"Good Trouble" - The Civil Rights Icons of Atlanta
I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in Atlanta, Georgia twice in the past 15 years of my life and career. I deeply appreciate the time that I was blessed to spend there, and my Atlanta experiences have created some of the most cherished memories of my life.. The beauty of that city runs deep! The people, the vibe, the night life, the energy, the famed and important Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Centennial Olympic Park, the history, and the strong Black-owned business community are all parts of what adds up to equal Atlanta’s unique amazingness. For me, the people that I had the pleasure to spend time with there were most definitely the highlights of the experience, and several have remained enduring and close friends, almost family, to this day.
After the passing of the Honorable John Lewis on July 17th, my thoughts were sent back to Atlanta and a few of the people that I was privileged to meet there.. Because of my job, working first at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lewis at numerous events. , For the HRA, I owned sales for the hotel’s “Multicultural” segment.. This role gave me the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent African American organizations and people that are deeply rooted in the civil rights history of America, creating important events at, arguably, one of Atlanta’s most iconic hotels. The events that we were able to host there, and the people that I interacted with in doing so, created some of the proudest moments of my career. I want to highlight just a few of them here.
“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.”
John Lewis, New York Times, July 30, 2020
I first had the pleasure of meeting the late and Honorable John Lewis, who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District from 1987 until his recent death, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta during an event, and I swear it was like meeting a long-lost grandfather. He was warm, friendly, and engaged with me as if he knew me and had the time to get to know me. We were in the foyer outside of our ballroom and I waited patiently (and nervously) to introduce myself and to thank him for his work and sacrifices enabling me to live the life I’m living. As I recall his response on that initial meeting was warm and inviting. His energy during all of our encounters was always surreal for me to witness and be in the presence of. I cannot describe what it was like to learn more of his amazing life story firsthand; from organizing in Selma, Alabama, and Bloody Sunday, to being so often present at the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's right hand, to being the youngest speaker at the March on Washington where Dr. King proclaimed his Dream. John Lewis’s life was focused on uplifting and making the lives of our Black, Brown and LGBTQ communities better. Not just making them better, but trying to create an actual level playing field for all of us. His life is too robust to even attempt to do him justice in a simple blog post, and many talented and prolific individuals have done so better than I can, so I will just say: google Congressman Lewis and take stock of this incredible man’s life. I promise it will not be time wasted, and will inspire you, as it has me, to want to be a better citizen. He will inspire you to get involved. He will inspire and motivate you to VOTE! He will inspire you to find a way to get into the Good Trouble that is so necessary at this moment. Hopefully, he will ignite a call to action in you to contact your House and Senate representatives to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has sat with the Senate, without action, since December of last year. John Lewis’s legacy and sacrifices deserve, at a bare minimum, that we pass this bill in his honor, and restore (and enhance) the rights and protections that he fought so hard for so many decades ago..
Ambassador Andrew Young was the first Black Ambassador to the United Nations for the United States. He was also the 55th Mayor of Atlanta, serving from 1981 to1989 as one of the most successful mayors the city has had in its history. He, like John Lewis, stood side by side with Dr. King during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. He was jailed for his participation in civil rights demonstrations, both in Selma and in St. Augustine, Florida. Their movement gained congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Young was with King in Memphis, Tennessee, when King was assassinated in 1968. He served as the Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and his continued involvement with that organization is how I came to know him from my first early days at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The hotel proudly hosted the SCLC’s annual conference for many years, and in my position, I took on responsibility for the ongoing relationship.. I had the pleasure to share many lunches, breakfasts, and dinners with Ambassador Young, his wife, and his staff throughout my years at the Hyatt. He was, and still to this day is, a force of historical context and knowledge, while at the same time coming across personally as yet another engaging and caring grandfatherly figure.
The stories Ambassador Young shared were some of the most amazing gifts I ever received. I could never have imagined, or appreciated, his experiences without having heard of them, all of the detail and emotion, from his own lips. I remember once asking his staff for a huge favor for a very important hotel tour with a prospective customer organization.. I wanted to “Wow” this organization in an effort to get them to select our hotel to host their conference, and I wanted especially to highlight Atlanta’s deep-rooted history from an African American perspective. I thought: who better than Ambassador Andrew Young to come and give greetings, sign a book or two, and share some stories about his life and his time in leadership of our great city?. Never in a million years did I think that he would say yes, but he did! This was probably the best site tour that I’ve had in my professional sales career, and certainly the most memorable. I had pulled some tricks out of my hat before, but this was definitely an impressive coup!. The clients were blown away at the fact that this iconic, historical living legend was sitting at our lunch table, sharing first-hand stories with us that most could only read about in textbooks (if only those stories were taught). I was so grateful then, and am now, of Ambassador Young’s generosity, leadership, and perspective. There are many moments that I can recall where I was able to be in his powerful presence during my years there, and I’m thankful for all of them, but this one, in particular, stands out for me.
One of my favorite Atlantean's, and truly one of the most endearing and amazing humans that I have ever met is Xernona Clayton Brady. If you have never heard of her (hard to believe) let me give you just a very brief introduction to Mrs. Clayton, who I and many others fondly and respectfully call XC! Xernona Clayton is an Alpha Kappa Alpha, and has been a civil rights leader in Atlanta for over 55 years. She began her career with the National Urban League in Chicago, and then continued planning events and marches with the Southern Cristian Leadership Conference in Atlanta under the direction of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. She developed a deep friendship with Coretta Scott King, and the two traveled together often on concert tours in support of the movement. In 1967, XC became the first Southern African American to host a daily prime time talk show on WAGA-TV in Atlanta, the Xernona Clayton Show. In the 1980’s, she served as Director of Public Relations and then Vice President for Urban Affairs for Turner Broadcasting. She serves on the board of directors of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change; is the Chair, President, and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation; and was the driving force behind the creation of the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in 2004. Oh … and this woman has her own Barbie doll! Seriously, Mattel created a “Xernona Clayton Barbie” in her honor in 2004. Not the most prestigious of her many, MANY honors and awards, but unique.
The first time I had the pleasure of visiting her was in her offices to introduce myself in my capacity for the Hyatt and to drop off some treats. I remember walking through the entry into her space and finding it hard to stop looking around the space and focus.. I felt the weight of the history surrounding this woman,, facilitator, organizer, and confidante of some of the civil rights movement’s most influential figures.. And her space certainly told her story! Everywhere you looked there were gifts, artwork, sculptures, awards, pictures, framed letters from dignitaries and leaders of all stripes, and more awards. The space was a testament to the woman, and a reminder that the small Black woman currently sitting in her side office had led an outsized life. Two of her staff who I had met before, Maria and Na’eema, were in the office and we were catching up until Mrs. Clayton made her entrance. “Travis!”, she said, as she approached with wide-open arms. I was a little taken aback, but instinctively I opened my arms to receive my first embrace from XC! I swear she smelled like a fresh lavender garden on a warm spring afternoon after a light rain.. Her voice was poetic, forceful, and crisp. Her signature crowning tiara was shining bright! She was small in stature, but she filled the room with her warmth, personality and … I guess gravitas is the word. Obviously, that first meeting left an impression.
Thereafter, whenever XC would come into the hotel for an event or a meeting I would always make it a point to greet her myself, and to get my warm embrace and kiss. Some months later, we were in her office and she asked if I had a girlfriend, which she had asked many times before. When she asked, I would always blush because I hesitated to tell this living icon I was gay, so no I don’t have a girlfriend, in fact I had a boyfriend. She was asking because she wanted to hook me up with one of the many beautiful women she knew, who were single. (XC was known as the matchmaker in certain Atlanta circles, so I guess we can add that to her resume as well) On this occasion, I think Na’eema saw that I was squirming, so she politely (with a little force) suggested to XC that I wasn’t interested in women. Without missing a beat, XC said with grace and care that she certainly knew some nice men as well! . With the awkward moment passed so quickly, I remember first laughing with these women, and then feeling a moment of deep validation that this iconic woman was seeing and accepting me for who I was, without hesitation or judgement. I am proud to have known her, and the stories she graciously shared will last a lifetime in my heart.
Last, and certainly not least, I want to introduce you to one of my closest and dearest best friends, Na’eema Rashad. Yes, the same Na’eema featured in the previous story. Na’eema is a fixture of the Atlanta cultural and civic scenes in so many ways! Born and raised in Georgia, she is, first and always, a true Georgia Peach. Na'eema comes from a family deeply-rooted in the culture of Atlanta, from nightlife to civil rights. Her own work in the ongoing civil rights movement in Atlanta is what impresses me the most about her. You will not find Na’eema in the history books fighting the good fight in Selma or in the bus counter sit-ins of the 1960’s. She's a little young for that. You will find her as a present-day administrator, manager, producer, go-to person, business owner (Ignite Global Events) and all-around right hand to the current civil rights leaders of Atlanta. Why is her work so important and inspiring? Somewhat like Coretta Scott King who was Martin Luther’s King’s wife/manager and organizer behind the scenes, Na’eema’s work enables and powers the movement today.
I first met Na’eema when she worked for Xernona Clayton. Together with Maria, they were a powerful team of two who managed the day-to-day operations of XC’s businesses. Their work included the annual production of the Trumpet Awards, which was the biggest event of the XC’s foundation. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta had been the host for a significant part of their weekend for many years, and I had the honor of being their primary point-of-contact for the hotel.. I remember one time early in our relationship, Na’eema was meeting me at the hotel to review some space I was proposing for an event. She asked if she could bring her young son (under 7 at the time, I believe) along with her. “Of course you can, amazing working mom!” We were walking through the meeting space, laying things out, and out of the blue her son Blaze completely took over the tour, and knew exactly what he was talking about. His mother let him take the lead, laughing along with me that we were now passengers on this tour. This was the moment that I fell in love with her and Blaze. He was and is one of the smartest young kings I know. He will go many places in this world, and I know that his success will be powered by his mother, and the family circle that also helped raise this amazing young king!
During the actual weekend of my first Trumpet Awards, I saw my soon-to-be best friend truly in her element. I don’t think I realized the true scope of her role before that weekend, and seeing her lead a complex and, at times, hectic series of events with precision, confidence, grace, style, beauty, and efficiency was eye-opening for me. She had tremendous responsibility for the overall execution of the events, and I was blown away, but not really surprised at her greatness! In addition to her work for XC and the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Na’eema is also a person for many of the other icons and business leaders currently working in Atlanta. She can produce an event flawlessly, from start to applause. She can organize, secure talent, and is beyond well connected with the who’s who of Atlanta. She is always behind the scenes, she moves stealthily, and does not seek the spotlight for herself. For that, I want to shine a light on her tireless work, and give her just a little of the roses that she so deserves. Na’eema my friend, my sister girl, you are amazing and I want to thank you for being the super woman in the current fight for justice that you are, for me and for so many others You are Black Excellence!
From the renowned to the less known, the people of Atlanta that I know and love are beautiful, steeped in history and import, and all deserve their own places in our history books. The city too is incredible, and should be celebrated, especially as we consider the experiences and struggles of our Black leaders and counterparts in the historic, and current, movements toward equality. Atlanta has been host to so many beautiful stories of achievement, sacrifice, pain, and love that a simple blog post can’t come close to giving it its due. To my friends and family that still live there: please appreciate and respect the American jewel you get to experience and call home every day. While you are at it, remember to find and engage in that “Good Trouble” that will continue to enable positive and lasting progress for your city, our communities, and our country.. Our predecessors, and our living icons, are watching! VOTE!