The purpose of FABA is to develop new venues to showcase, display and sell the art of cultural artists. FABA desires to support and promote cultural artists who have ambitions of making a living with their art.
FABA develops and coordinates programs and activities, conducts workshops, seminars and conferences for cultural artists and art organizations, provides in-school programs (including artists-in-residence and performances).
FABA develops and coordinates programs and activities, conducts workshops, seminars and conferences for cultural artists and art organizations, provides in-school programs (including artists-in-residence and performances).
|
Sonja Griffin Evans
Chair Sonja Griffin Evans is an international Cultural Artist born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. Growing up in the Lowcountry, which prides itself on its ability to preserve its culture and heritage, has heavily influenced Sonja's artwork, and gives her an uncanny ability to capture the beauty, spirituality and purest representations of the Gullah Sea Island and of African American culture. |
As a prolific mix media artist, she incorporates items such as tin, wood and other materials in her art. She is also adept at painting the vibrantly colored art on canvas that is acknowledged as the traditional Gullah style; however by applying texture to her canvas and masterful choice of color, she takes her art a step further to convey more depth and feeling. In both mediums, Sonja is careful to express her culture in its purest form. Evans believes that everything that God has created is not only beautiful, but has a purpose and states nothing should be wasted. She further believes she merely holds the paint brush and God ultimately creates the art.
Sonja is a master storyteller, bringing to life, through art, important historical and cultural heritage events, people and destinations that evokes emotional responses to her artwork. She is also known for her ability to see the beauty in found items and selects each item and unveils the alluring stories these pieces hold within them; reflecting the spirituality of the people of African descent. With her masterful use of color and perspective in her work, Griffin Evans' artwork is constantly evolving. Each piece has a story or inspirational quote that invokes spiritual and cultural insight.
Sonja Griffin Evans is the founder of the National For Artists – By Artists Society and a major contributor in the development for the 'Forgotten Communities Art Program and Director of the Gullah Arts Initiative for the Pan African American Cultural Heritage Intiative, which is a program designed by the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute Inc. to preserve and promote the culture and heritage of people of Pan Africa -via the arts. Evans is the President of the South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Inc. and the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Society.
Sonja Griffin Evans and her Gumbo e-Gallery have won many prestigious awards. In 2013 her gallery received the African Diaspora World Tourism Flame Keepers Award for honoring the culture and heritage of people of African Descent. Sonja has personally been named Honoree, Mamie Till Mobley Woman of Courage Award, and was an Onyx Award Nominee. As a highly sought after speaker and advocate for the arts, Evans has been featured on television and radio broadcasts, and in publications; such as DuPont Registry, Southern Lady Magazine, Coastal Lifestyle Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Hilton Head Monthly, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience and more. Her artwork is in prestigious galleries, private and corporate collections, nationally and abroad. Sonja's work was selected among 150 artist woldwide by Loupe Art, a global live streaming art gallery available in 80 countries. She was invited to exhibit internationally on a solo three city tour in France, including Tour Saint Aubin, Angers France. She has been featured by the National Park Service, selected by the Westin Hilton Head Spa and Resort to display permanently commemorating historic Mitchelville and as the Historic Penn Center 2014 Heritage Days featured artist of the year.
Sonja is a master storyteller, bringing to life, through art, important historical and cultural heritage events, people and destinations that evokes emotional responses to her artwork. She is also known for her ability to see the beauty in found items and selects each item and unveils the alluring stories these pieces hold within them; reflecting the spirituality of the people of African descent. With her masterful use of color and perspective in her work, Griffin Evans' artwork is constantly evolving. Each piece has a story or inspirational quote that invokes spiritual and cultural insight.
Sonja Griffin Evans is the founder of the National For Artists – By Artists Society and a major contributor in the development for the 'Forgotten Communities Art Program and Director of the Gullah Arts Initiative for the Pan African American Cultural Heritage Intiative, which is a program designed by the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute Inc. to preserve and promote the culture and heritage of people of Pan Africa -via the arts. Evans is the President of the South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Inc. and the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Society.
Sonja Griffin Evans and her Gumbo e-Gallery have won many prestigious awards. In 2013 her gallery received the African Diaspora World Tourism Flame Keepers Award for honoring the culture and heritage of people of African Descent. Sonja has personally been named Honoree, Mamie Till Mobley Woman of Courage Award, and was an Onyx Award Nominee. As a highly sought after speaker and advocate for the arts, Evans has been featured on television and radio broadcasts, and in publications; such as DuPont Registry, Southern Lady Magazine, Coastal Lifestyle Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Hilton Head Monthly, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience and more. Her artwork is in prestigious galleries, private and corporate collections, nationally and abroad. Sonja's work was selected among 150 artist woldwide by Loupe Art, a global live streaming art gallery available in 80 countries. She was invited to exhibit internationally on a solo three city tour in France, including Tour Saint Aubin, Angers France. She has been featured by the National Park Service, selected by the Westin Hilton Head Spa and Resort to display permanently commemorating historic Mitchelville and as the Historic Penn Center 2014 Heritage Days featured artist of the year.
|
Carl Mack
Vice Chair Carl Mack moved from Rochester New York to New Orleans Louisiana in 1983 to prepare a one-man-band act for the 1984 World's Fair. His musical act was based around his skill to play the xylophone, which he had studied at Eastman School of Music, while mastering all aspects of percussion. In the 1980's he was a mainstay of Royal Street in New Orleans, playing happy jazz music for tourists, and it was at this time, that he expanded his skills to include pantomime, clowning, balloon sculpting, magic and juggling. |
One thing led to another and he found himself becoming a promoter of other unusual entertainers, including stilt walkers, snake charmers, psychics, little people, models, comedians, bands and much more. He continued to be a performer himself, while building up what has become the largest talent agency in New Orleans.
It became apparent that the need to have the best costumes for the talent to wear, is what would set his company apart from many others, and by teaming up with costuming designer Ty Johnson, for over a decade, they have produced thousands of theatrical costumes, which are now for rent to the general public at his store/office/showroom in the French Quarter of New Orleans
His abilities to coordinate special events has grown to include decor and over all party planning, and his company now has a staff of eight (plus the design branch), to keep up with the ever growing demand for his services. He is proud that Carl Mack Presents annually employs hundreds of entertainers at conferences, conventions, casinos, fairs, festivals, weddings, movies, television and all types of corporate and private events.
Carl Mack Presents is the exclusive entertainment partner for the House of Blues and Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World.
Throughout all of these years, his artistic ability to paint and draw has been a big part of his private life. He studied art at Monroe Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology and Oswego State University, and after decades of painting, he finally had his first showing of his artwork in May 2012. The subject of the show, called "Walk by Faith", is people he knows who love studying the word of Jesus and building their faith through staying focused on Christ, which is how he has lived his life.
It became apparent that the need to have the best costumes for the talent to wear, is what would set his company apart from many others, and by teaming up with costuming designer Ty Johnson, for over a decade, they have produced thousands of theatrical costumes, which are now for rent to the general public at his store/office/showroom in the French Quarter of New Orleans
His abilities to coordinate special events has grown to include decor and over all party planning, and his company now has a staff of eight (plus the design branch), to keep up with the ever growing demand for his services. He is proud that Carl Mack Presents annually employs hundreds of entertainers at conferences, conventions, casinos, fairs, festivals, weddings, movies, television and all types of corporate and private events.
Carl Mack Presents is the exclusive entertainment partner for the House of Blues and Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World.
Throughout all of these years, his artistic ability to paint and draw has been a big part of his private life. He studied art at Monroe Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology and Oswego State University, and after decades of painting, he finally had his first showing of his artwork in May 2012. The subject of the show, called "Walk by Faith", is people he knows who love studying the word of Jesus and building their faith through staying focused on Christ, which is how he has lived his life.
|
Victoria A. Smalls
Director Creative and knowledgeable public historian, educator, artist, arts advocate and collector, and cultural preservationist, who believes in building strong sustainable communities through strategic partnerships. Federal Commissioner, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor State Commissioner, SC African American Heritage Commission Maven, Art of Community-Rural SC, initiative of the SC Arts Commission Fellow, Riley Institute Diversity Leadership, Furman University Former Director of History, Art and Culture, Penn Center-Penn School National Historic Landmark District |
A Gullah Geechee native of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, Victoria is a public historian and educator, arts advocate, and cultural preservationist. Victoria also serves as a federal commissioner with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. In this role, she helps to recognize, sustain, and celebrate the important contributions made to American culture and history by the Gullah Geechee; to assist state and local governments and public and private entities in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida in interpreting the story of the Gullah Geechee and preserving the culture for the benefit and education of the public.
She serves as a state commissioner with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, where she assists in identifying and promoting the preservation of historic sites and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. In this role she also advocates for the inclusion of African American history, art and culture into the curriculum of South Carolina schools. She serves as a state commissioner with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, where she assists in identifying and promoting the preservation of historic sites and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. In this role she also advocates for the inclusion of African American history, art and culture into the curriculum of South Carolina schools.
Victoria immersed herself in the history, art and culture of her Gullah Geechee people while serving as Director of History, Art and Culture, Director of Development and Public Relations from 2012-2017 at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, SC. She was then recruited to serve as the Program Manager to help build the $100 million International African American Museum in Charleston, SC due to open in 2021. In April 2019, Victoria returned to her roots at Penn Center as the History and Culture Director, Program Development Director, and Assistant to the Executive Director.
Some of Victoria’s Career Credits:
She serves as a state commissioner with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, where she assists in identifying and promoting the preservation of historic sites and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. In this role she also advocates for the inclusion of African American history, art and culture into the curriculum of South Carolina schools. She serves as a state commissioner with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, where she assists in identifying and promoting the preservation of historic sites and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. In this role she also advocates for the inclusion of African American history, art and culture into the curriculum of South Carolina schools.
Victoria immersed herself in the history, art and culture of her Gullah Geechee people while serving as Director of History, Art and Culture, Director of Development and Public Relations from 2012-2017 at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, SC. She was then recruited to serve as the Program Manager to help build the $100 million International African American Museum in Charleston, SC due to open in 2021. In April 2019, Victoria returned to her roots at Penn Center as the History and Culture Director, Program Development Director, and Assistant to the Executive Director.
Some of Victoria’s Career Credits:
- 2019 Fellow of The Riley Institute at Furman University Diversity Leadership Initiative
- Private Collection of Victoria A. Smalls: An Exhibition of Gullah Geechee Art and Artifacts, Hampton County Arts Council, Stanley Arts Building, Hampton, SC, December 2019-February 2020
- June 2019, Awarded the Presidential Citation as an African American Heritage Advocate, Freedom Fund Banquet, South Carolina NAACP
- November 2019, Interview on National Public Radio (NPR) /WBUR.ORG Here and Now: Gullah Geechee Communities Fight to Protect Their Land and Culture, by Victoria Hansen, SC Public Radio
- Presenter, CNN’s United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, The Gullah Culture, May 2018
- Presenter, AMC’s Riding with Norman Reedus, Lowcountry of SC with Dave Chappelle, Gullah Culture Special, June 2017
- Site Coordinator and Presenter for the United Nations Documentary of International Decade of People of African Descent: The Gullah People and Their Ancestral Land, 2015
|
Landers "Butch" Pierce
Board Member A well-known jazz musician who grew up in the hot bed for arts & culture in Harlem/Queens, New York. New York was “The Mecca” for artists in the sixties and seventies. In the decade of the eighties, Landers’ recording career led him to Los Angeles where his prominence rose within the close-knit society of the jazz music industry. |
He has played with Najee, Evelyn Champagne King, Loose Ends, Himalaya, Lori Janaire, Joey Sommerville, Noel Pointer, Valarie King, Tim Cunningham and Karen Briggs just to name a few.
Under the direction of Billy Sparks and Charles DeBow, Landers transitioned from artist to Tour Marketing Support.
Working with arena artists such as Prince, Janet Jackson, Shelia E, Marcus Miller, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, Larry Graham, and Lalah Hathaway.
Landers expertise in working with performing artists, event management and his strategic relationships are an integral strength in the entertainment industry today.
The past 10 years have been without a doubt a digital market and I am constantly on the radar searching for new ways of delivering a new way in this digital diaspora.
Under the direction of Billy Sparks and Charles DeBow, Landers transitioned from artist to Tour Marketing Support.
Working with arena artists such as Prince, Janet Jackson, Shelia E, Marcus Miller, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, Larry Graham, and Lalah Hathaway.
Landers expertise in working with performing artists, event management and his strategic relationships are an integral strength in the entertainment industry today.
The past 10 years have been without a doubt a digital market and I am constantly on the radar searching for new ways of delivering a new way in this digital diaspora.
|
Chef Kermit Griffin
Board Member Chef Kermit is a Culinary Historian and well versed in the Art and Culture of food. Griffin is a descendent of the Gullah Culture and earned his bachelors degree in Hotel Resort and Tourism Management from the University of South Carolina. His culture and education are highlighted in his entertaining presentations. Chef Kermit is a member of the Culinary Federation of America and brings to his audience and in-depth knowledge of global foods, their history and preparation. Having started his career as a Saucier/Sous Chef at German town Cricket Club in Philadelphia, PA, he honed his fine-dining skills and garnered experience in banquets and catering with a focus on fresh ingredients and sustainable food products. He served for four years, Kermit served as Executive Sous Chef at the Beaufort Inn in Beaufort, SC and as Executive Chef at the AAA four-Diamond Inn, featured as one of the Top Ten Inns in America, as rated by Conde Naste. |
|
Contralto Xan Jennings
Board Member Contralto Xan Jennings, a native of Orangeburg, SC., graduated from the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and a Master’s in Music from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. While at Southern Methodist University, Jennings toured South Africa as Maria in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, sang La Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica in Amalfi, Italy and played Charlene in Fats Waller’s Aint Misbehavin at Amarillo Opera. |
During her matriculation at Indiana University, Xan sang the role of Mrs. Ott in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah and was the alto soloist in several oratorio works.
This regional winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition for Texas and Louisiana has also sung as a festival artist with the Utah Festival Opera and, the role of La Zia Principessa with the Sugar Creek Song and Symphony Festival in Watseka Ill. Most recently she joins Palmetto Opera as one of their Young Artists and in August she was a Studio Artist with Metropolitan Opera Singer Sherrill Mines’ VoicExperience in Savannah, Georgia.
This regional winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition for Texas and Louisiana has also sung as a festival artist with the Utah Festival Opera and, the role of La Zia Principessa with the Sugar Creek Song and Symphony Festival in Watseka Ill. Most recently she joins Palmetto Opera as one of their Young Artists and in August she was a Studio Artist with Metropolitan Opera Singer Sherrill Mines’ VoicExperience in Savannah, Georgia.
|
Sylvia Traymore Morrison Board Member When’s the last time you saw Wendy Williams, Diana Ross, Mo’Nique, Whoopi Goldberg and First Lady Michelle Obama in one evening’s performance? Well, all you need to do is catch the Sylvia Traymore Morrison Show the next time she’s in town. Originally from Washington, DC, Sylvia is the first African American Female Impressionist in the country. One of the first solo artists to tour and open for Whitney Houston in over 20 major U.S. cities, Morrison's career in Hollywood is legendary, even if not well known. The iconic Redd Fox recognized her talent early on and signed her to her first management deal. |
When heavyweight boxing was at its zenith and Muhammad Ali was in his prime, Sylvia was asked to host a Roast of the Champ at the legendary Apollo Theater. The hosting job was so prolific and the imitation of the World Heavyweight Champion was so spot-on that he looked at her in amazement and said, “You'’re doin’ me? A woman doin’ me? That’s awesome!”As a result of that roast, Sylvia was offered a position as an associate-writer for one of America’s longest-running TV shows, Saturday Night Live. She is one of few African American Women offered that position.
Although she is one of America's best kept secrets and because of a profound career, Sylvia has released her first book, based on her true story, entitled "Almost There, Almost...The Many Faces of Sylvia Traymore Morrison." 90% of readers say they read it in less than 2 days and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It reads like a roller coaster ride filled with thrills and chills. The book was selected by the American University's Public Relations Department as a project for the senior class. It is rare that a book is selected in that capacity.
Although she is one of America's best kept secrets and because of a profound career, Sylvia has released her first book, based on her true story, entitled "Almost There, Almost...The Many Faces of Sylvia Traymore Morrison." 90% of readers say they read it in less than 2 days and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It reads like a roller coaster ride filled with thrills and chills. The book was selected by the American University's Public Relations Department as a project for the senior class. It is rare that a book is selected in that capacity.
|
Terry Lynn
Board Member Terry Lynn was born in Memphis TN and grew up in Arlington. He began showing his paintings at Gestine Art gallery on Beale street. He enrolled in architectural technology before studying for a BFA at the University of Memphis, where he received a BFA. Terry collaborates on art with his twin brother Jerry under the signature "Twin". His twin and he have shown in many solo and group exhibitions and have been collected worldwide. Terry Lynn has used sculpture, painting and installations to explore the complexity between art and life. "I'm interested in the land, figure, place, and time. " Art is life, and life is art," Terry's art challenges traditional beliefs through his artistic choices. |
Terry honed his labor extensive approach as a teenager while working as a laborer with his brick mason grandfather. He developed a painterly stroke from working with his father painting and remolding homes. " I learned the value of hard work and a work ethic at a very young age ....I spent hours practicing and improving my craft ...I remember listening to families stories of how things use to be." Inspired by those narratives and personal revelations he creates work that evoke and challenge the viewers memories and emotional response.
First published in 1995, the collaborative paintings of Twin are an overwhelming success. Offering a wealth of versatility, both artists are proficient at realism, as well as abstract painting styles; in working in oil or acrylic; and in fine art print making. The brothers have accomplished much in their short career, including exhibitions in some of the country’s top art shows, but they’re not resting on their laurels. Twin have been the official artists of the Essence Music Awards, The Tom Joyner Foundation Cruise, The Kentucky Derby Grand Gala, Black Enterprise Golf & Tennis Challenge and The Links, Inc. to name just a few. They have also been featured at the renowned Black Fine Art Show in New York, Their list of collectors reads like a Who’s Who of entertainment and includes Kanye West, Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves, Ralph White of Earth Wind and Fire, Singer/song writer Kem, Alonzo & Tracey Mourning, BET Founder Bob Johnson, former NBA player and restaurant mogul Ulysses ‘Junior’ Bridgeman, and countless others. They have been featured in numerous magazine and publications.
First published in 1995, the collaborative paintings of Twin are an overwhelming success. Offering a wealth of versatility, both artists are proficient at realism, as well as abstract painting styles; in working in oil or acrylic; and in fine art print making. The brothers have accomplished much in their short career, including exhibitions in some of the country’s top art shows, but they’re not resting on their laurels. Twin have been the official artists of the Essence Music Awards, The Tom Joyner Foundation Cruise, The Kentucky Derby Grand Gala, Black Enterprise Golf & Tennis Challenge and The Links, Inc. to name just a few. They have also been featured at the renowned Black Fine Art Show in New York, Their list of collectors reads like a Who’s Who of entertainment and includes Kanye West, Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves, Ralph White of Earth Wind and Fire, Singer/song writer Kem, Alonzo & Tracey Mourning, BET Founder Bob Johnson, former NBA player and restaurant mogul Ulysses ‘Junior’ Bridgeman, and countless others. They have been featured in numerous magazine and publications.
|
Ty Gray-EL Board Member Ty Gray-EL. The ‘Minister of Poetry' is an author, activist, internationally renowned spoken-word artist and the founder of Breath of My Ancestors, LLC; a cultural enrichment company. He is also a certified stress management therapist through the National Association of Drug & Alcohol Interventionist, as well as a certified seminar leader and keynote speaker. He serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the Empowerment Center-DC and the Executive Director of the Hands On the Future youth development program. |
He is the author of Breath of My Ancestors (Reflections From The Conscience of An African in America), the critically acclaimed 'A Black Woman's Smile' and the author of the award winning cultural enrichment series, 'Ancestors Remembered-Diamonds From Coal'. The power of the spoken word is evident each time this inspirational story-teller opens his mouth. He captures your imagination by weaving poetry, historical events and present-day facts into a bright celestial cloth that lifts the air, enlivens your spirit and stirs your soul. Ty's narratives and poetry has touched the lives of more than two million people around the world. He has been featured in the highly acclaimed stage plays, 'The Process-Journey to the Dark Side of Addiction, A Black Woman's Smile (Why Some Do/ Why Some Don't) Flavors and Urban Therapy '. He has also appeared on the Michael Baisden Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show, BET News, the Pacifica Radio Network and Sirius/XM Radio as well as featured in the Washington Post and Washington Informer newspapers.
|
Danny Street Board Member Creating art isn't only something I can do. It is the one thing I must do”, says Street. Street has always known that his life would revolve around art. He drew his first portrait at age 14, and won his first national art competition at age 15. While majoring in art at Lincoln University of Missouri, he continued to accept painting commissions and exhibit throughout his university years. Upon receiving his (B.S.) degree in art/painting, Street instructed drawing classes for a gifted youth program, while freelancing as an illustrator. |
Street joined the U.S. Air Force in 1986. “I planned to go to California to illustrate ads and recruitment posters for the Air Force, but instead I was sent to Great Britain.” He continued to paint and exhibit his work in Southern England until his return to the U.S. in 1990.
Settling in Chicago, Street worked as a graphic artist while continuing to exhibit his paintings, winning several awards in local and national art exhibits and competitions.
Street now lives, in Pensacola, Florida, where he teaches art and continues to show and sell his work.
Settling in Chicago, Street worked as a graphic artist while continuing to exhibit his paintings, winning several awards in local and national art exhibits and competitions.
Street now lives, in Pensacola, Florida, where he teaches art and continues to show and sell his work.
|
Deborah Shedrick Board Member Deborah Shedrick 's art exudes the aura of simplistic beauty. Having a passion for art since childhood and completing both a BS and MS in Psychology, she returned to her first love art as an adult. |
Focused and determined with the goal of becoming a successful professional artist, Shedrick honed her artistic skills and sensibilities through workshops and study with prominent instructors and accomplished artists. Deborah’s work is vibrant, colorful and full of texture. Utilizing a palette knife, rollers and assorted objects, she shapes color and builds texture in rhythmic patterns and brilliant eruptions. Stylistically she combines realism and abstraction as she forges a unique and distinctive expression that has found tremendous resonance with her audience. She lets the vivid tints take over, leaving her figures elongated and suggested, in her vertical canvases with some collaged materials.
She defines her paintings as free-style, uniquely her own. She captures the nuance of a moment, with the celebration of color and energy. Her artwork strikes a harmonious cord from a universal perspective and she is part of collections throughout the United States and abroad.
Shedrick states, "As I create, I reflect on the Master, the Author of Creativity, God. I share with you the spirituality of which my art is born. Hear the art speak to you of love, inner peace, strength and joy."
She defines her paintings as free-style, uniquely her own. She captures the nuance of a moment, with the celebration of color and energy. Her artwork strikes a harmonious cord from a universal perspective and she is part of collections throughout the United States and abroad.
Shedrick states, "As I create, I reflect on the Master, the Author of Creativity, God. I share with you the spirituality of which my art is born. Hear the art speak to you of love, inner peace, strength and joy."
|
Ross Oscar Knight Board Member Ross Oscar Knight is an artist who has an intense passion to understand humanity one photograph at a time. He uses his camera to open doors, gaining access to examine and capture the shared truths that bind us together. His strength in communication through imagery was born from his childhood stuttering, his search for a racial identity and his fascination with emotional expression. |
even years ago he left a career in Engineering, Marketing, and Small Business Development to pursue his dream of becoming an international photographer. To date, he has traveled to five different continents to observe, participate in, and photograph cultural ceremonies that fulfill his passion to understand and then communicate the beauty of the human story unfolding. As a speaker he has trained over 500 amateur, aspiring and professional photographers and as a philanthropist he has supported cancer research, microfinance programs, youth fitness and mission trips to Haiti and Honduras. In 2013 Ross was named to the board of directors for WonderRoot and joined the Beautiful in Every Shade platform as co-director.
“Ross Oscar Knight uses his camera to open doors…”
Knight is a trusted member of the Professional Photographers of America and his images have appeared in various media outlets across the globe. Notably, CNN, Oprah Winfrey, HGTV, the NBA, Forbes and Essence have featured his work. Also, 20th Century Fox and Lifetime Television have expressed interest in his photo documentaries. His current fine art exhibits titled, Beauty in the Face of Destruction and Everyday Life India, are touring the U.S. In 2014, he published his first book containing selections of his work from the past 10 years. Ross and his wife, Brandi, reside in metro Atlanta with their daughter, Addison, and their Weimaraner, Bauer.
“Ross Oscar Knight uses his camera to open doors…”
Knight is a trusted member of the Professional Photographers of America and his images have appeared in various media outlets across the globe. Notably, CNN, Oprah Winfrey, HGTV, the NBA, Forbes and Essence have featured his work. Also, 20th Century Fox and Lifetime Television have expressed interest in his photo documentaries. His current fine art exhibits titled, Beauty in the Face of Destruction and Everyday Life India, are touring the U.S. In 2014, he published his first book containing selections of his work from the past 10 years. Ross and his wife, Brandi, reside in metro Atlanta with their daughter, Addison, and their Weimaraner, Bauer.
|
Kitty J. Pope Board Member Kitty J. Pope is the founder/ executive director of the Int. Association of Black Travel Writers. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, she is also the publications manager for AfricanDiasporaTourism.com, an online magazine exploring the culture and heritage of people of African descent around the world in order to promote travel. |
The author of one book 'Beside Every Great Man' (Amber Publishers), Pope is the former lifestyle editor of the Atlanta-based Upscale Magazine and the former Coordinator of Counseling at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. She is also the director of membership development in North America for the Int. Council of Tourism Partners. (ICTP)
Pope is a black heritage travel consultant, and a member and media partner for the African Travel Association (ATA). She is also the founder and executive producer of the African Diaspora World Tourism Awards, a gala-ceremony that recognizes achievements of people in the areas of black culture and heritage tourism.
Pope is a black heritage travel consultant, and a member and media partner for the African Travel Association (ATA). She is also the founder and executive producer of the African Diaspora World Tourism Awards, a gala-ceremony that recognizes achievements of people in the areas of black culture and heritage tourism.
|
Dr. Phyllis Gray Ray EX Officio DIRECTOR, PAN-AFRICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE INSTITUTE Dr. Phyllis A. Gray is currently Professor of Sociology and Social Psychology at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, FL. Previously, she served as the Vice President for Research, and then as the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Research Institute at Florida A & M University. |
Other positions include being the Chief Research Officer and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Winston-Salem State University; Head of the Division of Social Sciences, and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Voorhees College; Professor and Research Director of the Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi; The City of Jackson (Mississippi)Chief Strategic Planner/Consultant for the city’s 2000 – 2004 Strategic Plan; Executive Director of the Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University; Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University; Associate Professor and Assistant Professor of Sociology/Criminology, and Coordinator of the Mississippi Crime and Justice Research Unit of the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University, as well as an Instructor of Sociology at Iowa State University.
Dr. Gray has produced approximately 20 professional research final reports, 8 major strategic plans, and presented nearly 60 papers at national and international conferences.
She has published numerous scholarly research articles in both national and international journals, and is the recipient of many honors and awards including induction into the prestigious Sigma Xi National Scientific Research Society. She is also the founding Executive Director of the National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc. Dr. Gray has generated close to 10 million dollars in external research funds. Her research has been funded by The National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the U. S. Department of Education, the Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and the Kellogg Foundation. During her tenure as Vice President for Research at Florida A & M University, faculty generated over $60 million in single-year funds and over $100 million in multi-year funds, within one year. Her current book, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience, was published in August, 2012. Her second book, focusing on the disparate treatment of minority youth in the juvenile justice system is slated for publication in 2013. Dr. Phyllis A. Gray is a native of Beaufort, SC and received her B. S. degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University, and both the M. S. degree and Ph.D. in Sociology/Social Psychology from Iowa State University. She is the mother of two, Akeem T. Ray, a Junior majoring in Psychology at Florida State University, and Shakenna J. Durant, a 5th grader at Killearn Lakes Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida.
Dr. Gray has produced approximately 20 professional research final reports, 8 major strategic plans, and presented nearly 60 papers at national and international conferences.
She has published numerous scholarly research articles in both national and international journals, and is the recipient of many honors and awards including induction into the prestigious Sigma Xi National Scientific Research Society. She is also the founding Executive Director of the National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc. Dr. Gray has generated close to 10 million dollars in external research funds. Her research has been funded by The National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the U. S. Department of Education, the Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and the Kellogg Foundation. During her tenure as Vice President for Research at Florida A & M University, faculty generated over $60 million in single-year funds and over $100 million in multi-year funds, within one year. Her current book, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience, was published in August, 2012. Her second book, focusing on the disparate treatment of minority youth in the juvenile justice system is slated for publication in 2013. Dr. Phyllis A. Gray is a native of Beaufort, SC and received her B. S. degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University, and both the M. S. degree and Ph.D. in Sociology/Social Psychology from Iowa State University. She is the mother of two, Akeem T. Ray, a Junior majoring in Psychology at Florida State University, and Shakenna J. Durant, a 5th grader at Killearn Lakes Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida.
|
Eugene Franklin Ex Officio Eugene Franklin was born August 19, 1948, in Ethel, Louisiana and moved to New Orleans in 1953. He attended grade school and high school in Metairie, Louisiana. Franklin graduated from East Jefferson High School in 1967. Following graduation, he worked as a furniture warehouse supervisor, while attending college at night. |
Franklin enlisted in the United States Navy in 1969 and served a total of 27 years on active duty, eleven years as an enlisted member and sixteen as an officer. Gene retired in Pensacola, Florida after serving command tour as Officer-in-Charge of Naval Air Training Management Support Activity Pensacola, Florida, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. While on active duty, Franklin served in the most demanding executive assignments and diverse commands. He was ranked and graded as the number one Officer in each command he served on every fitness report from 1981 until retirement 1996. His awards included the Navy’s prestigious Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (twice), the Navy Achievement Medal (twice), and a host of other military awards and citations.
He was selected as the Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Aircraft Maintenance Office of the Year in 1986, as Attack Squadron One Two Eight, Commander, Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Wing and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island “Sailor of the Year”, was Runner-up for Navy’s “Sailor of the Year” in 1976.
He also was selected as Commander, Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Aviation Administrator of the Year-1976. Lieutenant Commander Franklin, USN (Retired) is a Viet Nam and 1990 Gulf War Veteran. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, with a minor in Psychology from Chapman College, (now Chapman University) in Orange, California, a Bachelor’s in Education for Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan. All were acquired while he was on active duty in the military, via the Military Education Program.
After retiring from the military, Gene founded the award winning, Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company 1996. His company was dedicated to assisting disenfranchised members of the minority community and women. His company merged with a national mortgage company in 2004. Franklin’s concerns about economic development and work force issues in disadvantaged communities, led him to assist in the establishment of the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, and later; the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Incorporated and National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc. His efforts on the behalf of small businesses and microenterprises led to Eugene being named to boards on the national, state, and local level; including the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. His civic accolades include: Licensed (1999) and Ordained (2003) as a Baptist Minister, Listed in Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida's most influential people in 2004, Minority Business of the Year Award 1998 - 1999, presented by the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award for Community Service for the Year 2001, Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Service Award for Service as Small Business Representative for the Year 2002.
He was selected as the Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Aircraft Maintenance Office of the Year in 1986, as Attack Squadron One Two Eight, Commander, Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Wing and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island “Sailor of the Year”, was Runner-up for Navy’s “Sailor of the Year” in 1976.
He also was selected as Commander, Medium Attack/Electronic Warfare Aviation Administrator of the Year-1976. Lieutenant Commander Franklin, USN (Retired) is a Viet Nam and 1990 Gulf War Veteran. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, with a minor in Psychology from Chapman College, (now Chapman University) in Orange, California, a Bachelor’s in Education for Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan. All were acquired while he was on active duty in the military, via the Military Education Program.
After retiring from the military, Gene founded the award winning, Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company 1996. His company was dedicated to assisting disenfranchised members of the minority community and women. His company merged with a national mortgage company in 2004. Franklin’s concerns about economic development and work force issues in disadvantaged communities, led him to assist in the establishment of the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, and later; the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Incorporated and National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc. His efforts on the behalf of small businesses and microenterprises led to Eugene being named to boards on the national, state, and local level; including the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. His civic accolades include: Licensed (1999) and Ordained (2003) as a Baptist Minister, Listed in Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida's most influential people in 2004, Minority Business of the Year Award 1998 - 1999, presented by the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award for Community Service for the Year 2001, Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Service Award for Service as Small Business Representative for the Year 2002.
