Speaking on Our Thoughts...

At approximately 5:45 p.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, September 28, just over 7 days from the time i climbed a ladder up to the rooftop of the Amun Ra Theatre's Playhouse to live until we raised enough money to expand our community outreach programming, particularly our Youth Performing Arts Academy, i walked down a ladder live on National Radio, on the Michael Baisden Show.

and history began anew in Nashville.

i'm going to save you a little research, for those who don't know the enormity of what is happening over on Clifton Avenue in North Nashville, Tennessee. we're building a model for an artistic movement that is historic within its own right. if you've visited the website for the Amun Ra Theatre, you know what a dedicated group of people has done by pulling together. we operate the first African-American theater company with it's own free-standing facility in Nashville since the Majestic in 1906. that's One Hundred and Three Years.

that's a crying shame.

it's a crying shame because there has been more than 100 years of talent flowing through the city of Music, which was given that designation through the exploits of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. that's where the term "Music City" came from, as the Negro Spiritual was introduced to the world by this group of skinny young farmhands and former slaves who dared assert themselves and their gifts with the mission of bringing in the resources to build an institution.

it's a crying shame because you had giants from Moses Gunn to Oprah Winfrey matriculating here in the city at college campuses through various points of history, being tutored and mentored by giants like Dr. Thomas E. Poag and W. Dury Cox, who exposed the entire world to the talent of young people who were determined to make their voices heard through depressions and movements, and massive moments in time.

it's a crying shame because in this city, at this time, like in other cities larger and smaller, there are young people who are gifted beyond belief with intellect, voice, movement, creativity, and some smarts beyond their years, and the only thing they need is some grown folks to step to the plate, hear their pain, and offer them some relief and direction.

well, the time for tears is over.

the company i'm pleased to work for and with has distinguished itself among arts organizations in Nashville. it's an honor to work with all of the talent i've encountered over the last several years. through re-establishing the holiday tradition of performing the family holiday musical Black Nativity, to performing at all the major venues in the city including the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, The Ryman Auditorium, The Fisk Memorial Chapel, The Belcourt, and Tennessee State University's Performing Arts Center, ART's showcasing of stories of importance to people of African descent has been an awesome responsibility to oversee.

people have now ensured that the future is happening right now.

because people stepped up and covered us, we now have the funds and vision to advance the teaching of our young people in the arts on a whole new level. our model is simple: provide a season of shows that reveal the hidden light of African-American culture, utilizing the revenue to fund our outreach program, the Performing ARTs Academy. even our Jazz Ensemble, Choral and Dance Ensemble, and New Playwright's Series give North Nashville a cultural oasis that feeds all who seek replenishing.

we do not apologize for who we are. we stand on our principles:

* we have exceptionally high artistic standards

* we believe in pushing ourselves and our children, because we stand on powerful shoulders

* we believe we owe a debt to the previous generations who struggled for us to live our dreams

* we believe in our children

i've come to know that you know a tree by the fruit that it bears, and it bears mentioning that it's time for us to stop over-spending time analyzing our children and get to providing models of success for them; models they can both see and touch.

people from all over this nation have enabled us to do that now on a whole new level.

i'm off the roof now, thanks to the united efforts of a lot of people doing whatever they could to see me down. sure, someone remarked that "other people" don't have to get onto rooftops to raise millions; someone else intoned that i shouldn't have been "on that roof for a week." i'll leave that debate to the talkers. i've got too much work to do. the bottom line is that the people brought me down through the power of word-of-mouth and vision.

i have to thank Brother Michael Baisden for putting us out there nationally. Baisden has proven that he's not ashamed to speak out on issues that are important. what sets him fully apart from many paid pundits, is that Michael seeks answers and puts his money where his mouth is.

this is how we're going to make a real change.

now that i'm down, i'm humbled to see the $30,000 goal still rising! that means, with every new dollar people give, i'm going to be able to do more to reach the people who need their talent exposed and their dreams realized. we're on the front lines, doing the doggone thing, and we're going to stay on the battlefield. we left the fundraising page open, for those who may just be hearing about this movement and want to share in it. please visit and leave your donation and mark on the growing Wall of Fame. www.firstgiving.com/art.

i learned so much on the rooftop, especially during the storms, that i'm going to have to write a book to share all the revelations. as soon as i can get a publisher and some distribution, you'll be reading about those times, and hopefully those revelations will help others work through their storms. stay tuned.

in the meantime, know that with each passing day, each click on the sites and facebooks and tweets, and each view of Youtube (where our introductory video, showcased below, has gone almost viral), we move that much closer to bringing about the healing our people need, so they can take their rightful place in the symphony of humanity.

i think i hear some music playing...