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HCSO personnel commended for their heroic actions during violent uprising at Silverdale 

Camm Ashford
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HCSO personnel commended for their heroic actions during violent uprising at Silverdale 

By Camm Ashford 

Fourteen Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office personnel were recognized for heroic actions they took during an inmate uprising in the George Housing Unit at the Silverdale Detention Center on Feb. 17.

The officers who were awarded on June 21 with a Commendation and Challenge Coin by Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and Chief Deputy Austin Garrett: Corrections Lieutenant Charles Lowery III; Corrections Sergeants Austin Greene, Dustin Robertson and Sergeant Eric Qualls; Corrections Corporals Michael Craig, Amadou Diaw, Marlos Moore and Tyler Wooden; and Corrections Deputies Brandon Booth, Cerion Carson, Tanner Jackson, Stephen Ortwein, Latanya Wells and Adam Wilson.

“The Corrections personnel who stood their ground and those responding from other units showed great courage and duty in this potentially violent and potentially deadly situation,” said Sheriff’s Hammond. “Responding personnel showed great strength and restraint in the use of force utilized to gain compliance, and presented a united front. The dedication and professionalism shown by these individuals exemplify the role of a dedicated public servant and are in keeping with the highest standards of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.”

According to a written report, “On February 17, 2022, Corrections Deputies assigned to the George Housing Unit at the Silverdale Detention Center reported the inmates were refusing to lockdown and an uprising was underway in the George 2 Unit. A request for assistance was given over the radio. Immediately, corrections personnel from Charlie Team and the Security Operations Unit began to respond to the George 2 Unit. Upon arrival, the scene was found to be chaotic, but George Unit Corrections deputies were trying to offer an orchestrated response to the uprising. It was immediately noticed that inmates were attempting to armor themselves with sleeping mats and plastic wrap to protect their bodies and face from less lethal munitions that might be introduced by responding personnel. Once additional personnel arrived on scene, Corrections command and deputies were able to swiftly contain, control, and communicate with the inmates. Ultimately, compliance was gained after having to use several less lethal options and order was restored to the unit. Once compliance was gained, contract medical personnel were brought in to assess any inmates who had complaints or may have been injured during the uprising.”

Community Food Giveaway at Faith Family Chattanooga Church, 2505 East 43rd St.

Camm Ashford
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Community Food Giveaway at Faith Family Chattanooga Church, 2505 East 43rd St.

By Camm Ashford 

Faith Family Chattanooga Church is partnering with Restoration Outreach Center (ROC) and Amen’d to offer a free Food & Clothing Giveaway.

The event will be held on June 25, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Southside Community Park, 3501 Central Ave. (near the main business office).

Pastor Reginald Washington of Faith Family Chattanooga Church noted that rising prices and inflation are making it harder for families of all income levels, and for those living in every neighborhood of the city, to put food on the table and to make ends meet. Therefore, he wanted the Food & Clothing Giveaway to be available for anyone in need, and hopes it will make a small difference.

“Anytime we offer a helping hand to our neighbors in vulnerable communities, we’re assisting all residents of Chattanooga grow, prosper and thrive together as a city,” Pastor Washington said. “The Food and Clothing Giveaway this Saturday lines up with Faith Family’s vision, which is B.U.I.L.D.–to bring individuals into the kingdom, undergird them and invest in them through love and discipleship.”

ROC President and CEO Claudius Pratt said the Food & Clothing Giveaway aligns with ROC’s core mission as well.

“Through partnerships with community stakeholders, we believe that we can have a meaningful impact as we work together to enhance and change lives,” said Pratt. “As an outreach center and multicultural non-profit organization, we thrive on building the family, reaching the lost, embracing the hurting and serving the community with a message of faith and compassion that impacts generations.”

Amen’d was founded by husband and wife, Kasan and Sheena Parson. According to its website, “Amen–meaning it is finished. Mend–meaning to repair and to make stronger. We are the one stop agency for incarcerated individuals who desire to live past the limitations that have been placed on them.”

Faith Family Chattanooga Church is located at 2505 East 43rd St. For further information,  call 423-499-4924.

Black Woman Owner of Fleet of 6 Trucks Hosts 2022 Global Power Retreat In Stunning Style

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Black Woman Owner of Fleet of 6 Trucks Hosts 2022 Global Power Retreat In Stunning Style

Nationwide — White House-recognized innovator and founder of the Women CEO Project, Kristi Jackson-Muhammad has recently hosted her 6th Power Retreat in stunning style.

The 6-day retreat which began on the 1st and ended on the 6th of June 2022, is part of Kristi’s Global Power Tour project – which involves hosting a 30-city business conference/retreat.

Guests who arrived at this retreat’s location in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico were treated to amazing experiences including a spa day, sumptuous meals from a private chef, excursions, exciting encounters with Mexican culture, as well as group coaching from Kristi herself.

The phenomenal entrepreneur, business strategist and lead consultant for the Women CEO Project, says she launched the Global Power Tour and The Power Retreats to serve as a platform for directly engaging women globally, with the same business acumen, lessons, and tenacity that helped her to turn her company into a seven-figure business within seven years.

While others host similar retreats at much larger scales and are vastly less luxurious, Kristi’s retreats are open to only a few, allowing the award-winning business founder to create lavish intimate experiences.

Earlier this year, Kristi Jackson also hosted her 4th and 5th Power Retreats in South Africa, attended by a total of 48 women between both events.

While the highly ambitious women who make up her guest list all confess that they traveled across continents mainly for Kristi’s intense group business coaching, the talented host spares no expense in organizing luxurious and unique adventures for her guests.

From hosting a private dinner 39 feet deep in a cave, renting out an entire exclusive boutique hotel to throwing exotic parties with live Zulu dancers, as well as a guided tour of the historic Soweto Township where Mandela and Desmond Tutu once lived, guests were taken on the ultimate vacation trip with memories to last a lifetime.

In over 12 years of Global Business Consulting, Kristi Jackson has had the opportunity to work with and create strong partnerships with leading entrepreneurs all over the world.

Through her Women CEO Project, Kristi works with current and aspiring coaches and service professionals to craft profitable business development initiatives, focused sales strategies, and results-oriented online marketing plans guaranteed to improve their operations.

Currently, Kristi Jackson has impacted the lives of over 300,000 entrepreneurs in-person, virtually and globally, through her conferences, digital products, books, private & group coaching, as well as launching the 30-city Global Power Tour. Her story has also gone viral for being one of very few Black women entrepreneurs that own a fleet of trucks used to transport goods around the country.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Global Power Tour and upcoming Power Retreats can reach out directly to Kristi at info@womenceoproject.com.

52-Year Old Mom and Her Daughter From Alabama Graduate Law School Together

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52-Year Old Mom and Her Daughter From Alabama Graduate Law School Together

Nationwide — Daphne Davis, a 52-year-old mother, and Edriuna Davis, her 26-year-old daughter, from Birmingham, Alabama, have graduated together from the Birmingham School of Law. They are reportedly the first mother-daughter duo to graduate at the same time since the institution was established in 1915.

In 2009, Daphne first thought of becoming a lawyer while researching and preparing for her own divorce. Her attorney even commended her for her organized work. Since then, she has been thinking about going to law school.

At that time, Edriuna watched as her mother meticulously gathered evidence for her divorce case. It has since developed her interest in law, particularly family law, and she dreamed of attending Harvard Law School.

In 2017, Daphne finally decided to pursue her law studies. With the support of her 2 children, she applied to Birmingham School of Law on the day before the deadline for admissions. She was so happy when she got accepted.

In the same year, Edriuna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Tuskegee University and was accepted to several law schools. She was working for a judge in the Jefferson County Domestic Relations Circuit Court and decided to stay in Alabama to also enter the Birmingham School of Law where her mother had previously enrolled.

The duo said it was an exciting journey but it was also tough at times. Daphne initially had a hard time interacting with some of her professors and classmates before she eventually became more personable with them.

On the other hand, during the summer semester of 2020, Edriuna was diagnosed with postpartum cardiomyopathy after giving birth to her son Denver. She suffered from heart failure but still managed to get through.

Daphne and Edriuna overcame the challenges together and shared a special moment as they graduated together.

“When my name was called at commencement, my smile, walk, pace and movement while receiving my law degree were intentional,” Daphne told the Birmingham Times. “I crossed the finish line, and my lesson was taught to my children — not to mention the exhilarating feeling of standing in wait on the steps watching my daughter receive her Juris Doctorate, as well, so we could walk to our seats together.”

“I was super excited to be able to experience this journey with my mother,” Edriuna said. “I don’t know of anyone else who went to law school and graduated with their mother.”

Now, the duo is preparing for the Alabama bar exam. They plan to work together with Edriuna’s fiancé at his own law firm that specializes in personal injury, criminal law, family law, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases.

Minority-Owned, Black-Led Firm Awarded $102.5M Levee & Drainage Canal Relocation Project in Louisiana

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Minority-Owned, Black-Led Firm Awarded $102.5M Levee & Drainage Canal Relocation Project in Louisiana

Nationwide — US Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, has awarded Greenup Cajun JV, LLC a $102.5 million dollar construction contract to build hurricane protection structures and move levees and drainage canals in Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish. The company is minority-owned with a number of African American men and women in leadership roles. In addition, 64% of their non-seasonal employees identify as Black or African American.

Greenup Cajun JV, LLC, presented the lowest bid of four for the “New Orleans to Venice 1st lift levee and drainage canal relocation project, La Reussite to Myrtle Grove, Plaquemines Parish.” The project will consist of clearing, grubbing, excavating new drainage canals, placing culverts and drainage structures, building new T-walls and levee ramp crossings, placing levee embankments, geotextile work, turf establishment, and surfacing. The estimated cost of the project is $102,452,461.00. The project has an expected completion date of November 30, 2026.

“We are thrilled to be working with Cajun Industries on this project and look forward to doing all we can to provide storm and hurricane protection to Louisiana,” Greenup says. Greenup is adept at handling large-scale projects for the public good. From refurbished roads and bridges to industrial construction and maintenance, Louisiana-based Greenup Industries is behind countless projects across the Gulf South that point to the region’s growth and vibrancy.

The company has expanded by leaps and bounds since its founding in 2012, becoming a leading construction contractor and provider of maintenance and third-party procurement services. Sixty-four percent of Greenup Industries’ non-seasonal employees are of African American descent or identify as black, and Greenup is certified as a Minority-Owned Business by the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC). With operations in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, Greenup Industries is poised for expansion into Florida soon, says founder and CEO Rodney Greenup, a New Orleans native who began his career as a mechanical engineer and project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We’re continuing to grow and diversify,” says Greenup. “There’s a lot of growth potential and work to be done throughout the region.” A strong proponent of women in construction, Greenup Industries is always seeking to grow the number of women at their company, presently 26 percent of employees.


Greenup Cajun JV, LLC is a joint venture partnership that features the skills and experience of Greenup Industries (Greenup) and Cajun Industries, LLC, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Greenup was awarded a portion of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Project (WSLPP) in January 2020, a major hurricane and storm damage risk reduction project benefitting a three-parish area in southern Louisiana. The company’s scope of work includes excavating, processing, and stockpiling clay material and other work within the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that levee construction is expected to require 7 million to 9 million cubic yards of clay material. The Bonnet Carre Spillway has roughly 3.5 million cubic yards available, while the rest of the clay is to come from commercial sources. The $20,520,000 WSLPP contract (“Stockpile II”) included excavating, processing, and stockpiling of 1.5 million cubic yards of clay from the Bonnet Carre Spillway to two stockpile sites. Greenup also worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers on the ongoing West Shore Pontchartrain Project. Greenup’s primary operations on site have been excavating, processing, and stockpiling clay in two areas within the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The completion date for one stockpile is set for late December 2021, with the other for October 2022. 1.5 million cubic yards of clay will be removed

from the Spillway by the end of the project.

Greenup Industries provides a full range of onboarding solutions, maintenance and design services, and specialty construction services to our diverse set of clients. They offer effective onboarding, reduced costs, accountability, and consistent vetting of vendors. Greenup Industries has clocked over 500,000 plus safe work man-hours and is the recipient of several awards for safety, including the Gold Medal Award, presented by Shell/Norco, the Contractor Safety Award, presented by CAST, and the Safety Excellence Award, presented by Gulf South Safety Council.

PUBLIC MEDIA RELEASE 2021-2022 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM

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PUBLIC MEDIA RELEASE 2021-2022 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM

CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM

Each institution will annually provide the information to media (television, newspapers, magazines, or radio stations) serving the area from which the institution draws its attendance with a public release.  Submission of this release to a media outlet is free of charge.  

Media Release sent to: ______Chronicle_________                      

Date: ___June 16, 2022_

Sponsor Name: __Hope City Academy of Excellence LLC.___ announces participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.  Meals will be provided at no separate charge to eligible children/adults without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA served at the following site(s):

Name of Site(s) Address of Site(s)

Hope City Academy of Excellence7 N Tuxedo Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37411

USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines Effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

“Shame Is Broken ” – In the Huddle

Lurone "Coach" Jennings
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“Shame Is Broken ” – In the Huddle

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

(2 Corinthians 10:4, NIV)

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

TODAY’S WORD

Perhaps you know GOD has forgiven you from past mistakes and failures, but you still have a sense of unworthiness as though you don’t deserve it. That shame has held you back long enough. Today the strongholds have been broken. Burdens have been lifted. GOD is saying, “Shame off you!” Now you have to get in agreement with HIM. Quit listening to the accusing voices. Quit believing the lies that you have to settle for second best. GOD’s mercy was there for you before you made the mistake. It’s time for you to shake off the shame, to shake off the guilt. This is a new day. Don’t let negative events–a failure, an addiction, a divorce, a bankruptcy–become your identity. That’s what you did; that’s not who you are. That’s what happened to you; that is not your identity. Remind yourself, “I am who GOD says I am. I am approved, I am accepted, I am valuable, and I am a masterpiece.” You are a child of the MOST HIGH GOD.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

FATHER, thank YOU that YOU have forgiven me, which has the divine power to break any stronghold of shame that is holding me back from rising to the next level of my destiny. I believe and declare that I am YOUR child, the chains are being broken even now, and the shame has to go. In JESUS’ Name, Amen.


EPB Dedicates Second Side of Community Murals on 10th Street Substation Wall

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EPB Dedicates Second Side of Community Murals on 10th Street Substation Wall

EPB dedicated 11 new community murals on the second side of its 10th Street Substation facing Foster Street on Thursday with a ceremony honoring the artists and community partners. 

The 2022 mural theme is “Voices of MLK” to highlight the history, heritage and significance of Downtown Chattanooga’s Martin Luther King Boulevard area. 

An outside group of community stakeholders used an anonymized judging process to select the following 12 artists that live or work in the EPB service territory based on their submission’s artistic value, community reflection and relevance to the theme:

Laura Dahlke – The Good Guys

Karen Estes – Voices of MLK: Fannie May Crumsey, Opal Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Viola (Ellison) Johnson and Lela Mae Evans

Jerome Foster – Fostering a Colorful Moment in Time

Ann Jackson and Mimi McAllister – All Created Equal

Madison Myers – Sandy the Flower Man

Dannita Noble – MLK Paved the Way

La-Tesia Poole – Mahogany Songbird

Rea Shaw – I Heart Chattanooga

Nathaniel Stepney – Remembering Booker T. Scruggs

Ty Swint – MLK: The Voice of Love, Peace, Justice & Equality

Sara Tolbert – Empress of the Blues

Several of this year’s artists focused their work on people, stories and themes related to Chattanooga history. Madison Myers, a second year muralist who graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in May, painted a portrait of the late Sandy Bell, a local icon who was known by many as “The Flower Man.” Bell passed away in 2019.

“For years Sandy would ride his decorated bike around downtown Chattanooga handing out flowers and smiles to complete strangers,” said Myers. “Many people remember their encounters with Sandy at local restaurants and bars, either from flowers they bought from him or just conversations they had with him. I’m proud to memorialize him with this mural.  He was a very upbeat and generous man.”

A number of community partners made this project possible including ArtsBuild, Association of Visual Arts (AVA), Bessie Smith Cultural Center, City of Chattanooga’s Public Art Chattanooga, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, MLK Neighborhood Association, RISE Chattanooga, River City Company, The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

“In its heyday, Chattanooga’s 9th Street, now Martin Luther King Boulevard, rivaled the likes of Memphis’ Beale Street and New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, producing many famous artists including the well-known Bessie Smith,” said James McKissic, president of ArtsBuild.  “I’m proud that EPB is continuing to honor that history through this public art community mural project.” 

For the second year in row, 100% of the selected submissions were from minority and/or women artists, including some who are first time muralists. 

“Public art that inspires and highlights the vibrance and diversity of our city is a key driver of Chattanooga’s quality of life,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly.  “As we commemorate the Juneteenth holiday this Sunday, I’m privileged to join EPB in highlighting the talented artists who help bring our city to life through their work.”

This is the second year of a four-year project. EPB will take submissions to create a public mural on the third side of the substation wall in late 2022. 

EPB serves the people of the Chattanooga area with advanced smart city infrastructure to enable world-class energy and connectivity solutions that include the most resilient smart grid power distribution system in the United States and the fastest internet in the world. 

EPB is an independent board of the City of Chattanooga which began serving customers in 1939. Visit epb.com for more information.   

Tennessee Voters Get Chance to–yes–ban Slavery

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Tennessee Voters Get Chance to–yes–ban Slavery

By Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout 


Five years after the Civil War’s end, the Tennessee Constitution was amended to prohibit slavery–but one exception remained: 

“That slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited in this state,” Article 1, Section 33 of the Constitution still says.
Now, following years of advocacy and near unanimous and bipartisan support from state lawmakers, Tennessee voters will have the chance to vote that exception out.


Amendment 3, which appears on the upcoming November ballot, would replace the Tennessee Constitution’s conditional ban on slavery that has lingered for more than 150 years with unequivocal language that says: “slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited in this State.”


Organizers of the “Vote Yes on 3” campaign say it is long overdue to commemorate the promise of abolition in Tennessee’s foundational legal document.


“We rejected slavery in 1865. Why are we still holding onto the vestiges of a time whose values we no longer hold?” said Theeda Murphy, a chief organizer of the Yes on 3 campaign. “Words matter.”


Nine other state constitutions contain language that prohibit slavery with exceptions for criminal punishments. Six states, including Tennessee, have measures on their ballots this year that would eliminate that language, Murphy said. The others are Vermont, California, Oregon, Alabama and Louisiana.


Tennessee’s constitutional amendment process takes years: A proposed amendment must first pass by a majority in the House and Senate, in  two-year General Assembly, and then pass by at least two-thirds of the vote in the next. The amendment then goes before voters in the next gubernatorial election.


The measure received overwhelming support from Republican and Democratic lawmakers. At the request of the Department of Correction, a second sentence was added: “Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”


“In this time of divisions, we feel like this is one of those rare things that unite people across party lines,” Murphy said.
The current language in the state Constitution does not mention race, she noted.


“Anyone who is convicted of a crime can be classified as a slave,” she said.


The Yes on 3 campaign launches this weekend to coincide with the Juneteenth holiday commemorating African-American’s freedom from slavery, with events in Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Greenville and Dyersburg. 

Election Day is November 8.  

Local Blacks Honored at Juneteenth Celebration

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Local Blacks Honored at Juneteenth Celebration

By Yolanda Putman

A local nonprofit organization’s dream for its second Juneteenth celebration rose to reality this month when a sold out crowd hit the Chattanooga Theatre Centre for the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas’ RBG (Red Black and Green) Ball and its 1st Inaugural Black Arts Awards.

“We are making history here tonight,” said Donna Elle Harrison, a local radio personality and director of Cultural Tourism for the Chattanooga Tourism Co.  

Harrison hosted the event with TV Channel 9’s “Good Morning Chattanooga” co-anchor Greg Funderberg. 

Ric Morris, founder of the black arts organization, recognized local professionals like Neutral Ground restaurant owner and award-winning cuisinier Chef Kenyatta Ashford who prepared the meal especially for the celebration, PAN-CAKE Bakery owner Renita Johnson who made African flag-topped red velvet cupcakes for dessert, and Tinita Coulter who designed dresses for three historical African princesses presented at the ball. Morris also recognized local black firefighters who served as waiters.

The RBG Ball and Black Arts Awards marked the first in a month-long schedule of events recognizing Juneteenth, the oldest celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The federal holiday is observed on June 19, the date in 1865 when slaves in Galvaston, Texas learned they were free.

A spirit of gratitude and pride filled the theater as black people and some supportive whites stepped in the theater to celebrate African American culture and achievement.

Morris sold 101 tickets to mark the 101st Anniversary of the Black Wall Street Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After a dinner–including tasty cornbread and spread, flavorful beans and fish, or beans and chicken–the Knoxville-based drum group, Indigenous Vibes, set the atmosphere with  African drum beats and bells mixed with high pitched ululating and high stepping dancers.

The group paraded down a red, black and green carpet in the center of the dining area and made space for the procession of three historical African princesses. 

The Black Arts Awards honored local artists in visual arts, music, dance, literature, theater and film.

Charlie Newton, founder of a free art school called SPLASH, received the visual arts award. He said he was grateful for the honor and noted that blacks throughout history don’t get the recognition they deserve.

“As our art goes, so does the world, but a lot of times we don’t get credit for any of it,” he said. “So it is very important that we celebrate our value and who we are.”

The festival recognized internationally known musician and retired University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Professor Roland Carter for his work in music. Carter told the audience how he became head of the music department at UTC, a school that would not allow him to enroll in the 1960s. He was especially grateful for the recognition from the festival at this point in his life. He turned 80 in May. 

“I am without words,” Carter said after his former student and local principal LaFrederick Thirkill announced him to receive the award. 

Other artists honored included Writer, Producer and Creator Charles Patterson for theater, D. Williams Dance Academy founder Devante Williams for dance, and  Rhyme N Chatt President Marsha Mills for literature.

Sheila Wofford, a local director, writer, producer and actress, won the award for film. Several people cheered and yelled words of encouragement as she shared her story.

“Someone who was my size who looked like me got supporting roles,” she said.

Wofford worked in Atlanta and New York, but still had a hard time getting the roles she wanted. She noted that she too could play a leading lady. 

So when no one gave her an opportunity, she created her own film company in 2014 and began creating opportunities for herself and others.

 “I can be the sexy Villain,” she said.

“Come on,” yelled someone from the audience in agreement. Other people cheered and applauded.

“I can be the doctor,” she said.  “I can be a lawyer.”

For more events to celebrate Juneteenth, visit https://www.blackartsandideasfest.com/. 

The Unity Group is also hosting Juneteenth events. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/unitygroupofchattanooga/.

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