2025 Ebon Dooley Legacy Awards

Ebon Dooley Legacy Awards | Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

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LEGACY AWARDS PROGRAM:

5 p.m. in the Paul Robeson Theater

Admission is included at the $40 membership level or above

Six honorees will be celebrated at ArtsXchange’s Ebon Dooley Legacy Awards for their impact on Atlanta’s lasting power as global cultural capital.

The full program will be at 5 p.m. in the Paul Robeson Theater at ArtsXchange, with soul food bites and performances by the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble.

The Ebon Dooley Legacy Award honorees:

• Shirley C. Franklin , a champion of individual artists and grassroots organizations in all art communities;

• Sheryl Riley Gripper, for her groundbreaking work in media and as founder of the Bronze Jubilee Award;

• Deidre McDonald, visionary founding artistic director of the BronzeLens Film Festival, amplifying Black stories and filmmakers on a global stage;

• John “Kole” Eaton, a steadfast arts administrator whose decades of service have strengthened Atlanta’s cultural institutions and artists alike;

• Diane Carroll, for youth development in dance, nurturing generations through movement, discipline, and joy; and

• Bem Joiner, cultural caretaker and co-founder of Atlanta Influences Everything, a voice for the city’s creative power and international reach.

Since 2018, the Ebon Dooley Arts and Social Justice Awards have celebrated individuals and organizations whose artistry, vision, and dedication have left an indelible mark on Atlanta’s creative landscape. In a time when erasure and defunding of the arts threatens cultural memory, this gathering affirms that the arts remain a powerful language of hope and survival.

This year’s theme, “Trailblazers: Honoring Atlanta’s Cultural Arts Pioneers,” uniquely centers those whose work reflects the values of collective responsibility and art as a tool for equity and self-determination. Each honoree is a root from which new branches of expression continue to grow, carrying forward the legacy of poet, organizer, and Artsxchange Founder Ebon Dooley.

*** PLEASE NOTE ***

The general admission ticket is included at the $40 membership level and above. You must be a current ArtsXchange Member at the $40 level or above for admission to the Legacy awards (VIP reception not included at $40 level). Membership will be verified at check-in.

Are you an active Artsxchange Member with a $100 membership level or above?

You are invited to our 2025 Ebon Dooley Legacy Awards VIP Reception.

Click here to learn more and RSVP.