This year’s ELEVATE Art Festival examines arts and culture through the lens of our changed reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial unrest, economic recession, and a divisive political climate. Dance performances being presented are dazzling, dreamlike, and defiant. They provide insight into issues that we, and our communities, are dealing with including inequity, food insecurity, and isolation, but also seek to inspire hope, resilience, and activism as we move forward. Join this year’s virtual programming from Sunday, October 4 through Saturday, October 10.

If you don't already know, LaShun Pace is not only a When We Speak TV favorite but she is also a former guest!!! 

Therefore, it goes without saying that, we will be tuning in to LaShun's  Virtual Concert on September 20th.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
9PM EST
INSTAGRAM:  OFFICIALLASHUN

NEWS SOURCE:  Hatchett PR

​The City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will bring its annual ELEVATE public art festival to Atlanta’s historic West End neighborhood from Sunday, October 4 to Saturday, October 10, 2020. This year’s festival events will be virtual. 

​• Musical performances by Kebbi Williams and The Wolf Pack, The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, Gritz and Jelly Butter, Tony Hightower, and Julie Dexter. 
​• Mural installations honoring civil rights leader Reverend James Orange and Black women activists from the West End community. 
• An online and in person voter registration event at the West End MARTA station. 
• A conversation with New York Times best-selling authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones, who frequently feature Atlanta’s West End community in their work.  
• The opening of Hammonds House Museum’s exhibition Elements of A Revolution. 
• A conversation between the executive directors of Atlanta Contemporary and Les Abattoirs/Toulouse to discuss challenges of promoting art during COVID-19, issues of gender equality and racism in their field. Since 1974 Atlanta and Toulouse have been Sister Cities. 
• A screening of the stirring new documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” an intimate account of the legendary U.S. Representative’s life, legacy, and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism. 
• An Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance of Lazarus created by acclaimed hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris. The ballet connects the past and the present in a powerful work that addresses racial inequities America faced when Mr. Ailey founded his dance company in 1958 and still faces today.
• Renowned artist Carrie Mae Weems, in collaboration with SCAD, will launch RESIST COVID/TAKE 6, a public art initiative raising critical heath awareness about COVID-19 and the ways racial inequities have manifested in the pandemic. 

Many 2020 events have been either cancelled, rescheduled, or going virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.....added to that list is the Riverfront Jazz Festival in Dallas, Texas.

The Riverfront Jazz Festival founded by Curtis King, President of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, is a multistage musical festival, that promotes, cultivates, and spotlights renowned musical artists from around the world as well as promising young artists from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

​The perfect online platform for exhibitors around the world to meet, showcase their products and services, and connect with the largest minority-owned hair care customer base in the world. 

​The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III and Mayor David Briley signed lease that officially gives the museum control over the space the museum will occupy at Fifth and Broadway.

​​The 51st Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will be held across the country and around the world as the race moves to a completely virtual event in 2020.

​Along with vision and hard work of Jazz in the Alley’s creator and Event Director, Ziggy Warfield, JITA has become one of the most sought after jazz events held in Historic Downtown Norcross, GA. The annual summer series has gained local notoriety from artists and jazz enthusiast of all ages.

​Email:  jazzinthealleyatl@gmail.com
Jazz In The Alley Website
Jazz In The Alley on Instagram 
Jazz In The Alley on Facebook
Jazz In The Alley on Twitter

​Thank you for being a part of the City Winery Atlanta family. These have been trying times for everyone, and we are so grateful for your continued support. 

The length of our temporary closure is unclear at this time, but we are optimistic that it will only last a short while. Ultimately, that timing will be dictated by uncontrollable factors that we are hopeful will work in our favor sooner than later. 

This decision is not one that we took lightly, and one that has been made in order to preserve the continued existence of City Winery. I believe we will return stronger than ever to serving you, our incredible guests, putting on concerts, hosting private parties, and supporting our amazing team members, but for now, we are truly in survival mode.  Although this process has been more painful to endure than we initially thought, we will get through this. 

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and your communities, and if you are able, please consider supporting City Winery by:

• Making a donation to our Employee Relief Fund 
• Ordering our award-winning wine for home delivery*, with free shipping on 6+ bottles 
• Becoming a member of our wine club* 
• Attending an upcoming CWTV livestream show 

Please note that throughout this pause, we are still accepting private event inquiries, and our team is available to help you plan life’s special moments - safely.

We will continue to communicate with you on our efforts throughout this pause, and we look forward to sharing hopeful news of safely reopening soon.

Peace, 
Michael Dorf
Founder & CEO, City Winery 

*All wine orders will ship from City Winery Hudson Valley during this temporary pause

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GREG ROBBINS:
Website: http://www.gregrobbinsmusic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregrobbinsmusic 

​WATCH THE FULL SEGMENT WITH EMRAH KOTAN ON WHEN WE SPEAK TV 

​The 2020 BET Awards were held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic but that didn't stop great performances.  One performance that When We Speak TV particularly enjoyed was Usher and Summer Walker!! 

Check out the drummer behind  Usher in this performance....Yep it's our friend Remey Williams.  We are always excited to see our friends doing big things!!!!​

Can you find Jermaine Sain singing in this video?
Happy Birthday (Gospel Style)