Carlton MacKey

Carlton Mackey has a wealth of experience in the arts and social justice field. Carlton is currently working as the Assistant Director of Community Dialogue and Engagement at the High Museum of Art, where they create interactive programs that connect different perspectives and themes in art to the public. Carlton is also responsible for positioning the museum as a thought leader within the community.

Prior to their current role, Mackey was the Co-Director of the Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program at Emory University. This program aimed to explore how creative thinking and artistic expression can inspire change in response to racial and social injustice. Carlton also served as a lecturer and the Director of the Ethics & the Arts Program at Emory, where they encouraged ethical discourse and debate through the arts.

Outside of Emory, Mackey founded Beautiful in Every Shade and Black Men Smile®, both initiatives promoting inclusivity and positivity within marginalized communities. Carlton has also worked as an independent artist, filmmaker, and photographer.

In addition to their various roles, Mackey has also worked as a teaching artist at the High Museum of Art for a period of time.

Carlton Mackey completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at Tuskegee University from 1996 to 2000. Carlton then pursued further education at Emory University from 2002 to 2005, where they obtained a Master of Divinity degree specializing in Religious Education and Black Church Studies.