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Ebon Dooley (1942 - 2006) ArtsXchange Founder https://www.artsxchange.org/ebon-dooley Ebon Dooley (1942-2006) was a caring, creative, brilliant, insightful, progressive, proactive, and delightfully charismatic community activist who established the ArtsXchange in 1983. A long-time advocate for the fair distribution of wealth, Ebon brought the spirit of grassroots collectivity to all of his efforts to achieve freedom, dignity, and equality for all people. He understood that these interconnected cornerstones of humanity provide the opportunity for creative expression, community building, and empowerment. The ArtsXchange is proud to present the annual Ebon Dooley Arts & Justice Awards in recognition of individuals and organizations that, like Ebon, work to improve the lives and futures of the communities they serve. Ebon was born Leo Thomas Hale in the small farming community of Milan, Tennessee, and went to Fisk University in Nashville after the 10th grade on a scholarship. His activism began with his work as managing editor of the Fisk literary magazine and newspaper (where poet Nikki Giovanni also worked as a freshman reporter). He entered Columbia Law School on a full scholarship in 1963. In New York, he saw two very different sides of the larger world: as a law school management trainee at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company and as a member of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council and volunteer for a community action project in Harlem. He attended the first Black Power Conference in Newark in 1967 and was so impressed by the Chicago delegation that, after graduating from Columbia, he turned down a job on Wall Street to go work in Chicago as a VISTA legal volunteer. Ebon was active in Chicago’s OBAC (Organization for Black American Culture), and, in 1968, Third World Press published his book Revelation; a poem, which cemented his reputation as a talented poet and dedicated agent for justice. That same year Ebon moved to Atlanta, arriving at a pivotal time in the city’s evolution as a center for social justice movements under the Civil Rights banner. For many years Ebon owned a bookstore, Timbuktu Market of New Africa, which became a hub not only for political activists but also for Atlanta’s burgeoning community of progressive cultural workers. Ebon’s political and intellectual clarity and his calm and friendly demeanor quickly made him a sought after member of the city’s social change community. He served on the board of the Southern Education Program, worked for Atlanta Legal Aid, and was an early organizer of WRFG community radio. He joined the staff at Atlanta’s historic Neighborhood Arts Center in 1975 as a writer-in-residence and later served for nearly a year as the center’s acting director. As writer-in-residence, Ebon edited the regional magazine Potlikker and helped to organize the Southern Collective of African American Writers with author Toni Cade Bambara. He was involved in the establishment of the Dunbar Center, the Atlanta Center for Black Arts, and, in 1983, drew up the incorporation papers for the Southeast Community Cultural Center, giving birth to The ArtsXchange. When the ArtsXchange opened, it reshaped the landscape of metropolitan Atlanta’s arts scene. It was the first fully integrated center of its kind—multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, and inter-generational. Over the years it has maintained its place as a hub of artistic expression for emerging and established artists who push boundaries, blend genres, and foster future generations of creative talent as well as a gathering place for community planning, activism, and events. The ArtsXchange is proud to pay homage to its founder, Ebon Dooley, and to other progressive visionaries, Revolutionary organizers, and cultural activists who carry forward Ebon’s quest for human dignity for everyone everywhere. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Courtney Brooks 2023 Ebon Dooley Honoree Jack Sinclair Visual Artist Alumni - Jack Sinclair Gallery Curator https://www.facebook.com/cbrooksart Courtney Brooks is an Atlanta based visual artist, art instructor and independent curator. Originally from Denver, Colorado, she rekindled her passion for painting by encouraging creativity and connecting communities through the arts. An avid supporter for all creatives, Courtney is proud to be a visual artist first and is not afraid to experiment with various mediums like, watercolor, acrylic, oils and photography. Through personal experiences, traveling aboard, whether teaching art classes, painting on canvas or walls, her love for art and building relationships have led to a journey of curating. Since 2014, she developed professional skills that have provided a platform for her peers through creative direction,team building, private and community fundraising events, solo shows and group exhibitions. The significance of the work Courtney has contributed thus far has opened many opportunities. She is the former a Gallery Director and curator of the Southeast Community Cultural Center, known as the ArtsXchange’s Jack Sinclair Gallery. In addition, the first woman of color Curator- in- Residence for Art the Atlanta BeltLine, where she will have the freedom to transform a public art space. Brooks has a gift to work with a wide range of entrepreneurs, small businesses, grass root based organizations and collaborates with emerging to established visual artists of multiple disciplines, cultures and backgrounds. Along with assisting artists/ muralist as a curator, she focuses on understanding the creative process and undiscovered narratives that provides a sense of urgency. Her goal is to help maximize artists’ potential and expand the visibility in their careers. She understands that being curator carries a role with great expectations and It is a privilege to share work from private collections, establish studio visits and handle concepts with care. Image Credits @timberhousefilms @stevewest @truththecreative OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Stephanie Smith 2024 Ebon Dooley Honoree - Jack Sinclair Visual Artist stephanie_smith2@comcast.net https://stephaniesmithart.com/home.html Stephanie Smith is an Atlanta-based artist, printmaker and educator creating expressive woodcuts and linocuts of narrative and symbolic images. A passion for the medium of printmaking and the loss of long standing and influential Atlanta art entities, inspired her to co-found the non-profit arts organization, the Atlanta Printmakers Studio in 2005. After serving for five years as president of the board of directors, she continues to serve on the board and volunteers her time at the studio. A senior lecturer at the University of West Georgia, Stephanie teaches printmaking and foundations. She has curated numerous exhibitions and uses these experiences to make connections for audience and artists and to provide significant experiential learning opportunities for students. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Rozina Shiraz Gilani 2019 Ebon Dooley Honoree Emerging Leader https://www.instagram.com/poochsters/ Rozina Shiraz Gilani (she/her) is a visual and performing artist, choreographer and the Founder and Director of ATL Radical Art. She is a first-generation American whose work uplifts testimony through movement and utilizes the narrative tools of Indian Classical Dance to challenge viewers with a "radical disruption" of normative thought. She is inspired by representations of identity, collective memory and most specifically post-trauma as represented in motif production. Drawn to the power of testimony of the human condition and righteous fights to live with freedom and dignity, she creates multi-media visual and movement compositions that seek to challenge and activate her audiences. Over the past 14 years, she has worked on solo and collaborative dance projects, productions & workshops internationally– in the U.S., Hungary, Palestine, and Lebanon. After returning to Atlanta in 2016, Gilani was in search for a revolutionary art space, and subsequently founded Atlanta’s Radical Art Community in 2018. ATL Radical Art (ARA) is a collective of local Atlanta artists committed to the creation of a radical and artistic counterculture in response to the social and political climate of our time. The collective's artists engage in performances/experiments that shed light on topics of intersectional struggle, liberation, and protest from around the globe. ARA's vision is to create spaces and works that thrive independent of institutional funding, finding its strength in community support. This community is primarily for people of color, women, queer & trans artists across multiple disciplines as well as accomplices who are working jointly with us towards similar goals and prioritize the visibility of said communities in Atlanta’s art scene. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

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Oronike Odeleye 2020 Ebon Dooley Honoree Change Maker Oronike Odeleye is a freelance Arts & Entertainment consultant who has worked with a range of clients including ONE Musicfest, The National Black Arts Festival, The Annie B Casey Foundation, American Express, The Atlanta Hawks, and The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office. In 2017 she co-founded the #MuteRKelly campaign to advocate for the black community's divestment from accused serial sexual abuser, R. Kelly. Through her work over the past 2 years, the #MuteRKelly campaign has gotten 16 concerts canceled in the US and abroad, held protest rallies in 8 cities, had his music downgraded from streaming platforms and banned from radio stations across the nation, gotten RCA to end his recording contract, and has seen charges brought against him by the FBI and Chicago PD, and investigations launched in Atlanta, GA and Detroit, Michigan. Most importantly, her work has sparked conversations around the nation about sexual abuse in the #MeToo era, childhood sexual abuse in the Black community, and the politics of race, wealth and fame in bringing abusers to justice. Oronike was featured in the explosive Lifetime docu-series, Surviving R Kelly, and has been interviewed on-air and in print by publications worldwide including The New York Times, The Roland Martin Show, NPR, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Rolling Stone, BBC, and The Root, as well as on countless radio stations and podcasts. She has lectured nationwide about the #MuteRKelly campaign, social media activism, rape culture, race and gender politics in intersectional feminisim, childhood sexual abuse in the Black Community, and modern ideas around female sexuality at Morehouse College, Norfolk State University, Princeton University, and Syracuse University. In 2019, Oronike was honored as one of OkayAfrica's 100 Women, celebrating women from Africa and the Diaspora disrupting the status quo. In April 2019 she was honored with the Activist Impact Award at the Breakthrough Inspiration Awards in NYC. In May of the same year she received the Visionary Champions award at Resilience's Evening of Impact in Chicago, IL. Most recently she was named the #5 Most Influential African American 25-45 years old on the Root 100 2019 list which honors the innovators, the leaders, the public figures and game changers whose work from the past year is breaking down barriers and paving the way for the next generation. Oronike graduated from Syracuse University in 2001 with a B.A in Film Studies. She resides in Atlanta, GA. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

b3e737f4-d6a1-4c79-9388-2e219e0d853d PRESS Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective to perform at ArtsXchange June 4, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAUSIKI SCALES & THE COMMON GROUND COLLECTIVE Concert: June 24, 8 p.m., $20 Community Workshop: June 25, 3 p.m., Free Paul Robeson Theater at ArtsXchange More info & RSVP Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective to perform at ArtsXchange Renowned group to bring signature sound & workshop in honor of Black Music Month EAST POINT, Ga. — Celebrate Black Music Month with an authentic rendering of the pulsating African rhythm fused with jazz and R&B that is the hallmark of Afrobeat. Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective — a local band with international reach — will play a concert at 8 p.m. June 24 in the Paul Robeson Theater at the ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St. in East Point. The collective will return to offer their free community workshop, “Blues People: The Music and Culture of African Americans,” open to all ages from 3-5 p.m. on June 25. In this free masterclass, Mausiki Scales and his guests will guide participants through an exploration of the intellectual and social origins of African American music — Black Folk music, Blues, Jazz, popular, religious and others — from its beginnings in Africa to its enculturation into the music of the Americas. Founded and led by Mausiki Scales, the Common Ground Collective, is a group of Atlanta-based musicians who have been working together since 1999. The band explores genres that reflect Africa and the African Diaspora including Afrobeat, Funk, Jazz, Soul, Blues and Hip Hop. With a commitment to performing that expands beyond mere entertainment, the band claims community healing as core to its mission. Mausiki Scales & Common Ground's sound concerns itself with the African ancestral musical arts, while being fully present in addressing contemporary experiences. They approach creativity with a high regard for music and they also act as active agents in maintaining an integral part of the sacred Black Music Tradition. For more information or to purchase tickets, see artsxchange.org/ebon-dooley . The ArtsXchange, d/b/a the Southeast Community Cultural Center, was incorporated in 1983 and opened The Arts Exchange In 1984 in Grant Park, reshaping the landscape of Metro Atlanta’s arts scene. In East Point since 2017, the ArtsXchange empowers artists, social justice activists, and creative entrepreneurs to engage communities with innovative artistic learning experiences and cultural exchange. Our programming is designed to be inclusive, diverse, and to encourage positive change as participants come to a better understanding of themselves and others. Our art is our activism. DOWNLOAD THE PDF Press Contact Angela Oliver media@artsXchange.org She/Her

tenisio seanima Fresh Oasis Garden Manager Justice 40 Cohort Liaison Studio Artist freshoasis@artsxchange.org tenisio seanima, the inaugural Urban Agriculture Manager for East Point, GA possesses an unwavering passion for creating positive change, which earned him the reputation as a service-driven leader across the Southeastern United States. During the past two decades, he has cultivated extensive experience in the arena of cooperative development, food policy, agricultural sales, leadership, mass media, and social activism. tenisio began his career path in agriculture by serving as the owner of Nature's Candy Farms and the Sales Manager of Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, respectively. He also spent the period between 2015 and 2019 serving as the Farmer Services Coordinator for Georgia Organics, Inc., the Procurement Associate for the Common Market Southeast, and as a Program Coordinator for HABESHA, Inc, all of which are notable agricultural organizations operating in the state of Georgia. In addition to a B.S. in Green and Sustainable Enterprise Management from the University of Phoenix, tenisio is Master Gardener Certified by HABESHA, Inc. and he’s certified on the USDA's National Organic Program rules for Produce and Livestock by the International Organic Inspector's Association. He is also a certified produce-safety trainer with the Produce Safety Alliance. In the near future, he aspires to revive his family’s farm, the August Long Estate, which has withstood the test of time since 1882. When he isn’t immersed in his multifaceted agriculture career, tenisio enjoys wild foraging, practicing Egyptian yoga, and even DJing. Above all, he loves his family and the quality time he gets to spend with them. tenisio is a loving husband and proud father of one spectacular daughter and two amazing sons. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Corinthia Jenkins MPH Alumni - Studio Artist https://www.instagram.com/meditationsuitsme Corinthia Yemi Jenkins , MPH is an instrument for social justice. As a Certified Health Education Specialist, she has founded BabyU (BU)Prenatal Support Services and Meditation Suits Me!(MSM) Each venture has allowed her to bring wellness support services to underserved populations throughout Metro Atlanta. Baby U provides doula services and community baby showers as well as extended mom and baby classes to support the unique needs of new families. MSM provides corporate and individual stress management classes and mindfulness training to provide mental health tools that have been documented to improve wellness and quality of life. BabyU(BU) and Meditation Suits Me(MSM) also produce a line of personal wellness products designed to enhance the services provided to the community. The presence of BU and MSM will offer a unique addition to the art community as a major contributor to the collective wellness of the community. Each class taught and item created will assist in ending the social injustices that plague many communities of color. Corinthia Jenkins began her personal meditation practice over two decades ago. Through training from the Chopra Center and Iyanla Vanzant's Inner Visions Institute she chose to pursue avenues to provide mindfulness and meditation techniques to all looking to develop proven strategies to support wellness. She founded Meditation Suits Me to provide meditation and mindfulness classes to government and private organizations and individuals. Through group sessions and retreats students gain valuable tools to strengthen their own lives. As an extension she also founded BabyU a doula and maternal support service to enhance the journey to motherhood through mindfulness and meditation. Corinthia received her Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Health Education and Health Policy form Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. She received her BA in Anthropology concentrating on medical anthropology and the culture of wellness access in diverse communities. She also has 15 years of teaching in public schools and independent school systems. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

John Washington ArtsXchange Office & Event Manager office@artsxchange.org John Washington (He/They) , a dynamic and accomplished professional, stands at the intersection of academia, community engagement, and leadership. With a Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgia State University, He has cultivated a diverse skill set and a passion for making a positive impact. His academic journey laid the foundation for his multifaceted career. Graduating from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2022. The academic environment not only honed, but his analytical and research skills but also instilled a deep appreciation for the power of language and communication. While in Undergraduate, he was undergraduate researcher at Georgia State University’s CSAD program. It was there that he developed a passion for archival research, record management, and learning software programs. As an Undergraduate Student-Researcher, [he delved into archival records, genealogical searches, and utilized geo-rectifying programs. This experience honed his research and analytical capabilities, contributing significantly to his growth. Upon graduation, John Washington worked as a Digitalization Student Intern at the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library - Digitization Student Intern (April 2023-August 2023): John’s journey into professional life commenced with a role at the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. As a Digitalization Student Intern, [he/she/they] demonstrated a commitment to preserving historical content. His responsibilities included creating descriptive metadata for digitized content, cataloging archival materials, and researching Library of Congress Authorities for Metadata. Episcopal Church of the Incarnation - Parish Executive Administrator/Bookkeeper (March 2022-Present): Transitioning into the realm of church administration, [Your Name] assumed the role of Parish Executive Administrator/Bookkeeper. Managing critical church documents, coordinating events, and maintaining schedules for senior church leadership, he had showcased not only organizational prowess but also a commitment to the community. CSAD-Georgia State University - Undergraduate Student-Researcher (January 2021-December 2022): As an Undergraduate Student-Researcher, John delved into archival records, genealogical searches, and utilized geo-rectifying programs. This experience honed his research and analytical capabilities, contributing significantly to his growth. In conclusion, John Washington's journey is a testament to the power of education, community engagement, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Balancing academic prowess with practical experience, John embodies the spirit of a versatile professional poised for continued success. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES