Category: Arts & Entertainment

From Atlanta to Normandy: A French Photographer Brings Black Cowboy History Across the Atlantic

French photographer Cyril Bailleul brings Black cowboy history to Normandy through photographs celebrating the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, family traditions, and African American heritage.

An unexpected encounter with the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo became a photographic journey connecting Black Western heritage, family, and civil rights

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 13, 2026

In 2012, French photographer Cyril Bailleul arrived at a rodeo outside Atlanta expecting to see the cowboys he had known from American movies.

Instead, he discovered a part of American history he never knew existed.

His mother-in-law had surprised him with tickets to the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR). Bailleul had been fascinated by American culture since his first visit to the United States in 2007. He wanted to experience the motels, drive-in theaters, and cowboys he had seen on screen.

Cyril Bailleul

But when he and his family approached the rodeo arena, something immediately caught his attention.

The crowd was overwhelmingly African American.

In a written statement accompanying his upcoming photography exhibition in France, Bailleul recalled that he had not known Black cowboys existed.

What began as a family outing became a journey of discovery that has continued for more than a decade.

This October, Bailleul’s exhibition, In the Footsteps of Bill Pickett – American Cowgirls & Cowboys, will be presented at Château de Pontécoulant in Normandy as part of Equidays, a regional celebration of horses and equestrian culture.

The exhibition introduces French audiences to the people, traditions, and overlooked history of Black cowboys and cowgirls in America.

Discovering the Cowboys Hollywood Overlooked

During an October 12 interview with The Truth Seekers Journal, Bailleul recalled that his first rodeo experience was unlike anything he expected.

Instead of finding only rugged competitors and dangerous sporting events, he encountered families, children, and a welcoming community.

Spectators sitting nearby explained the rules of the competition.

He enjoyed the rodeo but left wanting to know more about the people and the history behind it.

As he began researching, Bailleul learned that Black cowboys had played an important role in developing the American West.

Historians commonly estimate that roughly one in four cowboys working the cattle trails after the Civil War was African American. Many were formerly enslaved people who found opportunities working with horses and cattle.

Yet Hollywood Westerns largely excluded Black cowboys, helping create an image of the American frontier that failed to reflect its diversity.

That omission helped inspire the founding of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo in 1984.

Established by the late Lu Vason, BPIR was created to celebrate the contributions of Black cowboys and cowgirls and provide a national platform for African American rodeo competitors.

Today, under the leadership of Valeria Howard Cunningham, the rodeo continues that mission while emphasizing families, education, and community engagement.

For Bailleul, BPIR represents something much larger than competition.

Throwing a Lasso – BPIR Atlanta, GA 2018 (Cyril Bailleul)

Portraits Tell a Different Story

Unlike many rodeo photographers, Bailleul does not concentrate primarily on bucking bulls, racing horses, or dramatic action inside the arena.

He prefers portraits.

During our interview, I asked why so much of his photography focuses on the people surrounding the competition rather than the sporting events themselves.

Bailleul explained that he enjoys watching the action but finds greater meaning in conversations, personal details, and moments before and after the competition.

He walks around the rodeo grounds observing people, their clothing, expressions, and interactions.

Sometimes he asks someone to remain exactly where they are while he captures a photograph.

His approach reveals the pride, dignity, and personal connections that help define the rodeo community.

One photograph he particularly values show three generations of cowgirls: a grandmother, mother, and daughter.

The image captures more than a family resemblance. It reflects how Black Western traditions are passed from one generation to another.

Bailleul’s relationships with rodeo participants have also deepened over time. He returns with prints for people he previously photographed and looks forward to reconnecting with familiar faces.

For him, the project is as much about friendships and learning as it is about creating photographs.

History Within History

Bailleul’s photographs of Black cowboys and cowgirls have previously appeared at cultural and equestrian venues in Normandy.

In September and October 2020, his work was exhibited at the Pôle International du Cheval Longines in Deauville, during the period of the American Film Festival.

In 2021, his photographs were presented at Château de Thury-Harcourt as part of Equidays Calvados.

Now, in 2026, Equidays is again bringing his work to French audiences, this time at Château de Pontécoulant in southern Calvados, near Suisse Normande.

Bufalo Soldier Atlanta, GA 2021 (Cyril Bailleul)

The setting holds special meaning for Bailleul. The château’s history dates to the 14th century, placing photographs of African American Western heritage inside a centuries-old French landmark.

In his exhibition statement, Bailleul describes the opportunity as displaying “History within History.”

The setting creates an unexpected meeting between European heritage and a chapter of American history that many visitors may know little about.

Bailleul has deliberately chosen not to identify his subjects as Black in the exhibition’s title. He wants visitors to experience something similar to his own discovery in Atlanta.

They arrive expecting American cowboys. The photographs invite them to reconsider what that image means.

From Rodeo Heritage to Civil Rights

The exhibition also includes photographs connecting Black Western traditions with contemporary civic participation.

On January 4, 2021, Bailleul photographed riders associated with the Atlanta Saddle Club during the Ride for Change demonstration encouraging participation in Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff elections.

The riders traveled from the Georgia Capitol toward the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Two photographs from that event hold particular meaning for Bailleul.

One depicts a Buffalo Soldier, recalling the African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War.

Displayed in the château’s armory, the photograph connects military service, the expansion of the American West, and the struggle for equal citizenship.

Deja Atlanta, GA 2021 (Cyril Bailleul)

Another photograph features a young woman named Deja, raising her fist while seated on horseback near the Georgia Capitol.

Her image closes the exhibition in the château’s Blue Room.

For Bailleul, Deja represents a younger generation committed to education, activism, and social change.

She also represents the important role women play in a culture often portrayed as predominantly male.

Together, the photographs show that Black Western heritage is not confined to the past. It remains connected to contemporary American life.

Photography as a Bridge Between Cultures

Bailleul’s interest in cultural understanding extends far beyond the rodeo.

His professional experiences have included photography associated with UNESCO and work in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and other countries.

Those travels helped shape his appreciation for the ways history, identity, and culture intersect.

During our interview, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of approaching unfamiliar communities with curiosity and respect.

He hopes his photographs will encourage visitors to learn more about Black cowboys, challenge their assumptions, and perhaps experience a rodeo themselves.

That philosophy also explains why he continues returning to BPIR.

He hopes eventually to follow the rodeo to additional American cities, photograph more participants, and document new aspects of their lives.

But his greatest interest remains the people he encounters and the relationships that develop.

A Journey Dedicated to His Father

There is a personal story behind the exhibition’s historical message.

Bailleul’s father often told him there was no such thing as chance.

Yet the photographer’s journey has been filled with unexpected encounters.

His marriage connected him to an American family. A gift from his mother-in-law introduced him to the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. His curiosity led him to learn about Black Western history and build lasting friendships.

Now those experiences have brought his photographs to a centuries-old château in Normandy.

Bailleul has dedicated the exhibition to his father.

For a photographer who once searched for the cowboys he remembered from Hollywood, the journey has revealed something far more meaningful.

The American West was never the story of one group of people.

And through Bailleul’s photographs, another part of that history is finding its way into view.

Michelle and Her Horse, Corona – BPIR Atlanta, GA 2019 (Cyril Bailleul)

Exhibition Information

In the Footsteps of Bill Pickett – American Cowgirls & Cowboys

Château de Pontécoulant, Calvados, Normandy, France

October 17, 18, 20 and 21, 2026

2:30–5:30 p.m. | Free admission

Presented during Equidays 2026.

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ARTIST PROFILE: Jordan Powell

Professional dancer Jordan Powell blends discipline, culture and resilience across stages and continents while expanding representation and inspiring the next generation of Black dancers.

A Dancer Shaped by Discipline, Lifted by Culture, and Carried Across Continents

By Milton Kirby | New York, NY | September 20, 2026

There are dancers who learn movement.

Then there are dancers who build a life around it.

For Jordan Powell, dance has become both profession and language, a way of communicating across stages, cultures and, sometimes, barriers that spoken words cannot easily cross.

She has performed contemporary dance in New York. She has worked internationally in China. She has appeared in commercial projects, worked with different companies and choreographers, and earned a place among the Radio City Rockettes.

Yet behind those credentials is something less visible.

Discipline.

Powell grew up in New Jersey and began dancing as a child after her parents enrolled her in classes.

What began as a childhood activity became something more.

“I fell in love with it and haven’t stopped since,” Powell said.

Eventually, she decided to study dance at the University of Southern California, where intensive dance training existed within the larger university environment.

Since graduating in 2022, Powell has built a professional career that does not fit neatly into a single box.

She is a freelance dancer.

That means one performance may belong to one choreographer, the next to another company and another project somewhere else entirely.

Her professional work has crossed contemporary dance, jazz, modern dance, ballet and other styles.

That variety is intentional.

“There are a lot of different realms within dance that you could focus on,” Powell said. “For me, I found that I enjoy aspects of multiple different areas.”

That range has taken her from New York stages to Guangzhou, China.

Jordan Powell – Courtesy photo

When Dance Becomes the Common Language

Powell traveled to China as one of about five American dancers working with a dance company based in Guangzhou.

She did not speak Mandarin.

Some of the Chinese dancers spoke English. A choreographer who spoke both languages helped translate.

But something else began happening inside the rehearsal room.

The dancers watched one another.

They studied movement.

They learned cues.

They communicated through the work itself.

“At the end of the day, it didn’t feel any much different than a rehearsal that I would do in the States,” Powell said. “I think the dance is the dance and the rehearsal is rehearsal.”

That experience revealed something fundamental about the art form.

Movement could bridge what language could not.

Powell and the other dancers eventually performed at the Guangzhou Opera House. She remembers an audience excited not only by the performance, but by the cultural exchange happening onstage.

The production included live musicians and the use of paint on canvas.

For Powell, performing internationally was something more personal.

It was part of a dream she had carried since childhood.

“Doing the thing that I wanted to do since a little girl was really fulfilling,” she said.

But China also placed Powell in another familiar position.

She was the only Black woman in the company.

Being the Only One

That experience did not end when Powell returned to the United States.

In parts of the contemporary concert dance world, she said she has frequently found herself as one of a few Black women in the room—or the only one.

It is not a distinction she seeks.

It is a reality she notices.

“I don’t enjoy” being the only one, she said.

But Powell also understands what her presence can mean to someone watching from the audience.

She remembers wanting to attend performances and see someone who looked like her onstage.

Young Black dancers, she said, may want to explore ballet, contemporary dance or other genres but not always see themselves represented in those spaces.

That makes showing up important.

“It’s important to be in those spaces to remind everyone what Black dancers can do and what Black dancers are capable of,” Powell said.

Her presence, however, should not be mistaken for tokenism.

Powell has worked for it.

Asked whether her career reflects talent, tenacity or some combination of both, she resisted the suggestion that she might simply declare herself the best dancer in New York.

But she did not minimize the work required to get there.

“I have worked extremely hard to get where I am and to perform in all of the pieces that I’ve performed in,” she said. “So I think it does speak to both skill and also tenacity as well.”

What the Audience Doesn’t See

That tenacity matters because professional dance is physically demanding.

The audience sees the finished product.

The costumes.

The music.

The lights.

The bodies moving across a stage.

What it does not necessarily see are the hours of rehearsal, physical conditioning, mental preparation and decisions required to make those moments appear effortless.

“Dancing is extremely physical and intense,” Powell said.

But she said the job demands more than physical strength.

A dancer must understand musicality, timing and choreography. Dancers must communicate with partners and choreographers. They may have to step into a character or emotional state.

They also have to protect the instrument they depend upon most—their bodies.

Powell pays attention to nutrition, injury prevention and conditioning. She cross-trains and incorporates activities such as yoga, cardio and strength training into her routine.

In that respect, professional dancers are athletes.

But unlike many athletes, they are expected to turn all that physical preparation into art.

Then there is the unpredictability of live performance.

A dancer forgets choreography.

A prop fails.

A costume malfunctions.

Someone falls.

The audience may never know.

“You can never start over,” Powell said. “Once the show is going, the show is going.”

So the dancer adjusts.

Improvises.

Gets back up.

And keeps moving.

More Than One Stage

That ability to move between worlds has become part of Powell’s professional identity.

Jordan Powell (Milton Kirby)

She has performed in works by contemporary choreographers such as Benjamin Freedman, including a recent collaborative production with the Seán Curran Company. Earlier in her career, she danced with Gibney Company in New York.

She has also become a Radio City Rockette, a role she describes as exciting and one she enjoys.

But no single company or title fully defines her.

Powell’s career is broader than one stage.

She sees possibilities in film, international performance, dance education and teaching. She wants to perform in places she has not yet reached.

She is also interested in making dance more accessible to communities that may not naturally see themselves connected to the professional dance world.

That matters because Powell believes dance belongs to far more people than those who train professionally.

People dance at family gatherings.

They dance with friends.

They dance as part of cultural and religious traditions.

They move to celebrate.

They move to express emotion.

In that sense, Powell argues, dance is already part of the human experience.

“I think it’s an extremely important part of our life,” she said.

Professional dance simply takes that human instinct and develops it through years of training, technique and discipline.

The Next Dancer

Powell knows there may be a young girl somewhere who loves to dance but cannot imagine making a career from it.

Maybe she does not see dancers who look like her.

Maybe she does not know anyone in the profession.

Maybe someone has already told her that the dream is unrealistic.

Powell has a message for her.

Keep dreaming.

Do not limit what you believe is possible.

Find people whose careers resemble the one you want. Reach out. Ask questions. Seek guidance.

And put in the work.

“There are plenty of people who will try to tell you what is or isn’t possible or what you can and can’t do,” Powell said.

If the passion is real, she believes people owe it to themselves to find out how far it can take them.

Powell is still finding out.

There are stages she has not performed on.

Countries she has not visited.

Films she has not appeared in.

Students she has not taught.

Audiences she has not yet reached.

The little girl from New Jersey who fell in love with dance has already crossed an ocean doing what she once dreamed of doing.

But she is not finished. She keeps dancing.

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Love, Patrick: BronzeLens Opening Night Brings a Fashion Pioneer Back Into the Spotlight

BronzeLens opened with Love, Patrick: Nothing is Impossible, introducing a new generation to fashion pioneer Patrick Kelly’s extraordinary journey from Mississippi to Paris.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | August 22, 2026

Opening night of the BronzeLens Film Festival belonged to Patrick Kelly.

Hours before Love, Patrick: Nothing is Impossible was scheduled to make its world premiere, however, co-director Ryon Horne was worried.

His phone had been buzzing with messages from people telling him they could not make it.

After helping bring the story of the Mississippi-born fashion designer to the screen, Horne found himself confronting one of a filmmaker’s most basic opening-night fears.

Would anybody show up?

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Horne said later. “You get nervous about these things, because, like, is anybody going to come?”

He got his answer when he arrived at the Tara Atlanta Theatre.

The house was packed.

“And then when you come, you realize the most important people in your life that needed to support this film on this day are here,” Horne said.

They came for opening night of the 17th annual BronzeLens Film Festival and the world premiere of Love, Patrick: Nothing is Impossible, a documentary about a Black designer from Mississippi whose journey took him from the American South to the highest levels of Paris fashion. BronzeLens listed the film as its 6:45 p.m. opening-night world premiere. (BronzeLens Atlanta Film Festival, Inc)

Before the film began, BronzeLens founder and executive producer Kathleen Bertrand welcomed the audience and introduced Jason Gregory, interim director of programming.

Festival organizers had encouraged opening-night guests to arrive “Runway Ready,” and many accepted the invitation. Before the theater lights dimmed, the Tara lobby had become a fashion showcase of its own, a fitting prelude to a film about a designer who believed clothes should bring joy.

But by the time the film ended and the conversation inside the theater began, opening night had become about something larger than a movie premiere.

It was about remembering Patrick Kelly.

And for some people in the audience, it was about discovering him for the first time.

From Mississippi to Paris

Patrick Kelly grew up in Mississippi surrounded by women who helped shape both his personality and his fashion.

His grandmother, Ethel Rainey, was especially influential.

She gave him old copies of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar when he was a child. She took him to Black Baptist church, where Kelly noticed the women dressed from head to toe in their Sunday best.

Even one of Kelly’s most recognizable design signatures had roots in his Mississippi childhood.

His grandmother mended his shirts with mismatched buttons.

Years later, colorful buttons would become unmistakably Patrick Kelly. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Kelly moved to Atlanta in 1974, where he volunteered to design window displays for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Atlanta became another stop on a journey that eventually took him to New York and then Paris. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

New York proved difficult.

Paris changed everything.

Kelly moved to France in late 1979. His skinny, body-conscious dresses decorated with colorful buttons eventually attracted the attention of French Elle, which featured his first commercial collection in February 1985. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

His designs were bold, playful and unmistakably his.

Buttons became a signature.

So did bright colors, bows, body-hugging dresses and humor.

But there was something else.

Kelly wanted his clothes worn by real people.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Patrick Kelly retrospective says he wanted women of all ages to love their bodies and created designs that celebrated different shapes and sizes. His own “Love List” explicitly included women across body types. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

That philosophy was visible in the documentary.

Kelly’s runways featured Black models and women whose bodies did not always conform to the narrow image traditionally associated with high fashion.

He was not merely putting Black models on a runway.

He was putting a broader vision of Black beauty there.

Then came history.

In 1988, Kelly became thefirst American and first Black designer voted into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode. His admission was sponsored by Pierre Bergé, cofounder of Yves Saint Laurent, and designer Sonia Rykiel. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

For a Black man from Mississippi, it was an extraordinary ascent.

It was also painfully brief.

Kelly died in Paris on Jan. 1, 1990, from AIDS. He was 35. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

More than three decades later, his clothes remain in museum collections and have been the subject of major exhibitions. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Yet his name is unfamiliar to many Americans.

That contradiction sits near the heart of Love, Patrick.

“I Had No Knowledge of Patrick Kelly”

Stephanie Proctor Johnson, an executive producer of the documentary and operations manager for the Horne Brothers, made a striking admission after the premiere.

“I had no knowledge of Patrick Kelly,” she said.

Johnson said she first learned about him when the film project came to the Horne Brothers.

Even after becoming involved, she said the filmmaking team had to learn the magnitude of what Kelly had accomplished.

“I don’t think as a designer, none of us realized the essence of what he had done,” she said.

That experience was reflected in the audience.

Some people at the Tara knew Kelly’s story.

Yolanda Durbin was one of them.

Durbin attended fashion school after Kelly’s death and remembers professors discussing him.

“I’m glad he is getting the notoriety that he deserves,” she said.

Others were meeting Patrick Kelly for the first time.

That raises an uncomfortable question.

How does an American designer become the first American and first Black designer voted into one of the most important organizations in French fashion, attract international attention and work with some of the world’s most recognizable models, yet become unfamiliar to another generation?

Love, Patrick does not merely celebrate Kelly’s success.

It attempts to put his name back into circulation.

Bringing Patrick Kelly’s Story to the Screen

The Patrick Kelly project had been developing for years.

Johnson said executive producers Ray Cornelius and Jessica Manning met with Ryon Horne in early 2025. By that summer, the larger Horne Brothers team had committed to the production.

The filmmakers traveled to Paris, following Kelly’s path and speaking with people connected to his life and work.

The project also had an important connection to Kelly himself through Bjorn Guil Amelan, Kelly’s former life and business partner. The Philadelphia Museum of Art identifies Amelan and Bill T. Jones as the donors behind a promised gift of approximately 80 Kelly ensembles featured in its Runway of Love retrospective. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Making the documentary required the kind of resourcefulness familiar to independent filmmakers.

“We did it on a bootstrap,” Johnson said.

For Latrisha Horne, Ryon’s wife, the project meant watching a familiar transformation at home.

When Ryon becomes immersed in a film, she said, he goes into “work mode.”

“He works in the studio and we may not see him months at a time because he’s so dedicated to the project,” she said.

Latrisha traveled to Paris during production and, for the first time, watched her husband working on location.

“I was like a little kid,” she recalled.

Now that the film has premiered, she wants its reach to grow.

“It needs to get on Netflix or a streaming platform so that more people can be exposed,” she said. “It needs to be seen by so many people.”

The Smile

For all the history contained in the documentary, one characteristic of Patrick Kelly repeatedly commanded attention.

His smile.

It turns out the smile was also part of his design philosophy.

Kelly often expressed a simple goal: he wanted his clothes to make people smile. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

His life was hardly free from struggle.

Kelly grew up in Mississippi during the 1950s and 1960s. He later navigated race as a Black man in the international fashion industry. His career required leaving the United States before he found his greatest professional success.

And his life ended during the devastation of the AIDS epidemic.

Yet on screen, Kelly repeatedly smiled.

Johnson noticed it.

So did Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds, who participated in the documentary.

Kelly’s personality, Johnson said, seemed “contagious.”

She remembered another sentiment expressed by Kelly in the film:

“I just want to have fun.”

The joy was reflected in his clothes.

Kelly used bright colors, buttons, bows and humor. He brought his Southern roots into Paris fashion and mixed them with influences from Black culture, fashion history and the club scenes of New York and Paris. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Hammonds saw something larger in Kelly’s smile.

“The smile can transcend everything,” Hammonds said.

More Than a Documentary

For Hammonds, Love, Patrick is ultimately about storytelling.

Hammonds credited the Horne Brothers, Manning, Cornelius and the larger production team with bringing together people who could contribute different pieces to Kelly’s story.

But Hammonds also challenged the audience to think about what happens after a story has been recovered.

“We can excavate a story, but now it’s up to the next generation to do something with that,” Hammonds said.

That may be one of the central questions Love, Patrick leaves behind.

What do people do once they know?

Hammonds believes Kelly’s story can resonate even with people who had never heard his name.

He was a Southerner.

He came from a small Mississippi city.

And he reached one of the biggest stages imaginable in his profession.

“We have a cousin in Vicksburg,” Hammonds said. “We have a cousin in Alabama. We have a cousin in Atlanta.”

Kelly’s journey, in that sense, becomes more than fashion history.

It becomes a story about possibility.

Hammonds suggested there is still much more for audiences to discover.

“Patrick Kelly is more than a monolith,” Hammonds said. “He’s really an encyclopedia that’s yet to be read.”

Why BronzeLens Matters

That story found an appropriate stage at BronzeLens.

Founded in 2009, the nonprofit festival is dedicated to promoting Atlanta as a film center for people of color, showcasing films created by people of color and providing networking opportunities to develop future filmmakers. BronzeLens is also an Oscar-qualifying festival in the short-film category. (BronzeLens Atlanta Film Festival, Inc)

Atlanta-based filmmaker Adelin Gasana sees the festival as more than a screening opportunity.

Gasana, whose documentary Brannu was also screening during the festival, said this is his third year participating in BronzeLens. He said the experience has helped him learn about film marketing, meet people and see strong independent films.

That kind of infrastructure matters at a time when independent filmmakers increasingly must find creative ways to finance, market and distribute their work.

Gasana particularly welcomed BronzeLens’ expanded emphasis on Georgia filmmakers this year.

For him, local filmmaking does not necessarily mean telling small stories.

His own documentary examines land, agriculture, development pressure and questions about what happens when competing visions of progress collide.

Love, Patrick likewise stretches far beyond Atlanta.

But its connections to the city run deep.

Kelly spent formative years here before Paris. The Horne Brothers are Atlanta filmmakers. And now Atlanta has hosted the documentary’s world premiere.

The result is a story that can travel internationally while remaining rooted in the South.

“Nothing Is Impossible”

The title of the documentary carries its own story.

Patrick Kelly is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Inscribed on his headstone are three words:

“Nothing Is Impossible.” (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

More than three decades after Kelly’s death, those words have become part of the title of a film carrying his story to another generation.

And the Tara premiere is intended to be a beginning rather than an ending.

Johnson said the filmmakers plan to take Love, Patrick to additional festivals and screenings, including Charleston, Orlando and Washington, D.C.

But two planned stops carry particular significance.

Vicksburg.

And Jackson State University.

The boy who left Mississippi and eventually conquered Paris is being carried home on film.

For Ryon Horne, that journey began with the uncertainty of whether anyone would show up for the world premiere.

They did.

The Tara was full.

But filling a theater for one night is different from restoring someone’s place in history.

The filmmakers understand that.

So did people leaving the theater.

Cynthia Sumpter was among those who heard the call to carry Kelly’s story beyond BronzeLens.

Asked what she planned to do with what she had just learned, Sumpter didn’t offer a grand strategy.

She thought about the people she knew.

Then she decided where she would begin.

“First, I’m going to contact my sister,” she said.

For a film trying to put Patrick Kelly’s name back into the world, perhaps that is exactly how it starts.

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BronzeLens Enters a New Era with Expanded Festival, New Leadership and a Focus on Building Black Cinema

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BronzeLens Enters a New Era with Expanded Festival, New Leadership and a Focus on Building Black Cinema

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | August 12, 2026

For 16 years, the BronzeLens Film Festival has served as a cultural cornerstone for filmmakers of color, bringing together artists, auFor more than a decade, the BronzeLens Film Festival has served as a cultural cornerstone for filmmakers of color, bringing together artists, audiences and industry professionals in Atlanta to celebrate stories that are often overlooked by mainstream Hollywood. This year, the Oscar-qualifying festival enters a new chapter—one marked by growth, transition and an expanded vision for the future.

Kathleen Bertrand – Courtesy Photo

At the center of that continued growth is Executive Producer Kathleen Bertrand, one of the driving forces behind the festival’s mission to celebrate stories created by and about people of color. Based in Atlanta, BronzeLens was founded to share and applaud the many stories of people of color told through digital moving images. Since its founding, the organization has screened films from creators across the African diaspora and beyond, building a reputation as both a cultural institution and an advocate for diverse storytelling. Bertrand has emphasized BronzeLens’ commitment to educating, enlightening and entertaining audiences while providing a platform for filmmakers whose voices deserve greater visibility.

For the first time in its history, BronzeLens will unfold across two weekends, providing festivalgoers with additional opportunities to experience screenings, professional development workshops, networking events and special programs. The expanded format reflects the festival’s continued evolution and growing impact within Atlanta’s thriving film community.

The festival also enters a period of transition. The 2026 event marks the first since the retirement of Founding Artistic Director Deidre McDonald, whose curatorial vision helped shape BronzeLens into one of the nation’s premier showcases for diverse storytelling. Under McDonald’s leadership, the festival became known for presenting films that explored culture, identity, social justice and the shared experiences of communities around the world.

As BronzeLens moves forward, Jason Gregory assumes the role of Interim Director of Programming, helping guide the festival through its next phase while maintaining the organization’s commitment to elevating underrepresented voices.

A Fashion Icon Takes Center Stage

The festival opens with the world premiere of Love, Patrick: Nothing is Impossible directed by The Horne Brothers. The documentary chronicles the extraordinary life of fashion designer Patrick Kelly, the first American admitted to the prestigious Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter in Paris.

The film explores Kelly’s groundbreaking impact on the fashion industry while examining themes of race, identity and perseverance. In tribute to the celebrated designer, festival organizers are encouraging attendees to arrive “Runway Ready” for opening night, creating a fitting celebration of a man whose bold creative vision reshaped the fashion world.

Spotlighting Emerging Voices

While marquee premieres help attract attention, BronzeLens has long built its reputation on supporting independent filmmakers and emerging talent.

Among this year’s notable selections is “The Text,” a short film written and directed by Kareemah, founder of Rare Maven Media. The film follows Tanya, an aspiring DJ who returns home for her best friend’s engagement party and finds herself facing a life-altering decision: remain in a troubled relationship or pursue the future she truly desires.

Produced by Rare Maven Media, “The Text” stars Zora Imani as Tanya and Cameron Bhola as Taj. The film is scheduled to screen Aug. 23 at the Tara Theatre, where audiences will have an opportunity to experience one of the independent projects representing the next generation of storytellers.

Projects such as “The Text” exemplify the role BronzeLens continues to play as a launchpad for creatives seeking visibility, industry access and meaningful audience engagement.

Building Careers Behind the Camera

BronzeLens has long distinguished itself by investing not only in completed films but also in the professional development of the people who make them. That commitment is reflected in this year’s Craft Day programming, designed to equip creatives with practical tools and industry knowledge.

Among the highlights is an Acting Master Class and Workshop led by acclaimed actress, director and producer Jasmine Guy.

Additional sessions include:

  • Get Funded: Producing, Financing and Crowdfunding
  • Blindsides, a blind table read presented by Black Script
  • Below the Line: Careers That Build Black Cinema
  • The ATL Effect: Capital, Culture and Craft
  • From Page to Screen: The Writers and the Crew Who Build Black Cinema

Together, the programs emphasize the collaborative nature of filmmaking while exploring everything from financing and production to writing, acting and crew development.

Looking Ahead

As BronzeLens embraces its first two-weekend format and navigates a significant leadership transition, its core mission remains unchanged. Under the continued leadership of Executive Producer Kathleen Bertrand, and with new programming leadership in place, the festival remains dedicated to creating opportunities for filmmakers of color to tell stories that inspire, challenge and connect audiences.

In a city that has emerged as a major center for film and television production, BronzeLens continues to offer something unique: a space where culture, creativity and community intersect. With expanded programming, industry-focused workshops, major premieres and emerging voices all sharing the spotlight, the festival appears poised to begin its next chapter while remaining true to the vision that has sustained it for years.

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Kween Jacqueline Merrill Wins Atlanta Regional, Advances to Soul Country Music Star National Finals in Los Angeles

Kween Jacqueline Merrill wins the Soul Country Music Star Atlanta Regional, advancing to Los Angeles after four Black country artists compete at the Georgia International Horse Park.

Four distinct voices competed at the Georgia International Horse Park as Soul Country Music Star brought its search for emerging Black country artists at the BPIR rodeo

By Milton Kirby | Conyers, GA | August 9, 2026

Four artists entered the Soul Country Music Star Atlanta Regional carrying different sounds, stories and interpretations of what Soul country music can be.

By the end of the opening round, Reggie Stacy and Kween Jacqueline Merrill remained. Each returned to the stage at the Georgia International Horse Park on August 1 to perform one final song before the judges made their decision.

Jacqueline Merrill – Photo by Milton Kirby

Merrill was named the 2026 Atlanta Regional champion, earning a place in the national finals in Los Angeles and moving one step closer to the competition’s $10,000 grand prize.

For an artist who had spoken with The Truth Seekers Journal days earlier about faith, motherhood, personal loss, health struggles and perseverance, the victory marked another chapter in a journey that began in church when she was a child.

“It feels like I listened to God and it all worked out,” Merrill said after winning.

Now, the Road from Atlanta to Hollywood belongs to her.

Four Artists, Four Different Sounds

Presented as part of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo’s Soul Country Rodeo Experience, the Atlanta SCMS Regional featured Angela Roundtree, Bernard “OG Nard” Stephens, Stacy and Jacqueline Merrill.

Roundtree brought gospel-rooted expression and a belief in performing with authenticity, emotion and meaning. OG Nard introduced what he calls “Trapp Kountry,” blending country storytelling, Southern Soul and contemporary urban influences. Stacy arrived with years of performance experience and an appreciation for country music shaped by artists including Charley Pride and Chris Stapleton.

Merrill brought perhaps the most difficult sound to categorize. She is a singer, songwriter, rapper, country artist and gospel performer, but she has never viewed those descriptions as competing identities. To her, they are all parts of the same artist.

Her relationship with music began in church. At five years old, she led her first song in the Church of God in Christ, and music remained part of her life through motherhood, hardship, health challenges and loss. Rather than separating those experiences from her artistry, she incorporated them into it.

In Atlanta, Merrill also performed an original song written specifically for the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Before the competition, she told TSJ what she wanted audiences to take away from her music.

“If I made you feel something,” Merrill said, “then I’ve done my job.”

On August 1, she also convinced the judges.

SCMS Atlanta Judges L to R Debonair DJ PNUT, Dr, Acynthia Villery & Rickey Davis Scott – Photo by Richard DuCree

Down to the Final Two

After the opening round, Stacy and Merrill performed again before three judges; Dr. Acynthia Villery, the BPIR rodeo announcer and influencer, Music Producer and Talent Scout Rickey Davis Scott and V-103FM Debonair DJ Pnut.

Their comments throughout the competition revealed that strong vocals alone were not enough. Stage presence, song selection and artistic identity also mattered, as did understanding the distinction between Southern Soul and the Soul Country sound the competition was seeking.

OG Nard, for example, was praised for his energy and ability to command attention. The judges also noted that some of his song choices leaned more toward Southern Soul and encouraged him to build a stronger connection to Soul Country.

Reggie Stacey – Photo by Milton Kirby

The critique highlighted a challenge for artists working in a musical space that is still defining itself. Soul Country does not require performers to abandon gospel, blues, Southern Soul, hip-hop or the other influences that shaped them. Instead, artists are challenged to show how those influences can live within country music while preserving the storytelling at the heart of the genre. That’s the goal.

In that context, song selection becomes more than a showcase for a performer’s voice. It becomes a statement about who the artist is.

Bringing Soul Country into the Rodeo

The Atlanta event marked a new approach for Soul Country Music Star and the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Margo Wade LaDrew, founder and creator of Soul Country Music Star, told the audience that the competition had traditionally been presented as a separate Friday night event. In Atlanta, organizers brought it directly into the rodeo experience.

When Wade LaDrew asked whether the audience enjoyed seeing Soul Country Music Star incorporated into the rodeo, the response came in cheers.

“This was something we wanted to try and do here at the rodeo,” she told the crowd, explaining that organizers could consider incorporating the competition into future rodeo programming.

The pairing is a natural one. For more than four decades, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo has celebrated the often-overlooked history of Black cowboys and cowgirls while providing a national platform for Black Western culture. Soul Country Music Star extends that mission into music.

Black musicians have been part of country music since its earliest development, even when their contributions were overlooked or separated from the genre’s mainstream story. Although Black country artists are receiving greater visibility today, Wade LaDrew reminded the Atlanta audience that the work is not finished.

“As you know, the genre is just starting to open up, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.

Her request was straightforward: support the artists, follow them, share their music and help build the audiences their careers need to grow.

Wade LaDrew also recognized Valeria Howard Cunningham, president and CEO of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, for supporting opportunities for Black country artists. She thanked Soul Country Music Star producer Michelle Johnson, the judges, SCMS show host Kirk Jay, DJ Tiffany Guess and others who helped bring the competition into the Atlanta rodeo.

L – R – Reggie Stacey, Kirk Jay, season 1 winner, Angela Roundtree, Jacqueline Merrill, Nathaniel “Mr. Bowleggs” Dansby, season 2 winner & Bernard “OG Nard” Stephens – Photo by Milton Kirby

The Road to Hollywood

Merrill’s victory placed her alongside Brenda Guy, Dallas-Fort Worth Regional winner; Silas Reed IV, Memphis Regional winner; and Glenn Stanton, Los Angeles Regional winner.

One regional competition remains before the national finals. The Washington, D.C./Maryland Regional is scheduled for September 18 at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

The regional champions will then travel to Los Angeles for the Soul Country Music Festival and National Finals on October 31 and November 1, where they will compete for the $10,000 grand prize and the Soul Country Music Star national title.

Only one artist could become Atlanta’s regional champion, but something larger also happened at the Georgia International Horse Park. Four Black artists were given a stage to present four different visions of where country music can go, and another audience heard performers who might not have received the same opportunity a generation ago.

For Merrill, Atlanta was not the finish line. It was another door.

Now Los Angeles awaits.

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Black Writers Weekend Comes Home: Why Atlanta Will Host More Than a Literary Festival

Black Writers Weekend concludes its national tour in Atlanta with three days of storytelling, film, publishing, networking, and opportunities that extend far beyond books.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | July 23, 2026

Every generation has places where movements take shape.

Some begin in churches. Others start in classrooms, neighborhood barbershops, or around kitchen tables where stories are shared long before they are ever written down.

For thousands of Black writers, readers, filmmakers, publishers, and creative entrepreneurs across the country, one of those places has become Black Writers Weekend.

What started nearly two decades ago as a gathering for Black authors has grown into a national movement that celebrates storytelling while helping creatives build careers, expand their audiences, and take greater ownership of their work. After stops this year in Dallas, Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., the 2026 tour concludes in Atlanta from July 31 through August 2 with three days of conversations, workshops, film screenings, networking, and celebration.

For anyone still wondering whether the event is worth attending, organizers believe the answer lies in understanding that Black Writers Weekend is no longer simply about books.

It is about building the future of Black storytelling.

More Than a Festival

The publishing industry has changed dramatically over the past decade.

Writers today are no longer limited to traditional publishing houses. Independent publishing, digital platforms, podcasts, streaming services, audiobooks, newsletters, and social media have opened new pathways for creative voices to reach audiences directly.

Those opportunities, however, come with new challenges.

Authors must learn marketing, branding, distribution, intellectual property, audience development, and business strategy in addition to mastering the craft of writing.

Black Writers Weekend was designed to help bridge those gaps.

Produced by AAMBC Inc., the nonprofit organization behind the festival, the event has spent 18 seasons creating opportunities for Black creatives to learn from experienced professionals while building relationships that often continue long after the weekend ends.

“BWW is about making sure Black storytelling isn’t treated as a moment, it’s a movement,” said Delphine of Legacy Media.

“After 18 seasons and over 30,000 readers and creatives touched, I see BWW as infrastructure. We’re building the pipeline. The future of Black storytelling depends on us controlling more of our own distribution, our own narratives, and our own platforms.”

Her words capture what many attendees say separates Black Writers Weekend from a traditional literary festival.

It is not simply a place to showcase completed work.

It is a place where careers begin.

Where Stories Meet Opportunity

This year’s Atlanta finale reflects how much the festival has evolved.

The weekend opens Friday at the historic Auburn Avenue Research Library with the Black Writers Weekend Film Festival, featuring more than 20 independent films created by Black filmmakers. The evening concludes with a screening of Dear Black Writers, a documentary exploring the artists and storytellers fueling today’s Black literary movement. Later that evening, poets and spoken-word artists will gather for Open Mic in the Garden at The Darwin Hotel, one of the festival’s most anticipated community traditions.

The focus shifts Saturday and Sunday to the Loudermilk Conference Center, where more than 80 speakers will lead discussions ranging from publishing and digital marketing to filmmaking, branding, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.

Among the featured sessions are the BookFunnel Workshop, designed to help authors expand their readership through digital distribution, the “I Am Creative” conversation with bestselling author Zane and filmmaker Trey Haley, and the Access to Hollywood panel featuring Jonathan Curtiss, Lamont Pete, Imani Nia Robinson, and Lynette Blackwell. Other sessions will explore how attorneys, publicists, talent managers, and financial advisors help creatives protect and grow their brands.

For aspiring writers and filmmakers, the weekend offers something that cannot be downloaded from the internet.

Access.

Beyond Amazon

Delphine believes one of the biggest mistakes new authors make is assuming success begins and ends with publishing a book online.

“The biggest mistake I see debut authors make is thinking distribution is just about getting a listing on Amazon and calling it a day,” she said.

Instead, she encourages writers to build relationships with bookstores, festivals, community organizations, and media outlets that already serve Black readers.

“Distribution isn’t just logistics,” she said. “It’s visibility. You have to be seen and remembered before someone picks up your book in a market where nobody knows your name yet.”

That philosophy explains why Black Writers Weekend has expanded into multiple cities across the country.

Each stop introduces writers to new readers, new collaborators, and new opportunities.

“My advice to new authors is don’t treat a festival stop like a one-off event,” Delphine said. “Treat it like the first domino.”

The Power of Honest Stories

While publishing strategies and marketing workshops are important, organizers never lose sight of why people write in the first place.

Stories change lives.

Asked about memoirs rooted in trauma and resilience, such as Little Miracles of Katrina by M. V. Despenza, Delphine said authenticity remains a writer’s greatest strength.

“Your story doesn’t need to be polished to be powerful,” she said.

She believes readers recognize honesty immediately, especially when writers refuse to sanitize painful experiences.

“Don’t rush the healing to finish the book,” she said. “Let the book carry the healing as it happens.”

For many aspiring writers attending Black Writers Weekend, those words may prove just as valuable as any publishing contract.

Why Community Media Matters

Another recurring theme throughout Black Writers Weekend is the importance of community-centered journalism.

While major media organizations often determine which stories receive national attention, Delphine believes local and independent outlets frequently discover important voices long before they become household names.

“They’re everything,” she said of community media.

“Community-centered outlets don’t wait for permission. They cover us because we matter to them, not because we’re trending.”

That relationship between independent journalism and emerging writers has become an important part of the festival’s identity, helping connect authors with readers who may never encounter their work through traditional publishing channels.

Atlanta’s Growing Literary Legacy

Anyone who attended Black Writers Weekend in Atlanta last year already understands why so many people return.

The 2025 festival brought together bestselling authors, filmmakers, podcasters, publishing professionals, and emerging writers for conversations on everything from world-building and memoir writing to Hollywood opportunities, banned books, and the future of Black storytelling. Those sessions sparked collaborations, mentorships, and professional relationships that extended well beyond the closing ceremony.

This year’s finale aims to build on that momentum.

Saturday evening’s Book Swap Party at Buckhead Art & Gallery will once again invite attendees to exchange books while meeting fellow readers in a relaxed, art-filled setting. Throughout the weekend, informal conversations in hallways, networking events, and community gatherings may prove just as meaningful as the scheduled programming.

Often, the most important story begins after the panel discussion ends.

More Than a Weekend

Black Writers Weekend is not asking people to attend another conference.

It is inviting them into a community built on stories.

Some attendees will leave with signed books.

Others will leave with publishing contacts, business partnerships, or the confidence to finally finish the manuscript sitting on their computer.

Some may discover a new favorite author.

Others may discover their own voice.

That is why Black Writers Weekend has grown from a literary gathering into one of the nation’s most important celebrations of Black creativity.

And for one weekend this summer, that movement comes home to Atlanta.

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ARTIST PROFILE:  M. V. Despenza

New Orleans author M.V. Despenza transforms Hurricane Katrina survival, faith, and resilience into powerful storytelling through Little Miracles of Katrina and her growing literary journey.

By Milton Kirby | Truth Seekers Journal | Artist Profiles Series

For some writers, storytelling begins with publishing contracts, writing workshops, or literary ambition. For M.V. Despenza, it began much earlier, in the music-filled rooms, among singers, artists, dreamers, and everyday people whose stories carried both pain and joy.                                    

Now, decades later, Despenza has transformed those early influences, along with the trauma and resilience born of Hurricane Katrina, into a deeply personal literary voice resonating with readers across the country.

Her breakout work, Little Miracles of Katrina, is more than a disaster memoir. It is a meditation on survival, faith, memory, and the invisible moments of grace that emerge during catastrophe.

“In the aftermath of one of America’s most devastating natural disasters, Little Miracles of Katrina tells the untold stories of survival, compassion, and the small acts of grace that carried people through the storm,” Despenza writes in the book’s description.

But the road to becoming an author was not straightforward.

“I’ve always wanted to write,” Despenza explained during a recent interview. “I wanted to be a journalist when I was young. I didn’t get much encouragement from my family. They wanted me to go into nursing.” Instead, life carried her through unexpected chapters.

She moved to California at age 21 and eventually found work in the music industry, writing artist biographies, press releases, and promotional materials. Later, after returning to Louisiana, she built a career in the legal and corporate sectors, working as a legal secretary and paralegal, and eventually in human resources.

Yet writing remained the thread connecting every phase of her life. “What I learned from being a paralegal was the power of the written word,” she said. “When something is in writing, it has power.” That lesson would eventually shape her approach to storytelling.

For years, Despenza compressed her writing style to fit the demands of corporate America, concise memos, factual emails, streamlined communication. When she finally sat down to write Little Miracles of Katrina, she discovered she had to relearn the art of emotional description and immersive storytelling.

“I had to go back the other way,” she said. “My writing had become ‘She walked in the door. Period.’ I had to learn to make people see it again.”

The result is a book that readers say feels intensely cinematic and emotionally immediate.

One early reader wrote: “I loved the storytelling, so compelling I finished it in two days, even waking up at 5:30 a.m. to keep reading! M.V. Despenza understands the craft.”

Another described the work as capturing “the true spirit of New Orleans, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once.”

Those reactions reflect the emotional terrain Despenza navigates throughout the book.

During the interview, she spoke candidly about the psychological scars left behind by Hurricane Katrina, even for those fortunate enough to survive.

“Any and everybody that went through Katrina suffered some form of PTSD,” she said. She recalled the agony of not knowing whether family members were alive after communication systems collapsed. “I didn’t know where my sister nor my brother were because the cell phones were down,” she said. “That was agony.”

Eventually, she discovered her brother was alive after spotting him briefly in television footage helping rescue elderly residents near Baptist Hospital. “That was how we knew about him,” she said.

Those deeply personal memories became the emotional backbone of Little Miracles of Katrina, which chronicles both physical survival and spiritual endurance during the storm and its aftermath.

But Despenza resists defining the book solely in terms of tragedy.

Again and again, she returns to the theme of “little miracles,” seemingly small moments of intervention, intuition, survival, and grace that altered the course of events during those terrifying days.

“There were five events that happened that let me know I was not alone during those days and weeks,” she explained. Despenza does not frame those moments as religious doctrine as much as lived spiritual experience.

“Whatever you believe, whether it’s God, karma, the universe, or something else, people are not on this earth alone,” she said. “Tomorrow can take your house away. But tomorrow can also give you something really, really good.”

That blend of realism and hope appears to be resonating with readers.

One reader commented: “The little miracles shine as God’s messages of hope, making this a moving and powerful read. Many of us have faced a ‘Katrina’ in our lives, and this book speaks to that universal struggle with faith and survival.”

For Despenza, storytelling is also becoming a form of service.

Recently, she donated signed copies of Little Miracles of Katrina to Big House Books, a nonprofit organization in Jackson, Mississippi, that provides books to incarcerated individuals. She volunteered alongside staff members, helping match books to inmate requests.

“It was a meaningful reminder that books are more than stories,” she wrote afterward. “Sometimes they are connection, encouragement, escape, reflection… and even healing.”

That same spirit carries into her children’s books, including Miracle of the Meow, and From Storm to Scout, both inspired by rescue animals and the emotional connection between pets and people.

One especially emotional section of the interview centered around a black cat left behind during the Katrina evacuation, a story that eventually inspired Miracle of the Meow. Despenza described the guilt, heartbreak, and eventual reunion connected to the animal, underscoring how deeply animals became intertwined with her understanding of survival and healing.

“Animals know things,” she said softly. “They’re so smart.”

In many ways, Despenza’s emergence as an author reflects the same themes that shape her work,  survival, reinvention, and finding meaning after devastation.

She notes that she did indeed rescue a cat after Katrina and later rescued a dog after Hurricane Ida, experiences that further deepened the emotional connection between loss, compassion, and healing reflected throughout her writing.

Today, Despenza describes herself not only as an author but also as someone who continues to rediscover purpose later in life.

She speaks openly about balancing creativity, caregiving, stress, reinvention, and delayed dreams.

And perhaps that is part of why her work feels so authentic.

There is no polished literary distance in Despenza’s storytelling. No attempt to sanitize fear, grief, or uncertainty. Instead, her writing embraces the messy emotional truths many people carry silently after surviving hardship.

In many ways, Little Miracles of Katrina is not simply a book about a hurricane. It is a book about what remains after the storm passes. And for M.V. Despenza, that may be the greatest miracle of all.

Despenza’s books can be found:

M. V. Depenza

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Related video

M. V. Despenza in Her Own Words

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Truth Seekers Journal thrives because of readers like you. Join us in sustaining independent voices.

Chit Chat Atlanta Tours Launches Southside Remix Restaurant Experience Highlighting Black-Owned Culinary Culture

Chit Chat Atlanta Tours launches the Southside Remix Restaurant Tour Experience, spotlighting Black-owned restaurants, culture, and community across South Fulton and College Park.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | May 24, 2026

Chit Chat Atlanta Tours is expanding its cultural tourism footprint with the launch of the “Southside Remix Restaurant Tour Experience,” a new culinary and community-centered tour designed to spotlight Black-owned businesses across metro Atlanta’s Southside communities.

Curated by founder Carla Morrison, the immersive experience officially debuts Saturday, May 30, at 12 p.m., taking guests through portions of South Fulton’s Red Oak District and College Park’s Main Street corridor.

According to organizers, the experience blends food, culture, history, and economic empowerment while introducing participants to several Black-owned restaurants that have become staples within the Southside dining scene.

Featured stops on the inaugural tour include The Real Milk & Honey, Zubi’s Taco Kitchen, Gocha’s Tapas Bar, The Standard Kitchen, Grown & Sexy Tavern, and Sasha Sweets.

Morrison said the tour was intentionally created to celebrate both the culinary creativity and economic impact of Black entrepreneurs operating on Atlanta’s Southside.

“With this tour, we’re intentionally spotlighting the culture, the flavor, and the economic power of Black-owned businesses on the Southside,” Morrison said in a statement.

The tour targets food enthusiasts, cultural travelers, tourists, and metro Atlanta residents seeking a more immersive experience beyond traditional dining outings.

The launch reflects a growing trend in Atlanta tourism that centers cultural storytelling and neighborhood-based experiences, particularly in historically Black communities where food, music, entrepreneurship, and local history intersect.

Atlanta’s Southside has increasingly emerged as a destination for both culinary innovation and Black business development, with communities such as South Fulton and College Park attracting new restaurants, entertainment venues, and cultural attractions in recent years.

Organizers say space for the inaugural tour is limited and tickets are currently available online through Chit Chat Communications.
An extended promotional video previewing the Southside Remix Restaurant Tour Experience is also available on YouTube.

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ARTIST PROFILE: Jay Freeman

Jay Freeman, a Mississippi‑raised country soul artist, blends blues roots, working‑class grit, and rising talent as he prepares for his return to the Soul Country Music Star stage.

By Milton Kirby | Truth Seekers Journal | Artis Profile Series

Man With No Hometown, A Voice With No Boundaries

Jay Freeman likes to say he’s “the man with no hometown.” It’s not a gimmick — it’s a truth shaped by movement, memory, and the Mississippi soil that raised him in pieces. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with family roots stretching through the heart of the Delta, Jay grew up in a world where history wasn’t something you read — it was something you lived.

“I moved around a lot,” he said. “Mississippi played a major role in my upbringing and my influences.”

Those influences the blues, the juke joints, the working‑class grind, the echoes of Civil War history, and the voices of the elders who called him “Free” all stitched themselves into the artist he is becoming.

A Runner‑Up With a Winner’s Mindset

At the 2026 Soul Country Music Star Awards regional competition in Memphis, TN, Jay walked away as runner‑up. But he didn’t walk away defeated.

“I actually felt good,” he said. “Even in losing, I was noticeably improved.”

What makes that statement remarkable is what came next:
From last year’s competition until this year’s, Jay picked up his guitar only six times. Not because he didn’t care but because he works 55 to 57 hours a week as a blue‑collar laborer.

“I struggle with balancing work life and the arts,” he admitted. “A lot of artists don’t like to talk about it, but bills have to be paid.”

Still, the stage called him back. And when he stepped onto it, the audience noticed the growth. The judges noticed it. And Jay noticed it in himself.

A New Plan, A New Discipline

Now, he’s done with the excuses.
He’s done with the hesitation.
He’s done with the fear of being original.

“The confidence of being original that’s what I’m working on,” he said. “I relied too much on backing tracks. I should’ve shown them I can really play.”

Because yes — Jay can play.
He started learning guitar in 2020 during quarantine, sitting alone for hours, teaching himself chords and progressions.

His first song?
A Charlie Pride classic.

“His baritone was close to mine,” Jay said. “It made it easy to learn.” He studied Pride’s phrasing, tone, and emotional delivery until people started asking him, “Did you write that?” That’s when he knew he was onto something.

Choosing Songs, Choosing Identity

For the competition, Jay chose songs that reflected both his roots and his range.
The first was a crowd‑pleaser, something familiar, something that honored where he came from.
The second was a chart‑topping hit that showed he could move with the times.

The third song – the one he wanted most – didn’t make it to the stage.
His tuning was off.
The backing track didn’t line up.
And he refused to deliver anything less than his best.

That moment taught him something:
He can’t rely on tracks.
He has to rely on himself.

Lessons From the Judges

Jay spoke with the judges after the show including Kirk Jay and others who know the grind of rising from obscurity.

“They gave me real advice,” he said. “Background stories, how they got over the curve. They told me what I did well and what I needed to work on.”

One judge pulled him aside and told him she was proud of him, proud of his tone, proud of his courage, proud of his presence.

That stayed with him.

Prepared, Analytical, and Hungry

Jay doesn’t answer questions like someone guessing his way through a dream.
He answers like someone who has studied himself.
Someone who has replayed every moment.
Someone who is building a blueprint.

“I analyze everything,” he said. “Every action, every consequence. I think through all the possibilities.”

That mindset is going to carry him far.

What’s Next for Jay Freeman?

He isn’t chasing every contest – but he’s open.
He’s researching.
He’s preparing.
He’s sharpening his voice, his guitar work, and his stage presence.

“I came a lot stronger this year than last year,” he said. “And people noticed.”

He plans to keep that momentum going.

The Juke Joint Spirit

Jay has already played at the historic Blue Front Cafe a juke joint‑style venue outside Bentona, Mississippi, where blues legends once sharpened their craft.

“I’m at home in juke joints,” he said. “That’s my space.”

He’s also played in local spots where the crowd didn’t expect a young Black man to sing country — until he opened his mouth and changed the room.

“I love when people say, ‘I knew him when he first started,’” he said. “That’s a good feeling.”

The Man Behind the Music

Jay has lived many lives:

  • factory worker
  • blue‑collar laborer
  • artist finding his way

Each life gave him something; discipline, empathy, perspective.
He carries all of it into his music.

“I put it into a beautiful light,” he said. “So people can understand what I see.”

A Call to the Community

Jay is ready for more stages.
More juke joints.
More night spots.
More opportunities to grow.

If you know a venue looking for a rising country‑soul artist with grit, heart, and a voice shaped by Mississippi’s red clay and working‑class truth – Jay Freeman is ready.

Closing Note

Jay may call himself “the man with no hometown,” but his story is unmistakably rooted — in Mississippi, in resilience, in the blues, in country, and in the quiet determination of a man who knows he’s just getting started.

Next year’s Soul Country Music Star Awards won’t catch him unprepared.
He’s coming back.
He’s coming stronger.
And he’s coming with something to prove.

Jay Freeman in his own words

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Atlanta Turns Infrastructure into Canvas with New Public Mural in Mechanicsville

Atlanta unveils “Wild Seed, Wild Flower” mural in Mechanicsville, highlighting community, culture, and public art investment ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA  | April 21, 2026

The sun hadn’t quite decided what kind of day it wanted to be. On one side of the retaining wall, warmth. On the other, a stubborn chill that clung to jackets and fingertips. But even in that cold pocket of Windsor and Rawson, the mural behind us radiated its own heat, a 10,000‑square‑foot pulse of color, care, and community.

Mechanicsville has seen its share of seasons. Some harsh. Some hopeful. But on this morning, as neighbors, artists, city leaders, and children gathered at the foot of a seen and unseen wall, the neighborhood felt like it was stepping into a new chapter. It was painted in over 100 colors and more than 800 spray cans, but rooted in something older, deeper, and already alive.

“Murals aren’t just nice because they look nice,” said Adriane Jefferson, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “They’re absolutely necessary.”
She wasn’t talking about beautification. She was talking about story, the kind that lives in a community long before a ribbon is cut.

And that’s the truth of Wild Seed, Wild Flower: it didn’t arrive to make Mechanicsville beautiful. It arrived to reflect the beauty that was already here.

A Wall That Needed a Story

Councilmember Jason Dozier spoke like a man standing in his own living room.
“Welcome to my home community of Mechanicsville,” he said, and the crowd answered with warmth.

He told the story of the “big A wall,”  a massive, weathered stretch of concrete that residents passed daily, often with frustration. A wall that collected graffiti, grime, and the weight of being overlooked. A wall that sat beneath new rapid housing units, beneath the Beacon at Melody, beneath the quiet resilience of people rebuilding their lives.

Mechanicsville Mural by artist Charity Hamidullah – Photo by Milton Kirby

Dozier remembered telling the administration early on: We’ve got to do something about this wall.

And in that moment, you could feel the neighborhood nodding with him. Because every community has a wall like that — a place that holds the memory of what hasn’t yet changed.

But now, that same wall holds a child tying someone else’s shoe while tying their own — a gesture Mayor Andre Dickens interpreted as a symbol of Atlanta itself:
Helping others while helping ourselves.
Growing together.
A group project.

Art as Infrastructure, Art as Home

Mayor Dickens spoke about infrastructure, not the kind marked by orange cones and jackhammers, but the kind that shapes how a city feels.

“People are seeing these murals,” he said. “You’re seeing the social and artistic infrastructure that resonates with our emotions and our love of the city.”

It’s rare to hear a mayor talk about art with that kind of clarity. But in Atlanta, public art has long been a civic language. From Maynard Jackson to today, artists have been treated not as accessories to city life, but as partners in shaping it.

And this mural, the largest of the ten commissioned for the Bridges, Tunnels, and Walls program, stands as a testament to that partnership.

The Immigrant Who Helped Atlanta See Itself

When Monica Campana, co‑founder and executive director of Living Walls, stepped to the mic, she brought the story full circle.

She came to Atlanta in 2007 as an immigrant from Peru.
She founded Living Walls in 2010.
And she learned quickly that public art was the most democratic, accessible, and empowering way to claim space in a city.

“Public art made me feel like my voice mattered,” she said.
It made her feel seen.
It made Atlanta feel like home.

And then she said something that stayed with me long after the speeches ended:

“This mural is a love letter to Atlanta.”

A love letter written by artists from New Orleans, New York, Greece, Iran, Eritrea, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru,  and Atlanta itself.
A global chorus painting a local truth.

Charity Hamidullah – Photo by Milton Kirby

The Artist Who Saw God in Mechanicsville

When lead artist Charity Hamidullah spoke, the ceremony shifted.
Her voice carried something tender, something spiritual.

She talked about seeing children at the Dunbar Center — chalk on their hands, creativity in their eyes.
She talked about seeing God’s creativity in the neighborhood.
She talked about communities tying each other’s shoes, lifting each other up, dancing in harmony.

“This wall is just a mirror,” she said.
A mirror of Mechanicsville.
A mirror of Pittsburgh.
A mirror of South Downtown and Castleberry Hill.
A mirror of every place where people have survived, created, and loved each other through change.

Soccer Ball – Mechanicsville – Photo by Milton Kirby

Yes, the mural was created ahead of the World Cup.
Yes, the world will see it.
But Charity reminded us of the deeper truth:

“This community has been beautiful for a very long time.”

The mural didn’t create that beauty.
It simply made it impossible to ignore.

Mechanicsville Mural – Photo by Milton Kirby

A Wildflower That Will Keep Spreading

When the ribbon was finally cut, the crowd pressed forward — neighbors, artists, city staff, children, elders.
People touched the wall.
People took photos.
People lingered.

And in that lingering, you could feel something growing.

Wildflowers don’t bloom because someone is watching.
They bloom because the soil is ready.

Mechanicsville was ready.

This mural — this wild seed — will keep spreading. Not because of the World Cup.
Not because of the cameras.
But because the community it reflects has been blooming all along.

And now, the city has a wall that tells the truth.

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Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Nathaniel “Mr. Bowleggs” Dansby’s Soul Country journey reclaims Black roots in country music, blending faith, legacy, and storytelling into a timeless cultural revival.

Nathaniel “Mr. Bowleggs” Dansby Reclaims the Roots of Country Music

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | April 6, 2026

Nathaniel Dansby’s journey into Soul Country began long before he stepped onto a stage. Long before he became “Mr. Bowleggs,” the rising force who fought his way from third place to champion of the Soul Country Music Star (SCMS) competition, he was simply a boy in a crowded Alabama home—one of six children raised in a family where music wasn’t a hobby. It was a mandate.

“We were kind of like the Jackson 5,” he said with a grin. “We got our tail whooped if we didn’t stay in the room and practice until we perfected it.”

Under the strict but loving guidance of his mother, Dansby began singing at age three. By five, he was performing publicly with his siblings as The Little Gospel Wonders, carrying harmonies from church revivals to community gatherings across Alexander City. His mother saw something in him early, something she named out loud.

Nathaniel Dansby – Courtesy Photo

“My mom told me, ‘Nate, you’re my special child,’” he said. “I lost her in 1998, but I still hear her voice. Before I entered this competition, she came to me and said, ‘Hey, you got it. You’re a winner.’ I had to give it my all because I had that confirmation.”

Her belief became the quiet engine behind his reinvention, heartbreak, and eventual triumph.

A Calling, Not a Career

Dansby doesn’t describe music as a profession. He calls it a calling—one shaped by faith, family, and a desire to give people something real.

“I don’t want to create music just for now,” he said. “I want it to last forever.”

That spiritual grounding shapes not only how he sings, but why he sings. His mission is simple: to give people hope, to make them feel something, and to create music that outlives him.

Finding Country and Finding Himself

Country music was not always part of Dansby’s plan. After years rooted in gospel and R&B, he began singing country music about seven years ago. What started as a new direction quickly became something deeper, something that felt like home.

“I never thought in a million years I’d be singing country,” he said. “But it fits my heart.”

Country music offered him something the other genres didn’t: a place where storytelling, vulnerability, and emotional clarity mattered more than vocal gymnastics.

“Country music is a story. It’s life. I want people to see what I’m singing about.”

Rickey Davis Scott the musician and cultural historian and Soul Country Music Star judge —puts it plainly:

“The history of country music… it’s all from us. From the banjo in South Africa to the rhythms that shaped Hank Williams. Black artists aren’t new to country—we’re the architects.”

Season One: The Third Place Finisher Who Refused to Quit

Dansby’s first appearance on the SCMS stage didn’t end in victory — in fact, he didn’t even make it to the top two. He finished third at the Atlanta regional competition in Season One. The placement stung, not because he expected an easy win, but because he knew he hadn’t yet shown the fullness of who he could be. “I thought, ‘I’m good, I got this,’” he admitted. “But I didn’t. I wasn’t prepared.”

Scott remembers it clearly.

“He went up there and sang R&B,” Scott said. “He didn’t know the country lyrics, the catalog, the tradition. The voice was there, but the identity wasn’t activated yet.”

The crowd loved him.
The judges didn’t.
And he felt the sting.

But he didn’t quit.

“It taught me to give everything—my pain, my soul—because if people can’t feel it, there’s no point.”

The Transformation

After Season One, Dansby went to work.

He studied country music intentionally, the artists, the phrasing, the emotional truth‑telling that defines the genre. He learned to sing country, not imitate it.

“He’d come to me talking about songs he heard on the radio,” Scott said. “That’s when I knew he was embracing the culture, not just the sound.”

Dansby became, in his own words, a musical chameleon, able to shift between genres without losing himself.

“I realized the only thing stopping me was me.”

Season Two: The Redemption and the Crown

When Dansby returned for Season Two, he wasn’t the same artist who had finished third the year before. He came back humble, focused, and prepared—determined not to repeat the mistakes of his first run.

He was grounded.
Focused.
Present.

“I wanted to give everything in my soul so people could feel it,” he said.

And they did.

This time, he didn’t just advance, he dominated. Dansby won the Atlanta regional competition, earning his place on the national stage in Hollywood. And when he stepped into that spotlight, he delivered the performance of his life.

He killed it.
The festival crowd loved him.
And the judges felt what they hadn’t felt before: a fully realized Soul Country artist.

When his name was called as the Season Two national winner, the room erupted. The man who once doubted whether he belonged in country music had now proven himself at the highest level.

“Going to LA showed me I belonged,” he said. “It showed me I could stand with anybody.”

Now, with a potential 2026 tour with the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) on the horizon, Dansby returns to the national spotlight not as a newcomer, but as a contender—sharpened, seasoned, and ready for whatever comes next.

“It was the greatest feeling of my life,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

 “I want to leave my footprint in the sand. I want people to say, ‘He was here, and he’s here to stay.’”

A Performer Driven by Connection

On stage, Dansby doesn’t perform to the audience, he performs with them.

He describes entering a “zone,” where the goal is not perfection but impact. Whether through clapping, movement, or quiet attention, he looks for signs that the audience feels the music.

“That connection fuels me,” he said. “It turns each song into a shared experience.”

The Cultural Weight of Soul Country

To understand Dansby’s rise, you have to understand the movement behind him.

Soul Country Music Star is not just a talent competition—it is a cultural restoration. A reclamation of a musical tradition whose roots are Black, Southern, rural, and deeply African.

“We’re creative people,” Scott said. “Everything the world loves—we created. Country music is no different.”

Dansby is part of that reclamation—a living reminder of what was lost, and what is returning.

BPIR: The Cultural Homecoming

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo—the nation’s oldest Black rodeo—has become a proving ground for Soul Country artists. It is where Black audiences show up early, buy tickets, buy merch, and support their own.

“It’s a blessing to the people,” Dansby said. “That’s what excites me most—connecting with them.”

Scott sees BPIR as a cultural anchor.

“It’s a community” he said. It’s a place where our artists can be embraced without running away from their own people.”

The Duet the World Is Waiting For

Dansby and fellow Soul Country artist Kirk Jay have been discussing a duet—a collaboration both artists believe could be a defining moment for the genre.

Dansby says the contrast in their vocal styles is what makes the idea so powerful.

“When we finally record it, it’s going to be something special,” he said.

Scott agrees.

“Two Black men in country, both with powerhouse voices—that’s rare. That’s history.”

A Legacy in the Sand

At 43, Dansby sees his career not as a late start, but as a divine timeline.

He wants his music to be evergreen.
He wants his story to inspire.
He wants his children—and the world—to know that anything is possible.

“I want to leave my footprint in the sand,” he said. “I want people to say, ‘He was here, and he’s here to stay.’”

As “Mr. Bowleggs” continues his ascent, he carries Alexander City, The Little Gospel Wonders, and the full weight of Soul Country’s rebirth with him—proving that the soul of country music has always been right where it started: in the heart.

Country Roots, Diverse Beats: Celebrating the Rich Tapestry of Soul in Country Music.

Agricenter International Showplace Theater – 7777 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38120

Agricenter International Showplace Arena – 105 Germantown Parkway, Cordova, TN 38018

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

Rodeo for Kidz Sake – Friday, April 10, 2026 | 10:00am

Music Competition – Friday, April 10, 2026 | Doors open 7:00pm Competition 8:00pm

BPIR Rodeo – Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 1:30 pm or 7:30 pm

Event Tickets and additional information

Upcoming in the TSJ series – Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

— Rodeo for Kids’ Sake and the Next Generation

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Obama Foundation Partners with After School Matters to Launch Youth Programs at Presidential Center

Milton Kirby | Chicago, IL | April 4, 2026

The Obama Foundation has announced a major youth programming partnership with After School Matters, positioning Chicago teens at the center of its mission as the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open this summer.

The partnership will bring paid, hands-on programs to teens across Chicago’s South Side, marking a significant investment in youth development, workforce readiness, and community engagement. The initiative will operate through the Center’s Teen Action Lab, a dedicated space designed to empower young people with practical skills, mentorship, and leadership opportunities.

According to the Foundation, the programs will launch in July with two initial offerings: Basketball, Health & Wellness and Volleyball, Health & Wellness. Both programs will take place at Home Court, a key facility on the Presidential Center campus, and are open to high school students ages 14 to 18 from South Shore, Woodlawn, and Washington Park.

Participants will not only gain access to structured athletic programming, but also receive stipends—an important feature that reflects a broader commitment to valuing teens’ time, effort, and growth.

“This is about more than sports,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, in the official announcement. “It’s about building skills, strengthening communities, and inspiring the next generation of changemakers.”

The collaboration signals a deeper alignment between two organizations with long-standing commitments to youth empowerment. For more than 35 years, After School Matters has provided Chicago teens with access to after-school and summer programs spanning the arts, STEM, communications, and leadership development. Its project-based model, led by industry professionals, has reached hundreds of thousands of young people across the city.

Mary Ellen Caron, CEO of After School Matters, emphasized the broader impact of the partnership, noting that programs like these create safe, welcoming spaces where teens can grow both personally and professionally.

“Sports can be a gateway,” Caron said. “They build confidence, create connection, and open doors to mentorship and opportunity that extend far beyond the court.”

The Teen Action Lab is expected to expand over time, with additional programming and partnerships already in development. Organizations such as My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, and Laureus USA are all expected to contribute to a growing ecosystem of youth-focused initiatives at the Center.

The announcement underscores the broader vision behind the Obama Presidential Center—not just as a museum or tourist destination, but as a living civic space rooted in community impact. Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Center aims to generate economic opportunity while serving as a hub for education, leadership, and public engagement.

For teens in surrounding neighborhoods, the opportunity is immediate and tangible: paid programs, skill-building experiences, and direct access to mentorship—all within a space designed to reflect their potential.

Applications for the Teen Action Lab programs are now open, with limited spots available. Interested students must complete a Program Interest Form and participate in an interview process.

As the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open its doors, this partnership offers an early glimpse into how the campus intends to function—not just as a symbol of history, but as an active investment in the future.

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