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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

Richard Washington ArtsXchange Gallery Director Studio Artist ricwas@comcast.net http://ricwashington.weebly.com/ Richard (Ric) Washington is an artist, curator, educator, and graphics designer originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, establishing a strong foundation for his creative work Over the years, Washington has built a distinguished career in Atlanta, where he has worked as a graphic designer, artist, fabricator, educator, and arts manager, showcasing his versatility and commitment to the arts. Washington founded his independent studio at the ArtsXchange, Southeast Community Cultural Center in East Point, GA, where he also serves as Gallery Director for the Jack Sinclair Gallery. This dynamic space provides a platform for his exploration of mixed-media painting, printmaking, digital arts, and sculpture, making it the heart of his artistic practice. Washington’s contributions to the Atlanta arts community highlight his dedication to both his craft and fostering a vibrant cultural landscape. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Jim Alexander 2021 Ebon Dooley Honoree Lifetime Achievement Award Studio Artist info@thejimalexandercollection.com http://jimalexanderphotography.com Jim Alexander is an award-winning documentary photographer, curator, lecturer, and teacher who has spent over fifty years refining what he calls the art of documentary photography. A photojournalist, teacher, activist, media consultant and entrepreneur, Alexander has amassed an impressive collection of images of Black culture and human rights photographs. In 1964, Alexander moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey and started a career as a freelance photographer. He earned a certificate in Business Management from Rutgers University in 1967 and a degree in Commercial Photography from the New York Institute of Photography in 1968. That same year, Alexander began to document the local and national response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Earning a reputation as a documentary photographer, Alexander was hired by Bruner Productions to shoot film strips from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he was hired by Yale University’s School of Art and Architecture as a consultant for the Black Environmental Study Team. Alexander completed courses in Communications Psychology at the New School for Social Research in 1974. Accepting a position with the Atlanta Office of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in 1976, Alexander went on to the Atlanta Neighborhood Arts Center in 1977 as photographer in residence. In 1982, he established the Photo/Media Photography Collective Studio Gallery complex in downtown Atlanta. He was appointed photographer in residence at Clark College in 1985. In 1988, his cultural interest led to the establishment of the First World Bookstores. In 1993, several of Alexander’s photographs were selected for “Beyond Category: The Musical Genius of Duke Ellington” exhibit that continues to tour. Alexander was included in the city of Atlanta’s Masters Series in 1995 and in 2000; his jazz photos were featured in a solo exhibit with the National Black Arts Festival. Having taught and mentored youth and adults at the Carlos Museum, Emory University, the Fulton County Arts Council, TRIO and Upward Bound Programs at Clark, Morris Brown and Atlanta Metropolitan Colleges, Alexander also maintains membership with Photomedia Associates, Inc., Media Arts for Youth, the International Association for Jazz Education, the African American Jazz Caucus, and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. He received a 2017 Jus’ Blues Music Foundation Humanitarian Award, for over 50 years of documenting Black music. He is a 2006 inductee into The History Makers. In 1995, the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs began its annual "Master Artist" program and Alexander was the first artist chosen, “for his contribution to Atlanta and the world". OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

WRFG-89.3 FM Radio 2021 Ebon Dooley Honoree Bridge Builder https://wrfg.org/ WRFG-89.3 FM is an independent, noncommercial, nonprofit, community radio station whose mission is to provide an outlet for progressive voices, information, and perspectives that are missing from or minimized in the mainstream media. Radio Free Georgia Broadcasting Organization, Inc. has been broadcasting continuously since 1973. As a Bridge Builder, WRFG has a history of engaging Atlantans through radio conversations, connecting communities and helping share social solutions. WRFG’s heavy grassroots and consistent involvement to lift the people’s voice, and demonstrate character shows the organization’s passion and purpose. WRFG has clearly demonstrated servant leadership in its effort to address a vast array of socio-economic issues that plague civilization. Since 1973, it has presented various programming and events centered around social issues involving women’s rights, racial justice, culture, and youth. WRFG supports social change that increases equality, liberation, human rights, and justice for all people everywhere. In addition to music programs that honor cultural diversity, scheduling includes shows on health and nutrition, racial justice, the environment, initiatives by local activists, gender/LGBTQ+ issues, animal rights, global politics, the economy, women’s issues, education and youth concerns, and the workplace. For many years, WRFG produced live broadcasts from The Hungry Club Forum, Atlanta’s famous interracial luncheons. They hosted community forums on important issues, including electronic voting, homeland security, same-sex marriage legislation, and global economic policy. WRFG has garnered awards from Emory University, Georgia WAND, Georgia’s Caribbean Association, the National Blues Foundation, Atlanta’s Hip Hop Appreciation Award Committee, and several “Best of” recognitions by Creative Loafing. Between 1977 and 1980, WRFG produced the award-winning 52-part “Living Atlanta” series, published as a book by the University of Georgia Press. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Omelika Kuumba 2023 Ebon Dooley Honoree Change Maker Omelika Kuumba has taught African dance for the past 25 years at Spelman College. She specializes in African Dance Forms, a cornerstone for dance majors, and introduced a new course, West African Rhythms. Kuumba, or Sister Omelika as she is affectionately called is a drummer, dancer, choreographer, musical arranger, and cultural arts educator. She is a Spelman alum and studied under the direction of master dancers and percussionists in the U.S. and in Senegal, West Africa. Her career accomplishments include: performing during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games; teaching and choreographing at Trollwood Performing Arts School in North Dakota, and teaching percussion and choreographing in Stuttgart, Germany, Hastings, England and Bermuda. Sister Omeika co-founded GIWAYEN MATA, an award-winning dance, percussion and vocal ensemble. She is a former Student Government Association member, Miss Maroon and White at Morehouse, and member of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Ballethnic 2024 Ebon Dooley Honoree Bridge Builder info@ballethnic.org https://ballethnic.org Ballethnic Dance Company Inc. began with the love story of a young couple, Nena Gilreath and Waverly T. Lucas II, who met at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. On January 15, 1990, they successfully launched the second Black-founded professional ballet company and the first by a Black woman, creating another vehicle in the U.S. for dancers of color to be at the forefront. Today, the dance company is a classically trained, culturally diverse ballet company that blends traditional ballet with the artistic influences of other ethnic cultures – especially African American – to produce unique and exciting dance performances. 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

Meadowlark Pictures 2022 Ebon Dooley Honoree Emerging Leader Meadowlark Pictures comprises an ambitious trio of writers/producers/directors who aim to create bold stories and ensure that history is correctly passed down for generations. The group includes Noah Washington , a Georgia State University senior, FanBase app marketing copywriter, former BronzeLens Film Festival intern and great-grandson of Booker T. Washington; Solomon Simmon , a SCAD alum and aspiring filmmaker who has appeared onscreen in the TV dramedy “Atlanta;” and Zipporah Dorsey , also a SCAD alum, blogger, and writer whose directorial debut came in the Meadowlark Pictures play, “1906.” The play, a retelling of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 through the eyes of Black men who defended themselves, premiered at the AXC and has been part of many city- and county-wide commemorations of the lives lost. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Brian Spears 2021 Ebon Dooley Honoree Social Justice Champion Brian Spears , Attorney at Law, specializes in litigation involving governmental liability on a state and local level. He has knowledge and experience in the handling of cases involving civil rights, constitutional law, and police misconduct. He has built his law practice around fighting against violence and racism by law enforcement and by white supremacists. He has brought more lawsuits against the Ku Klux Klan than any other Georgia attorney—from Wrightsville to Albany, from Rome to Forsyth County. Mr. Spears has also supported peoples’ movements by providing defense to activists arrested when demanding an end to forcing homeless people out of downtown Atlanta, equal rights for persons with disabilities, equal educational opportunities, and an end to US support for apartheid in South Africa. He has worked towards the ending of US wars in Latin America. He has also worked for fair elections, affordable medical care (the Grady Coalition), and an end to corporate domination of our democracy (Occupy Wall Street, Atlanta). Spears is the former Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild, a founding member of the National Police Accountability Project—the largest lawyers organization specializing in police misconduct, a founding member of the Detroit-based Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, and, for more than thirty years, he organized the annual Atlanta Civil Rights Litigation Seminar to train other lawyers to bring civil rights lawsuits. Brian is an attorney who does not back down from taking on the system firsthand to address issues governing police practices, civil rights and governmental liability and has also donated his legal skills to nonprofit organizations. He has practiced law for more than three decades and received rewards from the ACLU of Georgia, SCLC, NAACP, and the Georgia Lawyer Chapter. Brian represents the kind of social justice champions who are seldom celebrated, but essential to advancing justice in this nation. He is among those lawyers who are always ready to advise, support and defend the rights of protesters holding the line against economic and social attacks by those in power. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

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