On March 14, 2024, Alabama Values, in collaboration with Groundwork Project and Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement, hosted a critical virtual public briefing titled “Democracy Under Attack.” The event focused on the disturbing wave of anti-democratic legislation sweeping through state legislatures across the South, targeting voter rights, diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ+ rights, and further marginalizing vulnerable communities.

The briefing was moderated by Jamal Watkins, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Advancement at the NAACP, and featured an esteemed panel of advocates and organizers from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida. Each speaker shared insights into the coordinated legislative attacks their states are facing and the implications for democracy in the region.

Rhyane Wagner, Senior Policy Manager at Black Voters Matter Fund, emphasized the importance of understanding these legislative efforts as part of a broader strategy to suppress the voices of marginalized communities. Steven Adelson from Civic TN highlighted the grassroots resistance efforts underway in Tennessee, showcasing the power of community organizing in the face of adversity.

Ashley Shelton, Founder and CEO of the Power Coalition in Louisiana, spoke about the need for a unified response to these challenges, emphasizing the interconnected nature of the attacks on democratic principles. Jerome Dees, Policy Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, provided legal perspectives on the implications of these legislative moves and the importance of judicial intervention in safeguarding rights.

Kyra Roby, Policy Director at One Voice Mississippi, discussed the impact of such legislation on the ground in Mississippi and the strategies being employed to counter these threats. The speakers collectively underscored the urgency of the situation and the need for continued vigilance and activism to protect the democratic fabric of the South.

The briefing served as a call to action for media, activists, and concerned citizens to raise awareness, mobilize support, and stand united against the tide of anti-democratic legislation. Alabama Values reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with civic organizations to build power, break down barriers to civic participation, and utilize narrative, messaging, media, and visual storytelling as key tools for civic engagement and mobilization.

“Historically, the church served as a hub, and we believe it’s important to get back to those roots in order to build stronger communities,” said Cara McClure, founder of Faith and Works. “(Re) Vote Black Church Community Voter Project’s most important goals are to organize and help rebuild the relationship between the church and the community. We can rebuild our political muscle when community activists and faith leaders work together to increase voter engagement, education and participation.”

The project, which was originally launched in September 2022, conducts non-traditional outreach efforts to meet non-registered and low propensity voters where they are. The project is modeled after Jesus’s approach to evangelism. Jesus always met the needs of the people before charging them with growing the mission.

Organizers believe a served community will be “an empowered to serve community” and look to this crusade as a solution to apathy and low voter engagement.

The goal is to create a minimum of 300 social and civic action ministries across Alabama by 2026 and equip and empower the communities to set their own agendas based on their communities’ needs. Additionally, the goal is also to mass engage a minimum of 20 percent of the population across Alabama.

“The work that Cara McClure does with (Re)Vote Black Church Community Voter Project through her organization Faith & Works gives me so much hope, inspiration, and a second wind in this fight for justice,” said Pastor Ramone Billingsley of Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church. “If you are a church, concerned citizen that does not know how to get involved with civic issues or issues in your neighborhood or community, reach out to Cara or someone on her team! The workshops and training sessions she is doing have depth, relevance, vision, practicality, and an end goal in mind! I am more hopeful than I have ever been because of this project! The Black Church is not dead!”

The project’s goal is to create (Re) Vote Black Church Community Network to cultivate intentional long-term engagement and relationship building between the Black church and the community to increase voter turnout and provide civic and voter literacy. The goal is to encourage Black voters to vote in every election and to ensure the voters will be educated about voting choices and resources available at their local churches. Once the fellows complete the fellowship, they are then invited into the network to help build sustainability.

The new cohort of fellows include church members who were nominated by their pastor to lead their new civic engagement ministries, which moves the (Re) Vote Black Church Community Voter Project closer to the goal of 300 social and civic action ministries across the state. The fellows include:

• Loretta Brown, Remnant Restoration Ministries;

• Alfred Hunt, Noble Chapel CME;

• Asha Sims, West End Hills MBC;

• Carla Brown, St. Paul AME Church;

• DeJourna Evans, Bryan Chapel;

• Jasmine McVay, St. Matthew AME Church Oxmoor;

• Stephanie Johnson, Revelation Church Ministries

• Telisa Little, First Baptist East Bessemer

• Juanita Smith, Victory Tabernacle Church of God in Christ;

• Dorothy Braggs, Apostolic Temple of Praise;

• Rosamarie Richardson, Wheeling Chapel MBC;

• Marcella Spearman, Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church;

• Diandra Cohill, Greater Saint John Baptist Church;

• Asiah Borden, Ebenezer Victory Empowerment Church;

• Regina Thompson, Upper Room Fellowship Church;

• Rolinda Burks, Lighthouse Church Ministries;

• Rosa Williams, Temple of Hope Church;

• Ramone Billingsley, Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church;

• Gwendolyn Woods, First Baptist Church Mason City;

• Shari Broadnax, C2 Nation Bham;

• Linda Griggs, Believers Temple Church-Docena;

• Eula Henderson, Another Chance Ministry;

• Rose Burgess, Mt.Moriah Missionary Baptist Church North Pratt;

• Sacoria Ware, Believers Temple Church -Brighton; and

• Christopher Ruffin, Triumph Church

Fellows were honored in a kickoff event on Friday, May 5 in downtown Birmingham with guest speakers Dr. Richard Arrington, Birmingham’s first Black mayor and Mrs. Vanessa Pettway, a local author.

Reproductive rights advocates and community members will gather in Birmingham on March 25 for an event that brings together art and the fight for reproductive justice.

The ReFrame is a pop-up artivism event under It’s My Body. Period., an Alabama Values’ initiative in collaboration with reproductive rights partners across Alabama.

“Art has played an increasingly important role in amplifying the voices of marginalized communities,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “Art has the power to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire action, making it an effective tool for sparking conversations that can move us towards transformative change. As we continue to grapple with pressing social issues, it is clear that art will continue to be a powerful tool for raising awareness and inspiring the next generation of change agents.”

It’s My Body. Period is a content-heavy educational series and outreach centering around the reproductive fight with the goal of closing the knowledge gap around reproductive justice. AV and its partners hope to tear down the frames of misinformation that wreak havoc on the movement to fight for reproductive rights.

AV teamed up with Yellowhammer Fund, URGE, Project Say Something, PowerHouse, The Knights and Orchids Society , Planned Parenthood Southeast Human Rights Campaign, and 21 Dreams.

The ReFrame will feature thought-provoking art created by local artists around reproductive health care and abortion, as well as a panel discussion featuring activists and artists.

“The Reframe is to look at the way we see reproductive justice in the South and abortion rights. We are doing this event in a way that really brings in artistry and looking at the way we can use art as a caveat for justice in the South,” said Jenice Fountain, executive director of Yellowhammer Fund.

The event will also feature an art talk led by 21 Dreams’ Executive Director Kalonji Gilchrist and a panel discussion.

“I fell in love with storytelling at a young age. Always been enamored with music and visuals to music, but also how stories are being told through a black lens,” Gilchrist said. “I realized that art is an entry point into communities. I understood the impact and how these stories and connecting to people really move people to make changes or persuade or entertain them.”

The panel discussion topics will include:

• Shifts in reproductive rights work post-Roe, with Jenice Fountain, executive director of Yellowhammer Fund.

• Abortion and the Trans Community, with Jennine Bell, TKO Society and Carmarion D. Anderson Harvey, Human Rights Campaign

• The Role Youth Activism Plays in Reproductive Rights, with Shante Wolfe, URGE

• Reproductive health care policy in an ultra-conservative state, with Stephen Stetson, Planned Parenthood Southeast and Mia Raven, P.O.W.E.R. House

“I’m super excited to use art as a way to promote the idea of reproductive health and reproductive justice,” said Stephen Stetson, Alabama State Director of Planned Parenthood Southeast. “ A lot of people get moved in their heart by art.”

“I’m very excited to be a part of this initiative bringing artivism into reproductive rights,” said Jennine Bell, co-founder of TKO Society. “Artvisim has definitely been an important piece in our work, and telling stories and making sure that folks understand why we need resources and where our community wants to show up for themselves. I think this is going to be a great opportunity to showcase reproductive rights. I think for me it is a very exciting experience to witness some work outside the abortion ban.”

The event will be held from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Asthetik Bham, located at 212 24th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203. Must RSVP to attend. Space is limited. To sign up for the event visit, tinyurl.com/reframersvp.

Selma Recap final from AV/AVP TV on Vimeo.

Coretta Scott King once said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

On Friday, grassroots organizers from area organizations came together for a day of service as they helped distribute food to Selma residents and packed supplies needed for residents in the Beloit and Orrville communities in the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the heart of the city.

Residents in Dallas County were struck by an EF-2 tornado on January 12, 2023, which was one of 13 tornadoes that ravaged Alabama on that day. The tornado was on the ground for 26 minutes and cut a path nearly half a mile wide, according to the National Weather Service. It began just east of Orrville near the intersection of Hwy. 22 and Cahaba Road following a track that was nearly parallel with Hwy. 22. The tornado made its way into downtown Selma where Broad Street sustained heavy damage as well as the neighborhoods near Minter Avenue, Leroy Street and Marie Foster Street, where roofs were lifted off of homes causing utter devastation throughout the community.

More than a week later, damage in the Queen City is still widespread, but recovery efforts are in full swing.

On Friday, the Beacon Center, a ministry of Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Montgomery along with Delta Pi Lambda, Alpha Phi Alpha, First Baptist Church, City Councilman Billy Young and Southside Church of Christ, held a mobile food pantry at First Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Street.

Twenty-eight pallets of frozen meat, produce and other goods were on hand to help Selma residents affected by the tornado. This is the first of several mobile food pantries the Beacon Center plans to bring to Selma to continue their support of Selma residents as they recover from the tornado. The next mobile pantry will be Friday, February 3.

The need for a food pantry came after Roy Salisbury, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, spent last week helping a Selma resident cleanup debris and the pair saw someone digging in the trash for groceries.

“I reached out to my fraternity brother, Richard Williams, and he answered the call with the mobile pantry,” he said.

More than 300 households were reached during the mobile pantry on Friday as cars lined the street for hours to get a carload of groceries. One hundred cars were served in the first 40 minutes of the drive and they hit more than 200 by 2:20 p.m.

“We are committing to doing more and more pantries,” said Pastor Richard Williams of Metropolitan United Methodist Church. “When someone’s pantry is wiped out it takes a while to build it back up, and we want to help them do that so they don’t have to choose between that and buying things such as medicine.”

State Sen. Rob Stewart served at the mobile food pantry helping direct traffic.

“Historic First Baptist Church on MLK has been a beacon of civil rights,” he said. “They have been feeding people every day since the disaster. One of the things we have to continue to do is solve food insecurity and today, we have fresh fruit, fresh produce and food from the people at Metropolitan. Our people are budget stretched with many people paying for hotels while they are awaiting FEMA and their insurance companies.”

Just down the road on Broad Street, The Knights & Orchids Society and Hometown Organizing Project were busy loading supplies to take to the Beloit and Orrville communities.

“As we support those affected by this recent devastation, it helps our entire community know that by coming together we can all make a positive difference,” said Jennine Bell, co-director of TKO Society. “We’ve been providing those in need with water, hot meals, diapers and baby essentials, as well as shelter. Other local businesses and organizations are in this with us, doing all that they can as well. So even in times like this, it just goes to show that Selma is not only home to those who have great strength, but great hope and a deep sense of community.”

TKO Society will deliver a truckload of supplies to the Beloit Community Center at 11 a.m., on Saturday, January 21. Supplies include diapers, wipes, baby food, pull-ups, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, snacks, and more.

Warren Tidwell, community resilience organizer at Hometown Organizing Project, joined in helping TKO Society as part of their disaster response, but has also been assessing damage and needs across the state.

“Hometown Organizing has been in every county hit by the tornadoes,” Tidwell said.

He emphasized the importance of long-term recovery help for Selma and other rural areas impacted by the tornadoes.

Tidwell said he has spent the week assessing the needs across Alabama so that his organization can work to best support the needs of the communities.

“There is a lot of help going on now and that’s great,” Tidwell said. “But there will be a long-term need for help and there is a need to maintain that energy. Our organization will be second responders and will be here for the long term working in rural communities to ensure their recovery.”

Stewart said there is a huge need for cleaning up trees on private property, baby formula, diapers, shovels, rakes, snacks, and bottled water.

City Council President Billy Young said that the major goal right now is to make sure that Selma residents’ immediate needs are met.

He said there is a large need for tarps to help residents cover their homes until repair work can be completed to help prevent further damage.

“There is a need for hygiene products and blankets and pillows,” he said “A lot of people don’t have bedding and some are trying to stay at their homes.”

Young said anyone who has access to chainsaws, there is a huge need for help with cleanup.

“We need their expertise,” he said.

Young said those who are able to help with cleanup can contact one of the two command centers at the Dallas County Courthouse Annex or at the George Evans Reception Building.

“Of course, they can contact any church, as well,” he said.

Young was thankful for the outpouring of support to Selma.

“We are a community of nonprofits and churches and they are the heart of our community,” he said. “Love is an action, and we are being shown love through these demonstrations of love. Disaster really puts things into perspective for you.”

“This will be a long, yet persistent recovery long after the cameras are gone,” Stewart said.

Thanks for reading Alabama Values' Southern Narrative Project ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Join Team AV as we attend the Historic Marker unveiling of the Southern Courier. We honored the publication as volunteers recounted the Courier’s founding to document important Southern events and provide alternative perspectives.

Those who experienced the Courier, shared memories about the power of storytelling, grassroots communication, and the Courier’s role in advocating for black experiences and social change.

Join us as we have an in depth conversation with Alabama directors, producers, actors, writers, musicians, and more! Recap an influential night of industry inside talk with the likes of Cierra Glaude(Queen Sugar), LeBaron Thornton, Chris Hardy, Clyde “SEE’J” Foster, You Gene Write, and Juel Taylor(They Cloned Tyrone”.

Follow Team AV as we join Alabama Forward and Shake The Field for their Power On The Line Fest 2025! Filled with a weekend full of excitement, activities, panels, music and more, the POTL Fest gave community members chance to spread the power of unity in the city of Birmingham, Alabama.

Alabama Values partnered with Sony Creative Action, VibranTake, and Alabama Forward for the Southern Narrative Weekend in Birmingham, AL. The weekend provided events full of culture, art, music, advocacy, leadership, community, and much more!

We kicked off the weekend at the Woodlawn Theatre for VibranTalks, a cultural gathering that included industry lead workshops and panels! We then joined Shake The Field for the Power On The Line weekend fest, a two-day festival providing educational panels, art, music, vendors, and tons of things to do for the community! The weekend was part of AV’s Southern Narrative Project, an original cultural campaign painting true narratives of the movements and power of the South!

Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director, shares her mission with Alabama Values, focusing on narrative control and storytelling for liberation. The Southern Narrative project aims to amplify marginalized voices and support artists and community organizers. Hardy highlights the importance of grassroots communication and the role of art, advocacy, and hip hop as a medium of resistance. She emphasizes that culture is political and that real change comes from community engagement.

As fireworks light up the sky this Fourth of July, we pause to ask: What to the slave is the Fourth of July? Inspired by Frederick Douglass’s timeless question, Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values, delivers a powerful reflection on the difference between freedom and true liberation.

Anneshia calls on us to shift the narrative, reclaim our histories, and invest in a collective future rooted in love, honesty, and self-determination. This is more than a holiday message — it is a call to action, to become the architects of our own deliverance, no matter how much this nation resists our truth.

Watch now, and join the movement for liberation beyond independence.

The Flourish Alabama, a nonprofit in Ensley, AL. hosts its third annual Ensley Unity Day block party, marking the largest turnout yet! Ensley Unity Day emphasizes community connection and the gratitude for the Flourish’s and many other Organizations contributions to the local communities.

The event reflects on challenges like loss of unity and safety, while promoting the love and camaraderie that holds the communities together! The Flourish’s mission is to empower artists and tackle systemic issues through the arts, fostering a sense of togetherness.

This article was originally posted on AL.com on August 9, 2025

On July 31, civic and community engagement nonprofit Alabama Values and Vibrantake, an organization dedicated to developing Alabama artists, hosted a storytelling workshop and speaker session for creatives who want to work in the television and film industry at the Woodlawn Theatre in Birmingham, Ala. The event was the kickoff for Alabama Values’ Southern Narrative Project, an initiative created in partnership with Sony CREATE ACTION. According to Alabama Values founder Anneshia Hardy, the project will help creators, artists and community leaders amplify the underrepresented stories of the region.

“We believe that who controls the narrative controls the power,” Hardy said. “Storytelling is the key to liberation. We believe in amplifying the voices of those who are often pushed into the margins, and we like to meet folks where they are. The Southern Narrative project is rooted in the belief that, ‘The South got something to say.’ The South is full of creativity, not just the resistance that we talk about in history books. It’s full of culture. It’s very vibrant, and so the project is a way for us to showcase that.”

Attendees spent part of the afternoon learning how to sketch storyboards and finalize pitches. They received feedback from Alabama-born filmmakers: Mobile native Cierra “Shooter” Glaude and Tuskegee-born creative Juel Taylor. Both Glaude and Taylor have fused Southern culture into their onscreen work. Glaude has transported viewers to the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana as the director of “P Valley” and “Queen Sugar,’ which was created by award-winning producer and screenwriter Ava DuVernay. Taylor co-wrote and directed “They Cloned Tyrone,” a sci-fi comedy starring Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris. Multiple Alabama creatives made their mark in the movie, which was one of Netflix’s top streamed films in 2023 and is now considered a cult-classic. While “They Cloned Tyrone” isn’t set in a specific location, film writers and critics said it could be set in any Southern town because the movie was partially filmed in Atlanta, including the city’s West End.

As the afternoon turned to dusk, attendees gathered in front of the Woodlawn Theatre stage for Vibrantalks, which was a candid panel discussion with Alabama filmmakers and producers. Glaude and Taylor joined three more creatives: Vibrantake founder Clyde Foster Jr., also known as “Uncle See’J,” co-produced and was heavily featured on the soundtrack for “They Cloned Tyrone.” Lebaron “LB” Thornton, a Southern-based filmmaker and music artist whose single “Socks N Slides” helped build the world of “They Cloned Tyrone,” and Birmingham-born rapper, producer and author You Gene Write.

Seated side-by-side in directors’ chairs, the panelists discussed how the media’s monolithic portrayal of the South, which is often rooted in its racial trauma, overshadows the cultural richness of the region. Along with the movement work that has led to the enactment of the nation’s civil rights laws and voting rights, many Southerners also forged the healing harmonies of the gospel, the storytelling of the blues and jazz, the soul of rock and roll and Southern the hip hop beats. Thornton said Vibrantake sharpens the storytelling skills of Alabama artists by building a stronger community.

“I think I can speak for all of us when I say, as young artists, there was support that we were missing in the state,” Thornton said. “We are looking to create that space by doing events, by helping people make music, by collaborating with people.”

These conversations are occurring at a vital time for Black entertainment. Producer Issa Rae and other media leaders have talked about the string of cancellations of Black-led shows such as “Lovecraft Country,” “The Wonder Years,” and “Rap Sh!t.” An associate editor from Essence referred to the cancellations as acts of cultural erasure. Both Alabama Values and Vibrantake believe more Southerners need to be in more director’s chairs and writing rooms so they can tell the truth of their own Southern experiences.

During the nearly two-hour panel, You Gene Write and the creatives discussed Black, Southern representation in music and TV, what they are doing to fill that gap and how they put a little piece of Alabama and Southern culture into their work. Here are some takeaways, edited for clarity:

You Gene Write: Let’s have an origin story. What’s the first Southern Story that made you feel seen and how does that energy show up in your work?

Glaude: It took a long time for me to be seen in a movie. It actually wasn’t a Southern movie. It was “Pariah” by Dee Rees. The code-switching, the living of two different lives – I experienced a lot of that growing up, in southern Alabama.

So I’m just trying to make the stories that I want to see and that I haven’t seen in places that I haven’t seen myself. Because truth be told, I haven’t seen nobody like me on film, you feel me? You dig? So, I say that to say we have a long way to go. I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff out there where people feel seen regardless of their race, creed, blah, blah, or whatever. But as far as me, I feel like we got a little ways to get there. Shout out to the people who are also doing work.

Taylor: The first thing that even comes to mind is not even a film. It’s music stuff. As a kid, seeing [hip hop duo] 8Ball & MJG and OutKast not compartmentalize rap to somewhere else, I thought that was hard. That was a completely non-film related answer, but those were the first Southerners who I can remember.

And then, some homegrown heroes [from Alabama]: Dirty Boyz. The “Rollin Vogues” video. When I saw the Rollin Vogues video, I was like ‘oh, this me.’ They had the alligators on strings. I thought that was huge out in the Gump.

Thornton: For me, it was the show “Atlanta.” That should tell you how long it took. A lot of the Southern narratives were based in our bloody history, but ‘Atlanta’ was kind of like Seinfeld for young Black people. It was a show about nothing. That was super smart and it engaged me in a way that I’d never seen anything else. I think I was 30 or 28 years old when “Atlanta” dropped. So it took 28 years for me to feel like ‘Oh wow, this really represents me.’

You Gene Write: What do you guys think is missing from mainstream stories about the South and how do you balance honoring the tradition with something that feels new, now and true to you? How do you fill in those gaps in your current profession?

Thornton: The modern South is not the South of the past. Look at what the South is. I’ll give you an example. I left a movie once. I was a production assistant on it. I was told it was one thing: It was a slave movie. I didn’t want to work on it. I told myself I’d never work on another one again. Saying all that to say, that’s one way I separate myself from it.

I also find it by organizing, sitting with my peers, bringing my family in and putting a room together where there are hopefully a lot of other young people out here who want to do the same things and connect in that. Just being a part of the community and developing community. Also writing and pitching my own stories. It’s not a secret. In Black Hollywood that’s been the recipe forever. You’ve gotta write yourself in. I’ll be behind the camera forever if I don’t write myself in.

Foster: I think a lot of times, it’s kind of like trauma porn. Something like that is not going to have nuance. If there’s never another slave movie made, it won’t be too soon. Or just, there are a lot of people who try and tell Southern stories but don’t understand Southern culture for real and that shows up in a lack of nuance.

I think the way to change that is to empower creatives from the South. As somebody who has lived in various places now, it was never an issue of talent or these people being particularly more talented than the people I knew back home. It was usually the opposite. Like, frustratingly the opposite. Man, I knew people at the crib about 10 times better than this. So, to be able to empower and educate creatives who are actually from the mud. I think that would do a lot of good.

You Gene Write: I’m gonna switch it up and go to ‘Shooter’ [Glaude] because you have a catalogue of actual Southern creativity. You talk about ‘Queen Sugar.’ You talk about ‘P Valley.’ That was Southern like I ain’t never seen. What are your non-negotiables to making sure that you hold true to your Southern roots within your creativity?

Glaude: I feel like what’s missing from our stories is just us making them, us being in charge of it and us being the tastemakers, the facilitators and having the say-so and stuff like that. So, for me, that’s a big part of it. You have to go in there and have that confidence and just show up as you are and trust that they’re going to vibe with it. Either you subscribe to it, or you unsubscribe to it. It’s no in between, and most people will subscribe to it because it’s different, it’s fresh and it’s organic. They rock with it. But I just try to go in there and have fun and put my spin on it.

So we get to name stuff after our ancestors and elders if we can. If we have the jurisdiction. Ava [DuVernay] does that. She’ll name stuff after her mom. So, just any of those little moments, like what the food is gonna be on the table. It could be little stuff, but over time, it builds up as we have more jurisdiction on creating our own stories and being able to tell them.

You Gene Write: Being from Alabama has helped mold the creative sensibilities of us all. How is that being reflected in your work? Is it something you do intentionally or does it happen naturally?

You Gene Write [answering his own question]: My obsession for rap led me to all these other things. It’s natural at this point if it’s something that’s going to help me improve my craft and my talent. But I think it’s natural because I’m comfortable in my obsession as an adult. I know when I wake up in the morning, this is what I’m trying to do.

Being from Alabama has molded that. But also knowing, at this point in my career, touring with these guys and going abroad. It’s like ‘oh, we can get spoiled because it’s local and accessible.’ But when I go to these other places and they’re doing shows at the rec center or in a barber shop, it makes me realize we actually have talent. We have an ecosystem. We have a community. Being from here, it actually lets me know we have something to offer to the world and we have A1, top-tier talent around me at all times. So it’s natural that I want to give my best to the people that are around me.

Taylor: It depends on the project. Sometimes, you naturally do it. But with something like ‘Tyrone,’ that just naturally comes from who you choose to collaborate with: the music. People you choose to put in it. You really just try to make something you feel like to your friends, when you go back home, they’ll actually enjoy it. I think in the back of my mind, I’m like ‘If I went back home, would they like it if they saw it?’ That’s kind of like the barometer for that.

A lot of times, it can be a little more small in the details, depending on what the project is. You might be working on something that’s set in another country. But even when you’re not consciously doing it, it’s kind of hard for some parts of it not to sneak in your work. But for something like ‘Tyrone,’ it was very intentional.

Foster: I had no choice about being soulful. Being from here. There was a time where there was a real chip on my shoulder on some rap sh*t. When I moved to New York, I was like “I’m gonna be liver than all these New York ni**as.” And I’m from Alabama. That was one of the things I wanted to make sure was known. At this point, speaking to what Ciara was saying. You kind of are who you are. And it’s gonna bleed out whether you want it to or not.

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The two toured the Legacy Museum, had roundtable discussions and  hosted a mid-week kickback at the Co-lab Collective that included community conversations, food, games, and music all centered around joy and collective liberation!

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