Voyage ATL's Portraits of Atlanta Series Features Weekly Interviews

Voyage ATL Magazine’s “Portraits of Atlanta” Series Captures the City’s Diverse Stories Through First-Person Accounts

In a weekly interview series published on voyageatl.com, Voyage ATL Magazine is asking the fundamental questions of who its subjects are and how they became the people they are today. The series, titled “Portraits of Atlanta,” operates on a stated premise that understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world, and it has gathered narratives from musicians, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and artists across the metro area.

The project matters now because its weekly interviews with people in and around Atlanta document the varied paths that have led them to become who they are today. Each installment presents a first-person account, attributed to the interviewee, detailing the specific circumstances and decisions that shaped their careers and identities.

From Oral Traditions to Modern Entrepreneurship

Among the profiles, Assane Kouyate described being born in Senegal into a revered Manding djeli family lineage originating from Mali, West Africa. Kouyate told Voyage ATL Magazine that djeli, or griots, serve as custodians of history through oral repertoires and instrumentation passed down exclusively through generations.

Atlanta skyline collage featuring landmarks and portraits

Assane Kouyate told Voyage ATL Magazine that he was born in Senegal of a revered Manding djeli family lineage, the Kouyate’s, originating from Mali, West Africa.

The series also traces more recent professional pivots. Leonard DeShield Jr. told the magazine that his path to founding Global Moves Entertainment started in radio at George Mason University and through internships with record labels under BMG Distribution. Erika Rose Paige said she established Imperfect Paige Publishing, LLC in November 2020, just as the pandemic transformed the world, after completing her MBA that May and finding herself at home with two children and no job.

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Kevin-Marie Davis, now based in Johns Creek, told Voyage ATL that in 2014 she started building a business around her life and family, supporting other women, wives, and mothers who wanted to do the same after spending more than 20 years leading change and delivery. Kay Lexi Tha Great! noted beginning podcasting in 2004, long before the medium became what it is today. Rushion McDonald, a University of Houston graduate, described a career spanning more than three decades across television, radio, film, and podcasting. Asá Gibbs said that while working for a music touring agency, she noticed an increase in DJs but a lack of diversity among those making it big. Gina Love explained that her journey in the music industry started because of her three sons, whose desire to pursue music led her to find managers and eventually build support systems after initial disappointments.

Caregivers, Artists, and Community Builders

The portraits extend beyond business leaders to include those in care work and the arts. Cherry Brown, a mother of three, told the magazine she is a Certified Master Newborn Care Specialist and the Founder and CEO of Love All About Babies LLC, noting that her path there wasn’t traditional. Christina Dore said she started her Atlanta dog training business in 2013 immediately after becoming certified, despite having studied Creative and Technical Writing in college. Shama Panjwani, who began with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, told Voyage ATL, “My profession found me,” describing a journey of growth and self-discovery. Monique Kincade said her beauty industry career began at 14 when a passion for hair evolved into entrepreneurship. Angel “PLATNYM” Parker described starting as a freelance creator in dance and moving into fashion design, serving community through presence and confidence-building.

In the arts, Saunders Sermons II, a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and trombonist born in Miami and now living in Atlanta, described touring the world with acclaimed artists. Angelica Hairston, an Atlanta harpist, told Voyage ATL that she pursued a degree in harp performance at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto before expanding into education, advocacy, and wellness. Romeo Etienne, founder of HDP Studios, said he turned his passion for acting into a mission to create his own opportunities and tell culture-driven stories. Tori Nanna credited video game music, specifically “Live & Learn” by Crush 40, with sparking a lifelong musicality. Lil’ John Roberts started playing drums at age seven in his father’s Philadelphia church. Rashad Jordan said he began beating on pots and pans at age three, coming from a family of musicians. Leslie Baylor said visiting WPGC 95.5 in Washington, D.C. at age 14 convinced her she wanted to work in radio, leading her to Temple University and an internship at Radio One in Philadelphia.

Other profiles capture personal reinvention and community focus. Jionne “JiJi” McMichael told the magazine that in 2018, while working at the post office, she decided she wasn’t living the life she had imagined. McMichael told Voyage ATL Magazine that her career started with one decision: choosing herself.

Ryder said choosing pole fitness was one of the best decisions she ever made, starting around eight or nine years ago after a tough time in her life.

Bianca Castañeda described how her family’s love of books led to Colibrí Reads, with her father building a Little Free Library in Union City, Georgia. Matthew Buchanan, founder of C3, the Creative Collaboration for Compassion, told Voyage ATL he wants to be transparent about hard topics and asks readers to help those “stuck in the gap and left behind.” Bree Smith described a childhood desire to help people that began with family volunteering in Northwest Indiana. Precious Butler said growing up in urban Boston during a time when one had to be aware of surroundings for safety created resilience and discernment early in her life. Scotty Heath said his journey started in 2009 making Facebook videos about everyday life. A.C. Carey grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City, learning to screen print at 14 and starting to make clothes.

Why These Narratives Matter Now

By documenting specific dates and decisions—such as Paige’s November 2020 business launch, Davis’s 2014 career shift, or McMichael’s 2018 departure from the post office—the magazine provides concrete markers of how individual ambitions intersect with broader economic and social shifts.

Yet the collection also relies entirely on self-reported accounts, meaning the histories presented reflect the interviewees’ own recollections and perspectives as gathered by Voyage ATL Magazine. The series does not independently verify the professional claims or timelines described, instead offering them as personal testimony to the question of how each person became who they are today.

As the weekly installments continue, the archive grows into a running document of the city’s voices, capturing everything from the Delta-region blues influences that shaped Tra’ Parks’s music to George Williams, who began writing and producing hip hop in the early 2000s.

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