Introducing Down Home Diaries, a blog dedicated to celebrating the simple joys of Black Southern culture. Join us as we share heartfelt stories that inspire warmth and connection while wrapping you in nostalgic moments. Find the beauty in every small-town experience with Down Home Diaries.

Education, Entrepreneurship Jaquetta Bazier Education, Entrepreneurship Jaquetta Bazier

Melanin Violin: Shifting the Cultural Landscape of Orchestra

Black musicians are becoming the changing faces of string instrumentalists and Imani Henry is one of them. The violinist and director of orchestra for a school in Cypress, Texas is carving her own path to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in orchestra with her company, Melanin Violin. In this article, you’ll hear more about her business, learn about the band versus orchestra debate, and discover why representation matters in this space.

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Nonprofit, Community Service Ke’Ke Scott-Tatum Nonprofit, Community Service Ke’Ke Scott-Tatum

Black-Owned Charity Is Hosting A Texas Warrior Golf Tournament: "Tiger Up" For Lupus Warriors Seeking A Higher Education

The Gibson Lupus ARC and No Sisters Left Behind have partnered to raise scholarship funds for entrepreneurial spirited students who want to learn how to work for themselves even if it's out of a hospital bed with their Texas Warrior Golf Tournament “Tiger Up.”

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Short Stories, Black History, Family Pauline Mansfield Short Stories, Black History, Family Pauline Mansfield

A Salute To My Father

The residents in Wake, Virginia, were either domestics, farmers, or fishermen. But my father had much bigger dreams! Dreams of any kind outside of the norm in Wake were audacious! Learn about Emanuel Mansfield, the man who was known as “The Songbird” and had dreams of becoming a concert tenor. Despite life’s challenges, he accomplished his dreams and so much more.

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What Really Makes Dollars and Sense: The Financial Factor of Nicovanna Shannon, CEO of Shannon, Shannon & Associates, Inc.

As CEO and co-owner of Shannon, Shannon & Associates, Inc., a family-owned and operated financial planning firm in Montgomery, Alabama, Nicovanna Shannon gives back to others using the power of numbers because, at an early age, her mother instilled the importance of community-building.

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Black History, Education, Opinion Pauline Mansfield Black History, Education, Opinion Pauline Mansfield

Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, news finally reached Galveston, Texas, announcing that the war had ended, and all enslaved people were now free. From that day forward, June 19th became known as Freedom Day for African Americans, the day to celebrate the emancipation of the enslaved. Why, then, have African Americans celebrated someone else’s Freedom Day and not our own?

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