Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo expands its legacy of community care through a new partnership with Guardant Health, bringing life‑saving colorectal cancer screening and education directly to Black communities.

Riding for Our Lives: How the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Is Expanding Its Legacy of Community Care Through a New Partnership With Guardant Health

By Milton Kirby | Memphis, TN | May 1, 2026

For forty‑two years, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) has been more than a showcase of Black cowboy excellence. It has been a cultural institution, a traveling classroom, a family reunion, and a lifeline — a place where heritage is preserved, children are affirmed, and communities gather to celebrate themselves. Long before “community engagement” became a corporate buzzword, BPIR was already doing the work: educating youth, supporting families, creating safe spaces, and showing up in cities where resources were thin but hope was abundant.

That legacy continues today through the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Foundation (BPIRF), whose mission is rooted in value‑driven philanthropy and whose vision is clear: preserving heritage, empowering communities, and inspiring generations. Since 1987, the Foundation has delivered health and wellness programs, STEM initiatives, scholarships, senior support, emotional‑intelligence workshops, and anti‑violence education across the country. Its values, generosity, compassion, empathy, equity, inclusion — are not slogans. They are the operating system.

So, when BPIR announced a new partnership with Guardant Health, a trusted leader in blood-based cancer tests for more than a decade, as part of its “Riding Across America for Community Health” initiative, it wasn’t a pivot. It was a continuation.
It was BPIR doing what BPIR has always done: meeting the community where it is and bringing life‑saving information directly to the people who need it most.

The Heartbeat of the Mission: Rodeo for Kidz Sake

If you want to understand BPIR’s soul, you start with the children.

The Rodeo for Kidz Sake (RFKS) program is one of the most powerful expressions of BPIR’s values, an immersive, educational, joy‑filled introduction to Black cowboys and cowgirls, Western history, and the “cowboy mystique” that shapes childhood imagination. For many inner‑city students, RFKS is their first time seeing a horse up close, touching an animal, or witnessing Black excellence in a space they never knew belonged to them.

On Friday, April 10, nearly 4,000 students filled the AgriCenter Showplace Arena in Memphis. They laughed, learned, asked questions, and saw themselves reflected in a history that has too often been erased. RFKS events now take place in Denver, Memphis, and Washington, D.C./Maryland and for many children, the experience is life‑changing.

Margo Wade‑LaDrew, National Development / Sponsorship Director told me this as cowboys and cowgirls streamed past us, moving through the lines to enter the arena for Saturday night’s show a reminder that BPIR’s commitment to community isn’t theoretical. It lives in the dust, the boots, the laughter, and the anticipation of families gathering for a night of culture and competition.

“The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is committed to empowering and uplifting communities across the country through dynamic outreach initiatives. We focus on promoting health, education, emotional intelligence, life skills, career development, anti‑bullying, and anti‑violence awareness,” she said. “This new partnership with Guardant Health is in total alignment with that legacy.”

RFKS is the heartbeat of that commitment — a reminder that BPIR’s work is not just about preserving the past, but preparing the next generation to thrive.

A Longstanding Commitment to Health and Healing

BPIRF’s health outreach didn’t begin with Guardant Health.
For years, the Foundation has delivered timely education on:

COVID‑19 and flu vaccination
Domestic and community violence prevention
Anti‑bullying and emotional intelligence
Mental health and suicide prevention
Breast cancer, prostate health, diabetes, and high blood pressure

Through partnerships with Anti‑Violence Ventures and the Black Beauty & Wellness Foundation, BPIRF has created safe spaces for emotional expression, healing, and empowerment — reaching both men and women with culturally grounded resources.

This is the context that makes the Guardant partnership meaningful.
BPIR wasn’t looking for a sponsor.
It was looking for alignment.
And it found it.

The Crisis: Colorectal Cancer in Black America

Colorectal cancer is the second‑leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

For Black Americans, the burden is even heavier:

20% higher incidence
40% higher mortality
More likely to be diagnosed at a younger age
More likely to be diagnosed at a later stage

The difference between early and late detection is staggering:

91% survival when caught early
13% survival when caught late

We don’t fully understand why colorectal cancer behaves more aggressively in Black patients. But we do know this: early detection saves lives.

And that is where Guardant Health enters the story.

Shield Across America: Innovation Meets the Arena

On April 11, 2026, the Guardant Health mobile colon cancer screening education tour bus rolled into Memphis to join BPIR’s tour stop, marking a milestone in the “Riding Across America for Community Health” initiative. The bus is part of Shield Across America, a nationwide effort to expand access to colorectal cancer screening and education about Shield, the first and only test FDA‑approved as a primary screening option for colorectal cancer for average‑risk adults 45 and older.

Shield is:

non‑invasive
accessible
covered by Medicare, and the VA Community Care Network
designed to meet people where they are

For communities facing systemic barriers to healthcare including Black Americans this partnership is more than symbolic. It is lifesaving.

Courtesy photo – Sam Asgarian, Guardant Health’s vice president of clinical development for screening

The Science Behind Shield: A Conversation With Dr. Sam Asgarian

To understand the test’s impact, I spoke with Dr. Sam Asgarian, Guardant Health’s vice president of clinical development for screening. He explained that Shield’s FDA approval was built on one of the largest colorectal cancer screening studies ever conducted.

In 2019, Guardant launched the ECLIPSE Study, enrolling more than 20,000 Americans across the country. The goal was not just size – it was representation.

“We made sure the study matched the demographics of the United States,” Asgarian said. “Not just white participants, not just white and Black participants — but a true reflection of the country.”

The results were strong:

83% detection rate for colorectal cancers
10% false‑positive rate
Consistent performance across ethnicities

For Black families who have historically been excluded from clinical trials, this matters.

Cost, Coverage, and the Reality of Access

Eligible Medicare Part B or Fee for Service (FFS) patients will have $0 out-of-pocket cost for the Shield test. Medicare Advantage patients may be subject to co-pays, co-insurances and deductibles, depending on their specific plan. Veterans have zero copay through VA Community Care.

Coverage varies depending on private insurance.

But here’s where Guardant does something unusual:
They don’t leave patients to navigate the insurance maze alone.

“Every time a test is ordered, we reach out to patients,” Asgarian said. “We tell them what we think their coverage will be. We work with insurance companies. We help with financial assistance. We don’t want people going through that alone.”

As someone who has had two colonoscopies myself, I asked whether people like me could switch to the blood test going forward.

“It’s entirely up to you and your physician,” he said. “You have options now.”

Optionality saves lives.

Memphis: What Happened on the Ground

The Shield Across America tour launched in Las Vegas in March, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Since then, it has made several stops across the country navigating festivals, charity walks, and any event with enough space to park a 45‑foot mobile lab. The BPIR was a natural partnership for the tour.

Outside the arena, I saw a steady flow of people approaching the Shield Across America. Inside, Guardant had a table set up for conversations, questions, and education. I didn’t see the table myself — I was photographing from the opposite side of the arena — but the team reported strong engagement.

Even a few hundred screenings can shift outcomes in a community.

Looking Ahead: Atlanta and Beyond

When I asked about the next stop, Asgarian said the team was still finalizing the Atlanta layout, but that the latest information could be found at ShieldCancerScreen.com.

BPIR is uniquely positioned to make this work.
The rodeo is already a family event.
Adding health engagement to the pre‑show atmosphere is a natural fit.

This is not a one‑off partnership.
It is the beginning of a sustained health equity effort.

The Human Barrier: Fear, Anxiety, and Avoidance

Asgarian said something that stayed with me:

“People aren’t avoiding screening because they don’t care. They’re afraid. They’ve had bad experiences. They don’t trust the system. They don’t know what’s available.”

This is why meeting people at the rodeo matters.
When people are in a space they love — surrounded by culture, joy, and community — they are more open to engaging with healthcare.

BPIR becomes the bridge between fear and action.

The Role of Trusted Media

When I asked what Truth Seekers Journal could do to strengthen the partnership, Asgarian didn’t hesitate:

“There’s so much noise in the world. Breakthroughs get drowned out. When people hear about this from a trusted source — your publication — it means more. It pushes them to act.”

That is the responsibility of Black media:
to amplify what saves us, not just what threatens us.

Colorectal cancer is the second‑leading cancer killer.
But unlike many cancers, early detection changes everything.

This is breakthrough technology.
This is life‑saving access.
This is information our community deserves.

Closing: Riding for Our Lives

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo has always been about more than competition. It is about culture, community, and care. It is about honoring the past while protecting the future. It is about showing up; for children, for families, for elders, for each other.

Now, through its partnership with Guardant Health, BPIR is riding for something even deeper: our lives.

Preserving heritage.
Empowering communities.
Inspiring generations.
Protecting futures. One family, one child, one screening, one city at a time.

Event Tickets and additional information

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Names 2025 Champions After a Year of Grow and New Partnerships and a Powerful Legacy

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo National Finals Nominated for USA TODAY’s Best Rodeo Award

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Celebrates 40 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American Rodeo of Champions Thrills Denver Audience

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

April 28, 2026

This column exists for only one purpose; that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you do not already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next … players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Freddie Oliver of McKeesport, PA, posed the following question for me this week: who were the best umpires in the Negro Leagues?

Not sure I am qualified to rank ‘em but after Rube Foster’s decision to hire Black umpires in 1923 they enjoyed just over three decades of excellent arbitrating with just as many complaints as umpires come to expect. I will briefly mention three of the Men in Blue that serve to bookend both the history of the Negro Leagues and the legacy of African American umpires in Black Baseball.

W.W. “Billy” Donaldson

Billy Donaldson was the quiet architect of Negro League umpiring professionalism. When Rube Foster decided in 1923 that Black umpires should call Black baseball, Donaldson was one of the first men he trusted. He worked with a calm, deliberate style — never rushed, never rattled — and players respected him because he respected the game. Donaldson helped establish the standards that would guide the leagues for decades: crisp signals, firm control, and a sense that the umpire was part of the game’s dignity. His name does not ring out like the stars he officiated, but the league’s stability in its early years owes much to him. Donaldson officiated in two East-West Classics in 1936 and 1937.

Bert Gholston

Bert Gholston was the steady hand beside Donaldson, a man whose reputation rested on consistency. He was not flashy, and he did not need to be. Gholston worked some of the most heated games of the 1920s and ’30s, and he did it with a temperament that players trusted. He was the umpire who kept arguments from becoming brawls, who could defuse a dugout with a look, who understood that the best umpires are remembered not for their calls but for their control. Gholston helped give the Negro National League its backbone during years when the league’s survival depended on professionalism. Gholston worked well into the 40s. In 1923 he debuted with Donaldson as part of the Negro National League’s first all‑Black umpiring crew.

Bob Motley

Bob Motley brought a sense of theater to the Negro Leagues, but it was never empty showmanship — it was authority earned the hard way. A Marine who survived the Battle of Okinawa returned home with a presence that players felt the moment he stepped on the field. Motley called games in the Negro American League’s final years, working All‑Star contests and barnstorming tours with the same crisp mechanics and booming voice. He understood that the umpire’s job was to keep the game honest, and he did it with flair, humor, and absolute command. When the leagues faded, he became their great storyteller, carrying the memory of Monarchs, Grays, and Crawfords into the 21st century. Motley worked at least three East-West Classics. Often called the “last surviving Negro League umpire.” Mr. Motley passed away in 2017.

All three of these umpires – the Alpha’s Donaldson & Gholston and the Omega Motley – do indeed bookend Negro League history. All three received votes in an ongoing poll – the 42 for ’21 poll – of Negro League fans, researchers, writers, artists, collectors, historians, and students. Donaldson and Gholston finished tied for 115^th among 154 players and personages considered in the poll. Bob Motley, more current, finished tied for 42^nd.

Other noteworthy umpires include former players such as Oscar Charleston, Bullet Rogan, Mule Stuttle, Phil Cockrell, and Hurley McNair. Veteran arbiters like Fred McGreary and Virgil Bluett, each of whom worked a dozen East-West Classics or fabled legends like Jacob Francis, who performed in the 1885 New York State League, and is considered the earliest Black umpire in an otherwise White professional league. The National Baseball Hall of Fame is very much behind in terms of inducting Negro League players and managers; I wonder if they could find room for one of these competent umpires?

Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week went unanswered: What feared slugger was the first to hit a home run in a Negro League East-West Classic? The Classic was the official name of the Negro League All Star game. None of my readers produced George “Mule” Suttles who took Sam Streeter to the upper deck in the 4^th inning of the initial Negro League All Star game in 1934.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Seven players have appeared in both a Negro League East-West Classic and a National League/American League All Star game, six of them have been inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Name the 7^th who is not inducted? Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr is a respected Negro League baseball historian, a longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and the founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference as well as several Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

Beyond his research and organizing work, Ted is frequently invited to speak at sporting events, community programs, family gatherings, and educational forums, where he brings Negro League history to life. His deep knowledge of the players, teams, and cultural impact of Black baseball has made him a trusted voice for audiences who want to understand the legacy and significance of the Negro Leagues.

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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.

Atlanta Marks Major Housing Milestone with Opening of The Beacon at Cooper Street

Atlanta Launches Human Rights Plan Ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

City of Atlanta Launches ATL BIZ: New Platform Set to Simplify Permits, Taxes, and Payments Services

City Leaders Help Atlantans Start Fresh at Justice Fair

Atlanta Pauses Construction for Fourth of July, Ramps Up FIFA World Cup Prep

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

April 14, 2026

… this column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

– players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Last week’s The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was the first African American pitcher to toss a no-hitter in Major League baseball? Sounds like a straightforward question but due to the peculiar history of Negro League baseball it is not so straight. Turns out there are three answers that I find acceptable: very acceptable. Let’s take a look at them in order.

On May 12, 1955, New York Giant right hander Sam Jones became the first African American to toss a Major League no hitter when he held the Pittsburgh Pirates hitless in a 4-0 victory. Shadowball favorite Will Clark nailed this one just half a day after it was posted.

Sam Jones had a solid big-league career. In addition to the no hitter, Jones had several other distinctions. Him & Quincey Trouppe formed the first African American battery in the American League. Jones was the runner-up to Early Wynn for the 1959 Cy Young award and tops in the NL. Sam Jones career strikeouts per 9 innings (7.5) was higher than all Major League pitchers with as many or more innings pitched than he had when he pitched his last game on October 3, 1964 (i.e. more than the Big Train, Rapid Robert Feller, Rube Waddell, Dazzy Vance and everyone else in MLB history).

Shadowball reader Matt Garvey offered some info that led me to an answer I had not considered but should have. He mentioned that Bill Gatewood had several no hitters. That got me to take a look at Gatewood. Negro League historian Phil S. Dixon offers that Gatewood may have authored as many as twenty no hitters at various levels of competition throughout his career. Phil has found documentation on six of them. One of them occurred on June 6, 1921, and, since December 16, 2020,when MLB designated 7 specific Negro Leagues (including the Negro National League in 1921) as Major. So, the first Major League no hitter by an African American was thrown by big Bill Gatewood in 1921, the second season of “Major” Negro League baseball.

I have one more possibly correct answer in mind – Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones who, in his major league debut, took the ball for the Cincinnati Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates 0n October 15, 1892. Ol’ Bumpus went on to be the only pitcher to toss a big league no hitter in first game in the majors. It also was the last game pitched from a pitcher’s box, instead of a mound, 50 feet way from home. It also, if local newspaper sources (as well as early family census records) are accurate he was the first Major League pitcher of African descent. He was referred to as mulatto in the census and colored in local newspaper articles.

If you are keeping score here is a list of select Major League baseball no hitters pitched by African Americans:

#1 10/15/1892 Bumpus Jones National League

#2 O6/06/1921 Bill Gatewood Negro National League

#3-21 numerous pitchers, including Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Leon Day, and a combined no no by Jose Mendez and Bullet Joe Rogan.

#22 05/12/1955 Sam Jones National League

Ol’ Sam Jones went to his grave thinking he was the first.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What feared slugger was the first to hit a home run in a Negro League East-West Classic? The Classic was the official name of the Negro League All Star game. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

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Atlanta Dream Acquire All‑Star Angel Reese in Major Trade With Chicago Sky

Atlanta Dream acquire All-Star Angel Reese from Chicago Sky, adding elite rebounding and championship pedigree after historic 2025 season, signaling serious title ambitions in 2026.

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

The Atlanta Dream made one of the biggest moves of the WNBA offseason on Monday, acquiring two‑time All‑Star Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in exchange for the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first‑round draft picks. Atlanta also receives the right to swap second‑round picks with Chicago in 2028.

Reese, already one of the league’s most productive young players, joins a franchise coming off a historic 2025 season under first‑year head coach Karl Smesko. The 22‑year‑old forward has quickly become one of the WNBA’s premier frontcourt forces, averaging 14.0 points and 12.8 rebounds over her first two seasons while recording 49 career double‑doubles.

“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” Dream General Manager Dan Padover said. “Her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision.”

Reese’s arrival also brings a significant boost to the Dream’s visibility.

Beyond her on‑court production, she enters Atlanta as one of the WNBA’s most influential social media figures, with a following that extends far beyond traditional basketball audiences. Her presence is expected to elevate the Dream’s national profile and draw new fans to a franchise already on the rise.

Reese first captured national attention by leading LSU to the 2023 NCAA championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors. Her transition to the professional game has been equally impactful. She set WNBA rookie records for rebounds per game (13.1) and consecutive double‑doubles (15) in 2024, and remains the only player in league history to average at least 12 rebounds per game in each of her first two seasons.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”

Smesko, who transformed Atlanta from last in offensive rating in 2024 to second in 2025, said Reese’s style fits the system he is building.

“Angel’s ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is elite,” Smesko said. “Her energy, toughness and instincts will thrive in our system.”

The Dream enter the 2026 season with momentum after multiple players delivered career‑best performances last year. Allisha Gray finished fourth in MVP voting, Rhyne Howard became the fastest player in league history to reach 300 three‑pointers, Naz Hillmon earned Sixth Player of the Year honors, and Brionna Jones doubled her career total of double‑doubles in her first season with Atlanta.

Atlanta opens the 2026 season at home on May 17 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena, one of five games the Dream will play there this year as part of the organization’s push to elevate women’s basketball on larger stages.

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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.

“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

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

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

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Kirk Jay rises from The Voice to Soul Country leader, using BPIR platform to elevate Black country artists and reclaim a powerful musical legacy.

Kirk Jay and the Rise of Soul Country: How a Small‑Town Singer Became the Voice of a Cultural Return

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | March 28, 2026

When Kirk Jay steps onto the dirt floor of a Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo arena, the crowd doesn’t just hear a singer – they witness a movement taking shape. The Alabama‑born artist, who first captured national attention with a third‑place finish on Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice, has become the face of a growing shift: Black artists returning to a genre they helped shape.

In 2025, Jay toured with the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) and served as a judge for the Soul Country Music Star competition. This year, he returns as the Show Host for Season 3 — a full‑circle moment for the platform’s first champion and winner of its $10,000 grand prize.

“I think Soul Country Music Star gave me a name,” he said. “It’s paving the way for Black country artists like me to get out there and showcase our talent. And I’m having fun. I’m building relationships, gaining fans, and growing as an artist.”

Now a central figure in both Soul Country Music Star and BPIR, Jay has become more than a performer. He is, in many ways, proof of concept.

“It helped elevate what I do and put it in front of people who needed to hear it,” Jay said.

A Country Childhood in Bay Minette

Jay is quick to correct anyone who tries to claim him as a Mobile native. “I’m from Bay Minette,” he said with pride. “A lot of people say Mobile, but I spent most of my time in this little town called Bay Minette.”

His roots run deep in the red clay of South Alabama. His parents were devoted fans of old‑school country Ronnie Milsap, Mariah, Night Train and the soundtrack of his childhood blended gospel harmonies with country storytelling.

“We’re no gimmick,” he said. “My family is country. We fish, we ride, we do all the country stuff. This is our lifestyle.”

Jay’s musical journey began in church, where he taught himself piano by ear. After services, he would slip back into the sanctuary, turn to the piano, and mimic what he heard the musicians play. He never learned to read music. Even today, every song begins with a melody — a hum, a chord progression, a feeling — long before any lyrics appear.

“Producers get mad at me,” he laughed. “They say, ‘Why you always start with melody?’ But that’s just how God gave it to me.”

Finding His Voice and His Calling

Jay discovered his vocal gift in the ninth grade after winning a school talent show. That moment sparked a journey that took him across Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, performing at open mics and learning how audiences responded to his sound.

His breakout moment on The Voice came with his rendition of “In Case You Didn’t Know,” a cover delivered with such sincerity that many fans assumed it was his original. “That’s marketing,” he said with a grin. “You sing it like it was meant for you.”

For Jay, country music is not an act, it’s inheritance.

“Country music belongs to us, and nobody does it like us,” he said. “Nobody brings that feeling, that soul… like we do. We are the roots. We are the fire. We are the history.”

The Soul Country Connection

Jay’s introduction to Soul Country Music Star came through his first manager, who urged him to audition. After researching the platform, he realized he had found something rare: a space intentionally built for Black country artists.

“I said, ‘Man, this could take me to another level,’” he recalled. “And it did.”

Winning the competition opened doors not just for him, but for the movement itself. His success demonstrated that Soul Country Music Star could identify, elevate, and launch Black country talent on a national scale.

His authenticity resonates deeply with fans, especially young listeners who see themselves reflected in his journey. Many reach out with collaboration requests, concert inquiries, and messages of inspiration.

Growing Through the Rodeo

Performing at BPIR events has sharpened Jay’s artistry. Rodeo arenas are loud, cavernous, and unpredictable. Thousands of fans fill the stands, and the acoustics shift with every stomp of a boot.

“You really got to know yourself as an artist,” he said. “It’s a big platform. You have to study your craft and stay consistent.”

The rodeo crowds have embraced him, and he credits BPIR with expanding his audience, boosting his music sales, and deepening his connection to the culture that raised him.

Jay now has more than 87,000 Instagram followers – many of them young Black fans who see in him a version of themselves they’ve never seen on a country stage.

Reclaiming a Sound That Started With Us

Jay speaks openly about the erasure of Black contributions to country music and the urgency of reclaiming that history.

“Country music belongs to us,” he said. “Nobody brings the soul, the feeling, the heart like we do. We’ve been pushed out, but it’s slowly evolving. We’re coming back.”

He sees Soul Country Music Star and BPIR as essential to that restoration.

“I don’t want Black country artists to feel dismissed. We matter. Our sound matters. What we bring is special. We can’t stop doing it. We have to make our mark.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

When asked about youth events like the upcoming “For Kids Sake Rodeo” in Memphis, Jay lit up at the idea of children seeing a Black country artist up close.

“It’s a chance for kids to see our culture,” he said. “Nobody getting hurt, nobody getting shot just doing what we love. Country stuff.”

Even though he isn’t scheduled to perform at that event, the concept resonated deeply. “That’s another step for our youth,” he said. “We’re training up the next generation.”

A Partnership With History

Jay’s partnership with BPIR marked a turning point in his career. Performing for thousands in packed arenas pushed him to grow as a professional and as a cultural ambassador.

“Those stages are big platforms,” he said. “Inside those rodeos, it’s sometimes hard to hear… but the fans reach out being inspired by the approach and delivery.”

His role has since expanded from performer to judge and host, helping Soul Country Music Star scout the next generation of talent. His mission is clear: ensuring that Black culture is no longer erased or sidelined from the genre it helped create.

The Soul Country Music Star Anthem

Jay is currently working on the Soul Country Music Star Anthem, written by Michelle R. Johnson. When he first read the lyrics — “We are the roots, we are the sound, we are the history…” — he felt tears forming before he reached the ten‑second mark.

“I know when a song is a hit,” he said. “This anthem is going to be powerful.”

He hopes to finish it before the first rodeo date of the season.

A Vision Bigger Than Music

As the interview wound down, Jay shared a vision that extends far beyond stages and spotlights.

“I love Bill Pickett Rodeo. I love Soul Country Music Star,” he said. “I want to keep traveling and building relationships until we are heard, respected, and seen. Until we come together as one big family.”

His dream is a world where artists respect each other’s gifts, where racism loses its grip, and where traditions Black cowboys, Black country artists, Soul Country, BPIR — are passed down to future generations.

“Life is so short,” he said “Let’s fly. Let’s love one another. Let’s take care of our families.”

A Movement, Not a Moment

As Soul Country Music Star enters its next season and BPIR continues its national tour, Jay remains focused on growth, connection, and purpose. “I just want to keep building, keep traveling, keep being heard,” he said. His vision extends beyond music toward unity, recognition, and cultural preservation.

“We’ve got to come together,” he said. “Respect each other’s gift and let the tradition live on.”

Because Kirk Jay isn’t just a singer.
He’s a bridge between past and future—between what country music became and what it was always meant to be.
And as Soul Country Music Star rises, he stands at the center of a cultural return that’s only just beginning.

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

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

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

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

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

— Nathaniel Dansby (Mr. Bowleggs) : The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
— Expanding Its Legacy of Community Care Through a New Partnership with Guardant Health

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Names 2025 Champions After a Year of Grow and New Partnerships and a Powerful Legacy

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo National Finals Nominated for USA TODAY’s Best Rodeo Award

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Celebrates 40 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American Rodeo of Champions Thrills Denver Audience

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

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

A few weeks ago, I asked readers: What manager has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Negro League performance? Nobody offered a guess, so I gave everybody credit because just like umpires, second baseman, right fielders, and true left fielders — there are no managers in the Hall for Negro League play. To be clear, 24 of the 37 Negro League Hall of Famers did manage but none of them are in for that role.

This begs the question – which Negro League managers do deserve – like John McGraw, Connie Mack, or Ned Hanlon – induction in Cooperstown.

My favorite Negro League Hall of Fame Managerial Candidates:

#5 Frank Duncan, jr – true baseball lifer … guided the Kansas City Monarchs to a World Series win as a rookie manager in 1942 … 86 games over .500 … captured another pennant after the war in ’46. Managed five Hall of Famers. Ranked 59^th most eligible candidate in the 42 for ’21 poll.

#4 Frank Warfield – a favorite of mine but not a first ballot candidate … among his strengths: his career record is 84 games over .500, with three pennants (with two different franchises) and a 1925 World Series title with the Hilldale Club. Manage 8 Hall of Famers. Ranked 56^th in the 42 for ’21.

SLAM DUNKS:

#3 Dave Malarcher – perhaps a stronger candidate as a third baseman … succeeded Rube Foster as American Giant manager during the ’26 season; stabilized the team capturing 2^nd half flag, defeating the Monarchs in the playoff before winning the World Series over Atlantic City. Repeated in ’27 over those same Atlantic City Bacharach Giants. Won a 3^rd pennant in ’32. Managed 4 Hall of Famers. 22^nd in the 42 for ’21 poll.

#2 Candy Jim Taylor – 13^th in the 42 for ’21 poll (although 3^rd in his family behind Hall of Famer Ben Taylor and 11^th place C.I. Taylor) … managed more games in Negro League play than all other managers … like Connie Mack, Candy Jim had a losing record but did capture two World Series and three pennants … managed 14 Hall of Famers

#1 Vic Harris has the best winning percentage of any Major League manager with more than 370 games in the dugout … Only three managers (McGraw, Mack, McCarthy) during the Segregated Era have won more than his seven pennants. He is ranked 6^th in the 42 for ’21 poll and has managed 15 Hall of Fame players.

All three of those Harris, Taylor and Malarcher should have been in the National Baseball Hall of Fame years ago.

Others deserving consideration: Quincey Trouppe, Felton Snow, Grant Johnson, C.I. Taylor, John Reese, Jose Maria Fernandez, Dizzy Dimukes, Piper Davis, and Winfield Welch. Many of these also should be considered as executives (Taylor) and/or players (Johnson, Trouppe, Davis). I guess my main point would be the Hall of Fame has some work to do in honoring Negro League players in general and Managers specifically.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was the first African American pitcher to toss a no hitter in Major League baseball? I will accept two answers for this question for reasons that will be obvious next column – dateline April 14^th, 2^nd Tuesday of the month. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Last week’s The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was Major League slugger Barry Bonds Godfather? No one offered a guess, but it was another five tool outfielder Willie Mays. I hope some more folks offer a guess to this week’s Significa question above.

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Howard Johnson, BPIR head judge, shapes Soul Country by listening for authenticity, guiding emerging artists, and preserving Black musical and Western cultural traditions.

The Judge Who Hears What Others Miss: Howard Johnson and the Soul of Soul Country Music Star

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

At the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, where heritage and innovation ride side by side, Howard Johnson is more than a judge – he is a careful listener, weighing not just sound, but story, spirit, and the deeper truth behind each performance.

To most rodeo fans, he is the steady presence behind the judges’ table.
But Johnson’s story stretches far beyond the arena dirt.

Long before he was evaluating rising artists, Johnson was lending his voice to the soundtrack of Black cinema, performing three of the male singing voices in the iconic The Five Heartbeats.

“Three quarters of the building don’t know my other life besides being a cowboy,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been blessed, truly.” Blessed and shaped by a lifetime of music, history, and a deep sense of responsibility to the next generation.

What Soul Country Really Means

When asked what he looks for in a Soul Country Music Star, Johnson’s answer is immediate.

“It’s right in the title – the soul and the country,” he said. “I don’t want anybody who sounds like Charley Pride or Vince Gill or Garth Brooks. I want someone who sounds like us.”

For Johnson, “us” is not a genre. It is a cultural fingerprint, an instinctive blend of gospel, blues, R&B, and lived Black experience.

He points to Ray Charles, Al Green, and the gospel quartets of his youth as examples of how closely soul and country have always lived alongside each other.

“Take an early Al Green song, remove the B3 organ, add a steel pedal, you’ve basically got country,” he said.

Hearing What Others Miss

Johnson doesn’t just judge talent; he listens for what others overlook.

Two artists, now winners of consecutive seasons, stand as proof of that instinct: Kirk Jay and Nathaniel Dansby.

Kirk Jay, the Season One (2024) winner, impressed Johnson with his writing and presence.
“He’s an incredible writer,” Johnson said. “He had the playing, the soul, and that youthful enthusiasm.”

Nathaniel Dansby, who would go on to win Season Two (2025), took a very different path.

In his first audition, other judges scored him low. Johnson was stunned.

“I asked them, ‘What are you listening for?’ Because I heard something special,” he said. “I had him in the 90s. Others had him under 50.”

Dansby nearly walked away from music after that moment.

When he returned the following year — frustrated but determined — Johnson pulled him aside.

“Don’t quit,” he told him. “Come back.”

He did — and delivered a performance that ultimately led to his Season Two victory.

“Your encouragement is what brought me back,” Dansby later told him.

Moments like that define Johnson’s approach.

“You’re dealing with people in the early stages of their talent,” he said. “Who am I to tear that down?”

He is not just judging talent; he is helping it find its footing.

A Childhood That Shaped a Judge

Johnson’s reluctance to crush a dream comes from a painful memory.

At nine years old, singing in a Miami church, he was told he was “too Black.”

He cried the entire ride home. His father, enraged, attempted to turn the car around with a gun in hand. His mother stopped him.

“That moment never left me,” Johnson said. “It shaped how I treat people who are just starting.”

It is why he refuses to judge with cruelty.
It is why he listens for possibility, not perfection.

From Mailman Dreams to a No. 1 Hit

Johnson’s own career began by accident.

At 19, he had taken the civil service exam and planned to become a mailman. Singing was something he expected to do only in church.

But a dare from a friend changed everything.

In a Miami park, he hit a high note from Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Mighty Mighty” that he didn’t know he had.

Two weeks later, he was discovered. Six months later, he had a No. 1 pop hit – So Fine.

“I wasn’t supposed to be singing secular music,” he said. “But that moment changed my life.”

The Blueprint and the Power of the Audience

Johnson believes the music industry’s secrets are not secrets at all.

“The easiest thing to write is a hit song,” he said. “There are thousands of hit records before you. Look at the blueprint.”

Marketing, distribution, radio, and visibility the formulas already exist. But in Johnson’s view, the real power has always rested with the audience. “The people pick the hits,” he said.

For artists coming through Soul Country Music Star, that truth matters. It means success is not reserved for those with industry access alone, but for those who can connect.

The BPIR as Cultural Restoration

Johnson sees the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo as a place where Black Western history is actively carried forward.

He speaks of the origins of the word “cowboy,” born from white ranchers refusing to call Black cattle hands “men.” He speaks of language, history, and identity and how those stories shape the present.

“There are a lot of knowledgeable people around this rodeo,” he said. “It’s a family” he said.

Through the BPIR, Johnson found not just a platform, but a deeper connection to a history that continues to unfold.

AI, Creativity, and What Machines Can’t Touch

Johnson is clear-eyed about artificial intelligence. He uses it for business planning, but not for music.

“There’s an emotional element AI will always miss,” he said. “Some of the AI music is incredible, but the human part is missing.” He believes that for artists grounded in truth, songwriting will endure.

A Call for Investment in Black Institutions

Johnson’s critique of corporate America is direct.

Black consumers are among the top spenders in major industries, yet those same companies rarely invest in Black communities or institutions.

“Have you ever seen a Nike center in a Black community?” he asked. “Why hasn’t someone said, ‘Let’s invest in something like the Bill Pickett Foundation?’”

He points to the rodeo’s community work; hospital visits, youth programs, and cultural education as deserving of broader support.

No More Single Leaders, Only Collective Power

When asked whether Black America needs another singular leader, Johnson shook his head. “No, we don’t,” he said. “We need us.” He warns against movements built around one figure, pointing to history as a reminder of how fragile that model can be. But collective movement, he believes, is different. When people move together, the impact is lasting.

A Legacy That Cannot Be Contained

Johnson’s pride in Black innovation is boundless.

He speaks of breakthroughs in sports, science, and culture contributions often overlooked, yet foundational.

“They have a reason to be afraid,” he said. “Anything we touch sports, science, whatever, they have to change the rules.”

From Tiger Woods to Stephen Curry, he sees a pattern: excellence that reshapes the landscape.

The Conversation Ends, but the Work Continues

As the interview concluded, Johnson apologized for talking so much.

But his words were not digressions, they were direction.

“It shows what the umbrella could be,” he said. “What I bring to it. How I make the selections I make.”

In his voice, his history, and his convictions lies the heartbeat of Soul Country Music Star itself.

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

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

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

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

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

— Kirk Jay: The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
— Nathaniel Dansby (Mr. Bowleggs) : The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
— Expanding Its Legacy of Community Care Through a New Partnership with Guardant Health

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Names 2025 Champions After a Year of Grow and New Partnerships and a Powerful Legacy

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo National Finals Nominated for USA TODAY’s Best Rodeo Award

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Celebrates 40 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American Rodeo of Champions Thrills Denver Audience

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

Women’s History Month: Women, Golf, and Global Strategy Take Center Stage

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | March 18, 2026

Atlanta’s West Midtown will once again serve as a hub for connection, conversation, and celebration as Tee It Up for Women hosts its 3rd Annual Tee Up Meet Up on Thursday, March 26.

The event, scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Back Nine Golf, blends golf, networking, and Women’s History Month recognition into a single evening designed to bring professionals and enthusiasts together.

Organizers say the annual gathering has grown into more than a social event. It has become a platform where corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members meet, exchange ideas, and build relationships in a relaxed but intentional setting.

“This is about creating access and opportunity in spaces where relationships matter,” organizers noted in the event release. “Golf has long been a place where business gets done — this event ensures women are fully part of that conversation.”

A Featured Voice Behind Atlanta’s Global Stage

This year’s featured guest speaker, Bev Carey, brings a global perspective rooted in decades of high-level event strategy and execution.

Currently serving as Atlanta’s FIFA World Cup Host City Director, Carey plays a central role in preparing the city for one of the largest sporting events in the world. Her work spans operational readiness, logistics coordination, and stakeholder integration all critical to ensuring Atlanta delivers on the global stage.

Through her firm, Carey Communications, she has spent more than 20 years managing complex projects across sports, entertainment, nonprofit, and technology sectors. Her experience includes Olympic and Paralympic planning, large-scale live event production, and crisis management strategy.

Her recent appearance as a lead panelist at Mercedes-Benz Stadium underscores her leadership in shaping Atlanta’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

At Tee Up Meet Up, attendees will hear firsthand how those experiences translate into leadership, innovation, and opportunity particularly for women navigating traditionally male-dominated industries.

Networking, Play, and a Unique Atlanta Twist

The evening includes a mix of structured and casual engagement. Attendees will enjoy golf bay play, a putting challenge, appetizers, and drinks while connecting with fellow professionals and sponsors.

But the experience doesn’t end when the golf clubs are put away.

Participants are invited to continue the evening just steps away at American Axes, where a one-hour bonus axe-throwing session will extend the networking experience.

The event’s design reflects a broader trend in Atlanta’s professional scene — blending business development with experiential environments that encourage authentic interaction.

How to Attend

For registration details, sponsorship opportunities, or additional information, readers are encouraged to contact the event organizer directly:

Sabrina Jenkins
📧 sabrina@sjl-26eventproductions.com
📞 404-824-4292
🔗 https://sjl26eventproductions.com/2026teeupmeetup

Event Location: The Back Nine Golf – 212 Chattahoochee Row NW – Atlanta, GA 30318

Support open, independent journalism—your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

Bill Pickett Rodeo leader Margo Wade-LaDrew launches Soul Country Music Stars, creating national opportunities for Black country artists and reshaping the genre’s cultural narrative.

THE ARCHITECT OF SOUL COUNTRY MUSIC STAR

How Margo Wade‑LaDrew Helped Reimagine the Black West

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA| March 17, 2026

When cable technician Shannon Whitaker stepped into Margo Wade‑LaDrew’s living room in Baldwin Hills, California he didn’t pause for the television or the equipment he’d come to repair. His eyes locked onto a jacket draped across a chair, unmistakably embroidered with the crest of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.

“I went when I was nine,” he said, suddenly grinning like a child. He was forty‑eight now. The memory had lived inside him for nearly four decades.

Moments like this follow Margo everywhere. They are reminders — unplanned, unscripted of the impact she has helped shape. For nearly thirty years, she has been one of the quiet architects behind the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR), the nation’s only touring Black rodeo association and the spiritual home of Black Western culture. And in recent years, she has become the visionary behind its newest cultural branch: Soul Country Music Star, a platform designed to restore Black presence in a genre Black people helped create.

To understand how she arrived at the intersection of rodeo, music, fashion, and philanthropy, you have to start long before the arena lights, long before the crowds, long before the sound of a banjo or the thunder of hooves.

You have to start in Richmond, Virginia.

A Childhood of Work and Responsibility

Born in 1961, Margo Wade grew up in a household shaped by both love and hardship. When she was twelve, her mother began cycling in and out of hospitals with schizophrenia. The responsibility of raising two younger brothers fell to Margo and her sister while their father worked long hours to keep the family afloat.

“I’ve worked all my life,” she says, not as complaint but as fact.

By fourteen, she had a job in a Richmond hospital. By ten, she had already been knocking on doors selling flower seeds and Christmas cards. She didn’t know it then, but she was learning the skills that would define her adult life: how to connect with people, how to read a room, how to sell, and how to build trust.

Her first dream was to become a flight attendant. But life had other plans — plans that would take her into the heart of Black beauty culture, Black media, and eventually, Black Western history.

The Black Institutions That Formed Her

In her twenties, Margo entered the beauty industry, modeling in Richmond before moving to Chicago then the epicenter of Black haircare. She worked temp jobs until she landed at Johnson Publishing Company, the powerhouse behind Ebony and Jet. There, she became a merchandiser, then a sales rep, then a national sales manager.

Johnson Publishing didn’t outsource creativity. They held internal think tanks where Black professionals brainstormed campaigns, promotions, and strategies. It was a training ground in cultural authorship – a place where Black people shaped how Black people were seen.

From there, she moved through World of Curls, Dark & Lovely, Magic Shave, Bronner Brothers — a constellation of Black-owned companies that defined Black aesthetics for generations. She learned event planning, sponsorships, branding, and community outreach. She learned how to build programs from scratch.

And then she stepped into the NAACP Image Awards, where she wrote her first bid for services without ever having written one before and won. For six years, she helped produce one of the most important cultural events in Black America.

She didn’t know it yet, but all of this was preparing her for the moment she would walk into the Burbank Equestrian Center in 1996 and see something that would change her life.

The Revelation: Discovering Black Cowboys

She had gone to volunteer for a friend. She expected a community event. She did not expect to see Black cowboys and cowgirls — not in California, not in the 1990s, not in a world where Westerns had erased them.

“I had never seen Black cowboys before,” she says. “I didn’t even know there was a traveling rodeo this.”

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo was celebrating its tenth anniversary that year. Founded by promoter Lou Vason in 1984, it was the first and only touring Black rodeo in the country. It had been built from scratch, city by city, without internet, without mainstream support, without recognition.

Margo was stunned. She was also hooked.

When her friend left for a job at BET, she asked Margo and another colleague to take over her role. They didn’t know rodeo culture. They didn’t know sponsorship strategy for Western sports. They didn’t know the logistics of animals, arenas, or ticketing.

But they learned. And Margo stayed.

For the next twenty years, she worked alongside Lou Vason, traveling from city to city, counting tickets in hotel rooms until 3 a.m., building relationships with cowboys, cowgirls, families, and communities. She watched the rodeo grow from a grassroots operation into a cultural institution.

And she watched Lou a legendary Black music promoter tie entertainment to the rodeo because he understood something essential: Black people would come for the culture, not just the competition.

That insight would later become the seed of Soul Country Music Star.

Sidebar – What Is Soul Country Music?

Soul Country Music, as envisioned through the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo’s Soul Country Music Star competition, blends the storytelling structure of country music with the emotional force, vocal texture, and lived experience long rooted in Black musical traditions. The concept pushes back against the narrow way country music has often been marketed and remembered. It creates room for artists who may sound country, soul, gospel, blues, or genre-crossing, but who still carry the themes of struggle, family, faith, place, love, and resilience that define country storytelling. For Margo Wade-LaDrew, the idea is not about inventing something new from scratch. It is about naming, elevating, and investing in a tradition that has always existed.

The Leadership Era: Black Women Take the Reins

When Lou Vason became ill in the early 2010s, his wife, Valeria Howard Vason, began traveling more, learning the books, the logistics, the operations. When Lou passed in 2015, she stepped fully into leadership becoming the first Black woman to run a national rodeo.

Margo became her right hand.

Together, they modernized the organization:

Expanded the tour
Secured major sponsors
Built the BPIR Foundation
Created grant programs
Partnered with Crown Royal, Toyota
Brought BPIR to television for the first time in 2021
Returned to Fort Worth’s historic Cowtown Coliseum
Grew the Fort Worth stop to ten sold‑out performances
Became Hollywood’s go‑to rodeo for authenticity

They did all this with a tiny staff. No salaries for leadership. No corporate infrastructure. Just commitment, cross‑training, and a belief that the rodeo mattered.

And then came the idea Margo had been carrying for a decade.

The Birth of Soul Country Music Star

For years, Margo had watched Black country artists show up at BPIR with guitars in hand, hoping for a chance to perform. They had no platform. No industry support. No place to belong.

She and her husband, Lawrence LeDrew, talked often about creating something for them — a showcase, a competition, a cultural home.

After Lou’s passing, she kept bringing it up.

Finally, Valeria said, “Stop talking about it and just do it.”

And she did.

In June 2024, during BPIR’s 40th anniversary, Soul Country Music Star launched. It was a tribute to Lou Vason’s entertainment legacy, to Valeria’s belief in the idea, and to the artists who had been waiting for a door to open.

The program quickly grew:

60–70 artists have come through
six finalists per city
two winners so far
$10,000 prize
winners travel with the rodeo
artists perform halftime and pre‑show
BPIR promotes their music
artists sell merch at the rodeo
mentorship in branding, booking, and performance

Suddenly, the world was paying attention to Black country music. Soul Country Music Star was no longer a niche idea it was part of a national cultural moment.

Photo courtesy BPIR – Soul Country Music Star

The Cultural Lineage: Restoring What Was Always Ours

Margo is clear about the history:

The banjo is African.
The harmonica was central to early Black country and blues.
DeFord Bailey was the first Black star of the Grand Ole Opry — and they hid his race.
Linda Martell was the first commercially successful Black female country artist — and the industry pushed her out.
Charley Pride broke barriers but was treated as an exception.
Ray Charles reshaped country music by adding soul.

“Country music is ours,” she says.

Soul Country Music Stars is not a novelty. It is a restoration.

The Rodeo as a Cultural Homeplace

Ask Margo why BPIR matters, and she won’t talk about prize money or logistics. She’ll talk about:

the seven‑year‑old boy who whispered, “I see Black cowboys”
the woman who begged for tickets with a childhood photo
the families who plan reunions around the rodeo
the fourth and fifth generation children growing up in the stands
the music, the clowns, the announcers, the rope tricks
Howard Johnson singing Lift Every Voice in the dirt
the Black flag flying beside the American flag

BPIR is a place where people reconnect with history, community, and each other.

The Legacy She Wants to Leave

When asked what she wants future generations to remember, Margo doesn’t hesitate.

“That the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo cared,” she says. “That we opened doors. That we loved our community enough to keep going.”

She wants BPIR in museums. She wants the traveling museum to become permanent. She wants the documentary finished. She wants the nighttime drama about a Black family running a rodeo to be televised.

And she wants The Greatest Show on Dirt — the story of BPIR — on the big screen.

She has already begun the work.

A Cultural Architect for the Next Generation

Margo Wade‑LaDrew’s life is a blueprint of Black cultural stewardship:

a childhood of responsibility
a career in Black-owned institutions
two decades shaping the rodeo under Lou Vason
a leadership era defined by Black women
a foundation built on grants, scholarships, and community
a music platform restoring Black country’s rightful place
a commitment to legacy, memory, and cultural truth

She is not simply preserving history. She is expanding it.

And somewhere in Greater Los Angeles, California, cable technician Shannon Whitaker is telling someone about the day he walked into a house, saw a jacket, and remembered the first time he saw a Black cowboy. That is the legacy she continues to build – one memory at a time.

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

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

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

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

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

Part 3 — Kirk Jay: The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
Part 4 — Nathaniel Dansby (Mr. Bowleggs) : The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
Part 5 — Rodeo for Kids’ Sake and the Next Generation

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Names 2025 Champions After a Year of Grow and New Partnerships and a Powerful Legacy

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo National Finals Nominated for USA TODAY’s Best Rodeo Award

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Celebrates 40 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American Rodeo of Champions Thrills Denver Audience

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

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

This column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

Last week’s Shadow Ball Significa question: Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What manager has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Negro League performance?

Since no one submitted the correct answer, everyone gets credit for being correct since there, in the 55 years since the Baseball Hall of Fame began inducting Negro Leaguers no Negro Leaguer has been inducted as a manager. Hence, this week’s topic. Last week I opined that there should be between 58 (i.e., 30 additional) and 80 (or 52 more than at present) Negro League players in the Hall. This week, as a follow up I thought I should suggest who a few of those players – and others – should be. Below I list two candidates (and their overall rank in the 42 for ’21 poll) for each category:

First Team Second Team

Executive Gus Greenlee (5) C.I. Taylor (11)

Pioneer John Donaldson (3) Fleet Walker (20)

Manager Vic Harris (6) Candy Jim Taylor (13)

Umpire Bob Motley (42) Bert Gholsten (115)

LH Pitcher George Stovey (20) Nip Winters (30)

RH Pitcher Dick Redding (2) Chet Brewer (11)

Catcher Quincy Trouppe (16) Double Duty Radcliffe (23)

1^st Baseman Bill Pettus (44) Edgar Wesley (59)

2^nd Baseman Newt Allen (9) George Scales (14)

3^rd Baseman John Beckwith (4) Oliver Marcelle (18)

Shortstop Dick Lundy (7) Home Run Johnson (8)

Outfielder Rap Dixon (1) Wild Bill Wright (23)

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League player was Barry Bonds Godfather? Send your answer and any comments on Negro League topics to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania. You can send questions for Knorr on Negro League topics as well as your answers to the week’s Significa question to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism—your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

Atlanta Launches Human Rights Plan Ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

Atlanta launches ATL26 Human Rights Action Plan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, outlining worker protections, housing initiatives, and community safeguards tied to the global tournament.

Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | March 11, 2026

Atlanta leaders say hosting the world’s largest sporting event must reflect the city’s long tradition of civil and human rights leadership.

This week, the City of Atlanta publicly launched the ATL26 Human Rights Action Plan, a framework designed to protect workers, safeguard vulnerable communities, and ensure that the global spotlight of the World Cup leaves lasting benefits for Atlanta residents.

The initiative, led by the Mayor’s Office of One Atlanta, was formally adopted by the Atlanta City Council through Resolution 26-R-3106. City officials say the plan will guide how Atlanta prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when matches will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Atlanta has a legacy of leading the conscience of the nation for civil and human rights,” said Andre Dickens. “The ATL26 Human Rights Action Plan reflects the city’s values and decades of the unforgotten voices of the greatest civil rights leaders in history who called Atlanta home.”

City leaders say the plan is built on a simple principle: the World Cup should happen “with Atlanta, not to Atlanta.”

Officials say that philosophy guided months of planning and community engagement aimed at making sure the event strengthens neighborhoods rather than placing additional burdens on them.

Community Voices Help Shape the Plan

The Human Rights Action Plan was developed through an extensive public process that included more than 75 hours of community engagement and participation from more than 25 organizations.

Those discussions included labor leaders, disability advocates, immigrant-serving nonprofits, faith groups, youth organizations, anti-human-trafficking coalitions, and residents across the city.

Multiple city departments participated in the effort, including the Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction, the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs, the Department of Emergency Preparedness, the Department of Innovation and Performance, and the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services.

Candace Stanciel, Atlanta’s Chief Impact Officer who led the effort, said community voices were central to the plan’s development.

“This Action Plan was built through partnership,” Stanciel said. “Their voices shaped every section of this document, and their continued partnership will be essential to its success.”

Four Pillars of the Plan

The framework addresses a wide range of issues that can arise when cities host major global events.

Officials organized the plan around four major pillars.

The first pillar, Inclusion and Safeguarding, focuses on protecting vulnerable populations. Initiatives include preventing human trafficking, supporting unsheltered residents, expanding language access, protecting children, and ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities.

The second pillar, Workers’ Rights, establishes labor standards for World Cup-related jobs coordinated by the city. Officials say a $17.50 hourly minimum wage will serve as the baseline for those positions, alongside protections for safe workplaces and wage theft prevention.

The third pillar, Access to Remedy, creates a unified grievance reporting portal in partnership with FIFA and strengthens the Atlanta Human Relations Commission as the city’s primary anti-discrimination mechanism.

The fourth pillar, Accountability and Monitoring, commits the city to quarterly public progress reports and a comprehensive human rights impact report within six months after the tournament concludes.

Why Cities Now Create Human Rights Plans

Human rights action plans have become increasingly common as cities prepare to host global sporting events.

In recent years, international sports governing bodies have encouraged host cities to adopt formal frameworks designed to prevent problems that have emerged around previous mega-events, including worker exploitation, displacement of residents, trafficking risks, and limits on civil liberties.

By identifying risks early and establishing safeguards in advance, cities aim to ensure that global sporting celebrations benefit local communities rather than harming them.

Atlanta officials say the ATL26 plan reflects those lessons while building on the city’s longstanding role in the American civil rights movement.

A Legacy Beyond the Final Match

Beyond event preparation, the plan outlines eight “Legacy Impact Initiatives” designed to deliver long-term benefits to Atlanta residents.

Among them:

• A human rights resource network connecting more than 15 partner organizations
• Youth leadership programs expected to serve more than 200 young people
• Career exposure opportunities in the sports industry
• A citywide accessibility readiness guide for major events
• Efforts to support 500 permanent supportive housing units and help 2,000 households find housing
• Anti-human-trafficking training for more than 1,000 individuals
• FIFA-connected Pride programming providing health and legal resources
• Expanded outreach and training through the Human Relations Commission

City officials say the effort is meant to ensure that when the final whistle blows in 2026, Atlanta will be stronger than before the tournament began.

“This Action Plan is both a commitment to the standards we believe every host city should uphold,” the city said in its announcement, “and an invitation to make the 2026 World Cup a model for how global sporting events can advance fairness, justice, and shared humanity.”

Sidebar

Atlanta and the Olympics: What the 1996 Games Teach Us About Hosting Global Events

When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, the city stepped onto the global stage in a way it never had before.

For two weeks in July 1996, millions of visitors and television viewers saw Atlanta as the capital of the New South a city of economic growth, cultural influence, and civil rights history.

The Olympics brought major benefits. They helped create Centennial Olympic Park, accelerated downtown redevelopment, expanded tourism, and helped reshape Atlanta’s international reputation.

But the Games also revealed the challenges large global events can create.

Housing advocates raised concerns about displacement of low-income residents as redevelopment accelerated. Civil liberties groups also criticized aggressive security policies and the removal of unhoused residents from parts of downtown during preparations for the Games.

Those lessons are part of why cities today often develop formal human rights frameworks when hosting global sporting events.

Atlanta’s ATL26 Human Rights Action Plan, tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reflects that evolution. City leaders say the goal is to ensure that when the world returns to Atlanta in 2026, the benefits of the event will extend beyond the stadium and into the communities that call the city home.

MARTA Interim CEO Charts Course for Safer, Faster, More Reliable Transit Ahead of World Cup

MARTA Appoints Jonathan Hunt Interim GM/CEO as Transit Prepares for World Cup

MARTA Expands Service for July 5 FIFA World Cup Match

Atlanta Pauses Construction for Fourth of July, Ramps Up FIFA World Cup Prep

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

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 1

Valeria Howard Cunningham reflects on 42 years of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, preserving Black cowboy history while inspiring youth and building community nationwide.

The Legacy of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo: Valeria Howard Cunningham on History, Community, and the Future of Black Cowboys

Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | March 10, 2026

A little boy walked into the arena in Memphis dressed like a cowboy from head to toe, boots, jeans, a large buckle, a western shirt, and a hat. He was about seven years old.

Like many children entering a rodeo arena for the first time, he wrinkled his nose at the smell of the animals. Then he stepped closer to the arena rail. He stopped in his tracks. Hands on his hips, eyes wide, he stared at the riders preparing to compete. “I can’t believe this,” he said. “There are real Black cowboys and cowgirls.”

Standing nearby was Valeria Howard Cunningham, the longtime leader of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. She watched the moment unfold and felt tears come to her eyes. “For me,” she later said, “that moment spoke volumes.”

For more than four decades, moments like that have defined the mission of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo not simply as a sporting event, but as a place where history, culture, and community meet.

In a recent interview with The Truth Seekers Journal, Howard reflected on the journey from modest beginnings to sold-out arenas—and on the people and purpose that have sustained it for more than 42 years.

Overcoming Fear and Breaking Barriers

Cunningham does not pretend the journey was easy. Taking the reins of a national rodeo organization as a Black woman came with uncertainty and pressure. “You know, that was scary within itself,” Cunningham said. “Being a Black woman trying to run an African American rodeo association – were people ready for that?”

There were moments of doubt. But Cunningham said she was never alone. She remembers the circle of women who stood beside her, believing in the vision and pushing her forward when the responsibility felt overwhelming. “I had Black women surrounding me who had my back,” she said. “They assured me they would be standing beside me.” That support system became one of the foundations of the rodeo’s success. Howard quickly points out that the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo has always been a team effort.

Among those who helped shape the organization are longtime partners like national sponsorship director, Margo Wade-LaDrew, who is ready to step in and take the reins if need be, Acynthia Villery, Social Media Director, and the first African American female professional rodeo announcer, public relations director Michelle Johnson, and a network of coordinators, volunteers, and rodeo professionals across the country.

“I was surrounded by incredibly talented women,” Cunningham said. “They guided me on the things I didn’t know.”

From Empty Seats to Sold-Out Arenas

When the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo first began touring, success looked very different. In the early days, simply filling a few seats felt like a victory. “We started just hoping to see some people in the seats,” Cunningham said. Today, many arenas are filled to capacity. The growth did not happen by accident. Cunningham credits the rodeo’s competitors, the cowboys and cowgirls who travel across the country. They compete in events that require extraordinary skill, discipline, and courage.

BPIR courtesy photo – Valeria Howard Cunningham, President and CEO of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

“The cowboys and cowgirls in the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo are professionals,” she said. “People come because they want to see great competition.” But competition alone is not enough.

Cunningham believes audiences deserve excellence when they buy a ticket. “If you’re going to produce a show,” she said, “you must respect your audience and make sure they get the best experience possible.”

The True Culture of Black Cowboys

Cunningham is passionate about correcting misunderstandings about Black cowboy culture. Too often, she says, people reduce the culture to modern trail rides or social gatherings. But the real tradition runs much deeper.

“Black cowboy culture is about people who love the animals, love the sport, and take pride in being the best at what they do,” she said. At a Bill Pickett rodeo, spectators see that culture up close.

They see barrel racers flying around the arena at full speed. They see bull riders climb onto two-ton animals. These animals can throw a rider in seconds. They see steer wrestlers launch themselves from horses in a test of strength and timing.

Every event carries risk. Every competitor carries pride. And every ride connects today’s riders to generations of Black cowboys who helped shape the American West.

The Business Behind the Show

Behind the excitement of the arena is a complex operation. Producing a rodeo requires moving livestock, equipment, competitors, and staff across multiple states. Venue decisions alone can determine whether an event is financially successful.

Cunningham remembers one expensive lesson from decades ago. During an indoor rodeo in Philadelphia, the organization paid $50,000 just to bring dirt into the arena and then remove it afterward. “That’s when I said we’re not in the dirt business,” Cunningham said. Experiences like that shaped the organization’s strategy.

Cunningham said she is careful to choose venues that allow the rodeo to keep ticket prices affordable. “Our community has to be able to participate,” she said. “That’s the reason we do what we do.”

Investing in the Next Generation

For Cunningham, the rodeo’s mission extends far beyond competition. She credits her upbringing for that outlook. “My mother raised me to believe that when people give to you, you must give back,” she said.

That philosophy led to the creation of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Foundation, which provides scholarships, community programs, and youth outreach. Young riders are also part of the show itself.

The rodeo features Pee-Wee divisions for children as young as 5. There are also junior competitions that allow young riders to develop their skills. “These kids invest time and effort,” Cunningham said. “When they do something positive, we should showcase it.”

Rodeo for Kids’ Sake

One of the rodeo’s most impactful programs is called Rodeo for Kids’ Sake.

Each year in Memphis, thousands of elementary and middle school students attend a special Friday morning rodeo designed just for them. Before the competition begins, students receive a history lesson about Black cowboys and cowgirls who played important roles in the development of the American West. Teachers can also download curriculum workbooks. These workbooks connect rodeo history to lessons in reading, math, and art.

BPIR Courtesy photo – Valeria Howard Cunningham

About 4,000 students attend the Memphis program each year. For many of them, it is the first time they have ever heard about Black cowboys. Sometimes, it is the first time they have ever seen one. Cunningham still remembers the moment that little boy in Memphis stopped and stared at the arena. “I can’t believe this,” he said. “There are real Black cowboys and cowgirls,” Cunningham said. She could only stand there and cry. In that instant, she understood the true reach of the rodeo. “It means they see themselves,” she said.

A Legacy Built by Community

Cunningham experienced another powerful moment during the rodeo’s 40th anniversary celebration in Oakland. Standing at the top of the arena entrance, she watched families stream through the doors. Parents pushed strollers. Children held hands. Elderly guests arrived in wheelchairs. “It didn’t matter if you were a newborn or a senior,” she said. “Everyone was coming to share the experience.”

One man stopped her and shared his story. He had attended the rodeo every year since childhood. Now he was bringing his own children and his mother. “That’s when I realized the span of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo,” Cunningham said.

Looking Toward the Future

Now in its 42nd year, the rodeo continues to grow.

Alongside the competition, the organization has launched Soul Country Rodeo Weekend. This event pairs the rodeo with a national music competition to discover emerging country music talent. But Cunningham says the future of the rodeo ultimately belongs to the next generation. “We’re preparing the next school of leaders,” she said. These are leaders who will carry the Bill Pickett legacy forward—and make sure the next little boy who walks into a rodeo arena can still look out and say with wonder: “There are real Black cowboys and cowgirls.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 7

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 6

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 5

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 4

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 3

Inside the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — Part 2

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

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

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

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

Event Tickets and additional information

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

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

Part 2 — Margo Wade LaDrew: Building the Rodeo Brand
Part 3 — Kirk Jay: The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
Part 4 — Nathaniel Dansby (Mr. Bowleggs) : The Sound of Country Soul at the Rodeo
Part 5 — Rodeo for Kids’ Sake and the Next Generation

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Names 2025 Champions After a Year of Grow and New Partnerships and a Powerful Legacy

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo National Finals Nominated for USA TODAY’s Best Rodeo Award

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Celebrates 40 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American Rodeo of Champions Thrills Denver Audience

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

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

March 10, 2026

One of my main passions in Negro League baseball research is endeavoring to assist the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum to have better representation of Negro League “players” in their plaque gallery. Currently there are 28 Negro League “players” inducted in the Hall of Fame and 137 players inducted who had played in the traditional Major Leagues (as defined by MLB as “major” in 1969) prior to April 15, 1947. (I should note that only 125 of those players fully earned their plaques during MLB’s Segregated Era, 1876-1946)

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)3 not‑for‑profit educational institution, dedicated to preserving history, honoring excellence, and connecting generations. The question becomes does a 5 to one ratio properly “preserve (the) history” of baseball prior to 1947. Does having only 18% of all players prior to ’47 adequately educate the public on the National Pastime’s history?

Consider the following background facts:

Oral history is full of Major League players, including Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner (the first three inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame), who extoled the talents of Negro League players.
Despite Commissioner Landis doing his best to ban Major League teams from playing Negro League teams … hundreds of games between “so called “Major League and “so called” Negro League teams were played and, as historians and accountants will do, records were kept. I have seen a half dozen or so such composite accounts and the Negro League teams have the edge in every one of them.
On December 16, 2020, “Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced that Major League Baseball is correcting a longtime oversight in the game’s history by officially elevating the Negro Leagues to “Major League” status.” Designating 7 Negro Leagues – Negro National League, Eastern Colored League, American Negro League, East-West League, Negro Southern League, Negro National League II, Negro American League – as Major.
On May 29, 2024, MLB officially absorbed select Negro League records. Amazingly and interestingly, they show virtually identical slash lines for the two sides of the ML color line. Now, this would not have a lot of probative value if not for the other supportive facts in this litany.
Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella were the first two players inducted in the Hall of Fame having debuted in the NL/AL after ’46. Including that pair, just about 41% of all Hall of Famers debuting in either the AL or NL since then are players who would not have been permitted to play prior to the reintegration of the game.
In 2025, just under 41% of major league opening day rosters were players who would not have been permitted to play prior to the integration of the game. Keep in mind, unlike pre 1947 a significant amount of baseball talent is siphoned off by the National Football League or National Basketball Association.
As for the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum it also has done spectacular work in telling both the history (and quality) of the Negro Leagues in every corner of the museum except the plaque gallery. In 2024, a Black baseball initiative was unveiled which included a new exhibit ‘The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball’; unveiling of a new Hank Aaron statue titled “Keep Swinging”; creation of a webpage called ‘We Play’ geared to 8 to 12 year olds which tells the story of Black baseball and its role in the Civil Rights movement; in addition additional educational outreach programs for older students are delivered to classrooms across the country; the Hall of Fame East-West Classic: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game (sadly this spectacular event was not continued annually – it is never too late; during ’24 the Hall began a collaboration with Dr. Geral Early, Washington University of Saint Louis, on a book published in 2025 “Play Harder” which sheds light on the early Black influence on baseball … for me, the year was capped when the Hall of Fame invited SABR’s Negro League Research Committee to hold its annual Jerry Malloy Conference in the Hall of Fame.

Surely, Negro League players must have made up more than 18% of the best players prior to 1947.

It is time for Hall to answer Major League Baseball’s action of ’20 and ’24 by bringing the Hall of Honor UpToDate by inducting all deserving Negro League baseball players with all deliberate speed. Not two this year, none the next, and then another, then another two … already most of the players are gone and at such pace even the historians and ancestors will be gone.

Last week’s Shadow Ball Significa question: Submitted by Shadow Ball fan, Will Clark): The 1969 New York Mets had a player (a key one at that) whose stepfather played in the Negro Leagues. Name the player and the Negro Leaguer who was his stepfather. The 1969 New York Mets player was Donn Clendenon. He was a key contributor and 1969 World Series MVP. Clendenon’s stepfather was Nish Williams Nish Williams raised him, mentored him, and shaped his athletic discipline. Clendenon often credited Williams with instilling the work ethic that carried him through his MLB career and ultimately helped power the Miracle Mets to their championship. Both Clendenon (2005) and Williams (1968) are deceased.

The Shadow ball Significa Question of the Week: What manager has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Negro League performance? Send your answer and any comments on this issue’s Shadow Ball to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

February 24, 2026

Dear Shadow Ball: “Where would you place Rap Dixon in a list of the greatest Negro League outfielders? — Al Davis, Rensselaer, NY

Dear Al: As you (as well as anyone paying attention to me) knows Rap Dixon is my favorite Negro League player thus it is no surprise that I rank him at the top of the list of Hall of Fame worthy outfielders. There are seven Negro League outfielders already in and I have no quibble ranking all of them ahead of Dixon – Oscar Charleston, Turkey Stearnes, Cristobal Torriente, Pete Hill, Willard Brown, and Cool Papa Bell. Monte Irvin, the 1^st put into the Hall as an outfielder, I would prefer him to be listed as a shortstop where he played 47% of his games with only 41% of his games being played as an outfielder.

After the already inducted group I support the results of several polls including SABR’s Negro League Committee, the 42 for ’21 poll, and the Negro League Centennial Team as well as opinions of both Oscar Charleston and Cool Papa Bell all of which name Rap Dixon as the next outfielder to be inducted. The 1952 Pittsburgh Courier poll offers only Clint Thomas (among eligible outfielders) ahead of Dixon. Monte Irvin prefers Wild Bill Wright over Dixon. Other outfielders deserving induction (not consideration but induction) include, both Thomas and Wright, Alejandro Oms, Fats Jenkins, Spottswood Poles, Roy Parnell, Chino Smith (with an Addie Joss waiver), and Hurley McNair. Leaving others for future consideration including Heavy Johnson, Sam Jethroe, Ted Strong, Henry Kimbro, Pancho Coimbre, and others.

In closing I must point out that since the integration of the game only six outfielders have debuted and earned induction (Mantle, Kaline, Snider, Yastrzemski, Ashburn, and Walker) that would have been permitted to play in the AL or NL prior to 1947 … and 24 outfielders have debuted/earned induction who would not have been permitted to play in either of those leagues prior … my list of recommended inductees above includes only nine, There is plenty of room in Cooperstown for Justice.

Last week’s Shadow Ball Significa question: Who took over as Commissioner of the Negro National League immediately after Rube Foster resigned in November 1926? Unlike last week where we got two correct answers; this week’s question produced none. The immediate successor to Rube Foster was Dr. G. B. Key who took over immediately after Rube Foster for the remainder of 1926.

The Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week (submitted by Shadow Ball fan, Will Clark): The 1969 New York Mets had a player (a key one at that) whose stepfather played in the Negro Leagues. Name the player and the Negro Leaguer who was his stepfather.

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