Note: Please claim one ticket per attendee, so that we can accurately plan for the correct headcount.
Held over Mother’s Day weekend, Pride and Purpose is a day of community, reflection, and activation centering women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Presented by Voices of Note, this special outreach event brings together advocacy organizations, family-friendly programming, food, meaningful conversation, and the Atlanta premiere of The Inquisitor—a powerful documentary exploring the life and legacy of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
The day features an organization fair, food trucks, panel discussions, childcare and children’s activities, art experiences, slam poetry, musical performances, the film screening, and a community reception.
More than a gathering, Pride and Purpose is an invitation to consider what it means to be an “inquisitor” in your own community. Inspired by Barbara Jordan’s moral clarity, civic courage, and deep commitment to public service, the event encourages participants to put their values into action—through volunteering, advocacy, the arts, voting, and care for one another.
Whether you come for the film, the organizations, the conversation, or simply to be in community during Mother’s Day weekend, Pride and Purpose offers a welcoming space for connection, learning, and collective movement toward justice.
Barbara Jordan’s legacy endures as a call to courage, integrity, and public responsibility. Pride and Purpose builds on that legacy by creating space for women, families, advocates, artists, and neighbors to gather around the issues shaping our lives and our shared future.
Through community partnerships, civic dialogue, and creative expression, this event connects people with tangible opportunities for engagement—inviting all who attend to imagine, and help build, a more just and inclusive world.
Schedule of Events
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Organization Fair and food vendors
Guided art tours with
Courtney Brooks
(held at 1:30, 2:00, 2:30)
Childcare activities:
- Dekalb County Fire truck demo: (1:00 - 3:00)
- Kaiser Permanente Educational Puppet Theater: (1:00 - 3:00)
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM Poetry and panel discussion
- Featured Poets: Mia S. Willis and Shay Alexi
- Moderator: Andi Monroe
3:00 PM - 4:45 PM The Inquisitor film
4:45 PM -5:30 PM Second panel
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Reception Light fare and wine Musical performance by Sorrelanza
MIA S. WILLIS is a Black queer poet, popular educator, and cultural historian from Charlotte, North Carolina. Their poetry has been featured by the Academy of American Poets, The Slowdown, Muzzle Magazine, The Offing, the minnesota review, and others. Mia holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Randolph College. They are the author of monster house (Jai-Alai Books), the 2018 winner of Cave Canem’s Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Their debut collection, the space between men (Penguin), was a winner of the 2023 National Poetry Series Competition. Connect with Mia on Facebook, X, and Instagram (@poetinthehat).
SHAY ALEXI is a multi-disciplinary writer and artist based in Atlanta, GA. Their full-length poetry collection, Unbridled (Game Over Books), was nominated for a Georgia Author of the Year Award. Alexi’s work has been featured by The Rumpus, WUSSY Magazine, and Ninth Letter, amongst others. Videos of their poems have garnered over 5 million online views. Shay holds a Master's in Strategic Communications from Agnes Scott College and is a creative communications specialist for a human rights NGO. Learn more and connect with them at shayalexi.com or @shayalexi on Instagram.
Courtney Brooks is an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist independent curator, founder of Journey of Black Girl and CBrooks Gallery whose work is deeply rooted in community, identity, and the celebration of Black womanhood. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Brooks has rooted her art life in Atlanta over 20 years ago, where she has become a central figure in the city's grassroots and public art scenes. Her creative practice spans painting, photography, and large-scale murals. Brooks often utilizes vibrant colors, abstract art and soulful portraiture to explore themes of sisterhood, self-love, and healing. She describes her work as a "visual expression" of the journey toward accepting flaws and embracing the beauty of freedom.
Tezzy Pooh's Ice Cream
Serves Jeni's Ice Cream cups, Sunshine Sammies, King of Pops, iced coffee, and more!
Rae on Wheels
American, Southern, and Mexican fare
Chef Baker's Place
serves Soul Food and Caribbean BBQ
J Bros
Aerves burgers and fries, chicken tenders and wings, and rice bowls.
BZ ArtZ
Face painting by BZ ArtZ with Brittany