.

Her philosophy mirrors the concept of compound interest: small, consistent efforts accumulating into something transformative. This belief informs not only her art, but also how she builds creative infrastructure—ensuring that Black artists and communities have access to tools, resources, and support that endure beyond a single moment.

The Black Futures Cypher Contribution

Malachi’s piece for the Black Futures Cypher was inspired directly by the idea of compound interest. Rather than a singular declaration, the work unfolds as a meditation on steady momentum and shared effort. Lyrics like “Water on a buried seed / That’s power” capture her hope that listeners recognize the quiet strength in consistency, planning, and collective intention.

Her aim is not only to inspire, but to recalibrate how power is understood—less as spectacle, more as something cultivated patiently in thought, action, and community.

Baltimore as Influence

The Baltimore that shapes Malachi’s work is “verdant, aspirational, and unapologetically communal.” While dominant narratives often frame the city through deficit or crisis, she intentionally centers counter-narratives rooted in lived experience. Baltimore’s creativity, mutual care, and collaborative spirit inform both her storytelling and her belief in shared cultural responsibility.

By grounding her practice in authentic perspective, Malachi contributes to a broader reframing of Black life—one that resists simplification and honors complexity.

One Action Toward Collective Change

When asked what individuals can do right now, Malachi offers a practical and relational approach. She encourages people to observe their communities closely, imagine their ideal state, and identify neighbors, community-based organizations, or local officials already moving toward that vision. The call to action is simple but powerful: bring your energy, skills, and perspective to efforts that already have momentum.

Change, she reminds us, rarely starts from scratch—it grows when people choose to add themselves thoughtfully to what is already in motion.

About the Series: 28 Days of Black Futures

This artist profile is part of 28 Days of Black Futures, a month-long cultural offering presented by CLLCTIVLY, a Baltimore-rooted ecosystem cultivating collective imagination, narrative power, and resource mobilization for Black futures.

Throughout February, the award-winning Black Futures Cypher—architected by Jamye Wooten and produced under the creative direction of Von Vargas—features 28 artists, one each day, sharing original work inspired by this year’s theme, The Power of One.

A new artist feature will be released daily during Black History Month. Learn more and support the ecosystem behind this work at cllctivly.org.