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How Angel Reese and ‘Barbie Night’ reminded fans why representation matters http://drumbeatsla.com/reese More than 16,00...
08/28/2026

How Angel Reese and ‘Barbie Night’ reminded fans why representation matters http://drumbeatsla.com/reese More than 16,000 people, mostly wearing pink, filled Atlanta’s State Farm Arena as the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces battled on the court.

The fans wore pink jerseys and dresses, and a few sported vibrant pink hair. Celebrities such as Mariah The Scientist, Aniya Harvey, “Love Island,” Monalea, Flo Milli, and actress Crystal Renee Hayslett were all in attendance to support the Atlanta Dream’s “Barbie Night.” The pink theme celebrated Angel Reese’s new collaboration with Barbie, which debuted in retail stores during WNBA All-Star Weekend.

Angel Reese and a fan with a Barbie Signature Role Model Angel Reese Doll Photo by A.R. Shaw

But beyond the fun theme of women and girls wearing all-pink on “Barbie Night,” it proved to be a powerful moment of representation.
Dolls are not just toys kids use to pass the time; they reflect how kids see themselves within the broader framework of society.
“I didn’t have dolls that really looked like me much, and that’s why I really wanted to make sure this was super intentional,” Reese said prior to the game. “Because now they have a doll that looks like you, with nails and hair. That was something that was important for me when getting the doll.”

Reese became known as the “Bayou Barbie” during her college years at Louisiana State University. The nickname followed her to the WNBA, and she also held two “Barbie Nights” while playing with the Chicago Sky in 2024 and 2025. But this year’s “Barbie Night” has a bit more history involved, considering that Reese is now the first WNBA player with a Barbie doll.

“Being a first always means a lot,” Reese said, now known as the ATL Barbie. “There are a lot of women that have come before me that have walked so I can run. So many of the legends of this game have reached out to me and just poured into me, and it really just means a lot to me.”

Kennedy Saulsberry, Shirley Saulsberry, Kameren Saulsberry—Photo by A.R. Shaw

Thousands of young girls at State Farm Arena held the Angel Reese Barbie doll while watching Reese play on the court. Atlanta Dream fan Alexis Mosley attended the game with her 6-year-old daughter, Nevaeh Jones, who held her Angel Reese Barbie doll in hand from start to finish.
“My daughter absolutely thinks the Angel Reese Barbie doll is magical,” Mosley said. “She loves Black Barbie dolls and to have one that she can hold, see on TV, and can come to the game, that’s everything to her. I hope she remembers this moment so she can grow up and make something great of herself as well.”

Adult fans also found inspiration. Kameren Saulsberry, an attorney, has collected dolls since childhood and brought her Angel Reese Barbie doll to the game.

“It means a lot to me, my whole life, having a doll that could represent me as a Black woman and being raised by a strong Black woman,” Saulsberry said. “I always wanted to look up to role models as a kid, so having a doll who could symbolize a strong role model of a strong Black woman is phenomenal and amazing. It teaches us that we can be what we want to be. You can be a WNBA star, a lawyer, a doctor, a pharmacist, a teacher, or an astronaut.”

Alexis Mosley and daughter Nevaeh Jones—Photo by A.R. Shaw

Reese echoed those sentiments about the role she plays in inspiring the next generation.
“If you see it, you can be it. You can believe it,” Reese said. “Hopefully, the young girls are inspired. They see a Barbie that looks like them. Knowing that there’s no limitation. Anything you want to do, you can put your mind to.”
When asked what she would say to her younger self, Reese took a moment to reflect on her childhood. From not having many dolls that looked like her to having her own Barbie, Reese has come a long way, and her journey is just beginning.

“[My childhood self] would probably be proud of me and where I am right now,” Reese shared. “It hasn’t been an easy journey for me. I would tell her to just continue to push through, drive through, and there’s always going to be a light down the tunnel.”



By A.R. Shaw, Special to DrumBeats

‘When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.’ [DrumCall] http://drumbeatsla.com/when-spider-webs-unite There is a po...
08/28/2026

‘When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.’ [DrumCall] http://drumbeatsla.com/when-spider-webs-unite There is a powerful Ethiopian proverb: “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”

Big Mama understood that kind of wisdom. One spider web looks fragile and insignificant. But connect enough strands, working together with purpose, and what appeared powerless becomes powerful.

That is the story of voting in America—and especially the Black American experience.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 did not happen because powerful people suddenly decided to share power. Ordinary Americans organized, marched, registered voters, and demanded that America honor its promises.

Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi sharecropper, refused to accept that Black citizens should be denied their voices. John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge and was beaten while demanding voting rights. Behind them stood thousands of unnamed people who organized churches, knocked on doors, and risked their jobs, safety, and lives for the ballot.
Their spider webs united—and changed America.
More than sixty years later, voting remains at the center of national battles. America continues to debate congressional maps, voter registration, voter-roll maintenance, identification requirements, ballot access, and election procedures. These debates remind us that democracy cannot simply be inherited. Every generation must participate in protecting it.

Too many eligible citizens remain disconnected or discouraged from the voting process. Others simply assume their registration is current.

That is why my family practices something we call “Gimme 5.”

It is simple: I commit to getting five people to vote. Those five reach five more. We confirm registrations, share election information, remind one another of voting dates, and encourage one another until the votes are actually cast.

Then we have a party—not to celebrate a candidate or political party, but to celebrate the actual votes cast.
Do the math: one plus five equals five. Five reach 25. Twenty-five reach 125. Imagine that multiplication happening through families, churches, fraternities, sororities, and neighborhoods.
So here is my two-part challenge:

First, confirm that you are registered to vote.

Second, Gimme 5. Activate five voters and challenge each of them to activate five more.

Our ancestors built the web. Now we must strengthen it.

Big Mama said, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”

Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional,
and Vice President at FocusPR, founder of the charity City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org Feature photo by Francesco Ungaro.

Berean Missionary Baptist Church ends summer pop-up shop Aug 29 http://drumbeatsla.com/berean-pop-up Berean Missionary B...
08/26/2026

Berean Missionary Baptist Church ends summer pop-up shop Aug 29 http://drumbeatsla.com/berean-pop-up Berean Missionary Baptist Church ends summer pop-up shop Aug 29, 9am - 1pm, at 104 Angels Drive in Hammond, La

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Tangi schools to host Family Matters meeting Aug. 25 http://drumbeatsla.com/tangi-schools-aug-25 The Tangipahoa Parish S...
08/04/2026

Tangi schools to host Family Matters meeting Aug. 25 http://drumbeatsla.com/tangi-schools-aug-25 The Tangipahoa Parish School System's Office of Innovation will host a Family Matters meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the TPSS Family & Community Event Center, 711 W. Coleman Ave., Hammond.
The free event will provide families with information about the district's August Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) trait, back-to-school resources and community support services.
The program also includes a brief parent advocacy session, "Speak Up, Lift Up: Positive School Advocacy for Families," designed to help parents and caregivers effectively support their children's education.
Snacks and door prizes will be provided. Families are encouraged to attend. Registration is requested.

Exhibition exploring Creole roots opens in New Orleans, Aug 8. http://drumbeatsla.com/exhibition-exploring-creole-roots-...
08/01/2026

Exhibition exploring Creole roots opens in New Orleans, Aug 8. http://drumbeatsla.com/exhibition-exploring-creole-roots-opens-in-new-orleans-aug-8 Opening August 8th from 11AM- 3PM, Nou La-We Are Here. In Rhythm of Our Creole Roots, a living, traveling exhibition dedicated to Louisiana Creole culture and heritage, makes its debut in New Orleans at the REACH Gallery (2022 St. Bernard Ave.) as it begins its journey through the Creole parishes of Louisiana.

This exhibition pairs fine arts with digital storytelling that follows the history, experiences, and small details that makes the biggest differences in Creole culture across the state.

The public is invited to the opening night Aug. 8 and the Artist Talk on August 29 (Noon - 2pm) to celebrate the Nou La: New Orleans artists and the resilience and legacy of Creole culture within the city.

This Nou La New Orleans collection features multimedia pieces by artists Dyvonne S. Aye, Yulani S. Johari Smith, Donald Davis, and Jelani Smith.

Louisiana’s Creole identity has always evolved — shaped by resistance, devotion, migration, and music. “Nou La” means “We are here.” This exhibition, which evolves throughout each showcase, dives deep into Creole cuisine, Catholicism in Louisiana, masking and masquerade traditions, music, and literature, said curator Condoleezza Semien. A graduating senior at Dillard University, Semien participated in Princeton University's Research, Equity, Archives, Curation, and History Program where she was immersed in archives and museums. She has been a cultural guardian at the Le Musee de F.P.C (Free People of Color Museum) in New Orleans, and envisioned Nou La while researching her family lineage across the creole parishes and partnering with artists.

This project is supported by a grant from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation’s Community Partnership Grant program. Other partners include the Library Foundation of New Orleans, New Orleans Public Library, VCI International, the REACH Center, and Jozef Syndicate.

Starting Aug. 8, Nou La: We are Here will open to the public from 10 am to noon every Tuesday and Thursday through September 26, 2026.

Local art galleries present multisite exhibition ‘committed to memory’ http://drumbeatsla.com/free-as-they-want-to-be So...
07/31/2026

Local art galleries present multisite exhibition ‘committed to memory’ http://drumbeatsla.com/free-as-they-want-to-be Southern University and A&M College is partnering with the Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art and the West Baton Rouge Museum on Aug. 1-23 for a limited-run multisite exhibition. “Free as They Want to Be: Artists Committed to Memory,” features works from some of the biggest names in American art. The event is free and open to the public.

Among the featured, frequently celebrated artists are Randell Henry, associate professor of art at Southern University; Bisa Butler, and Malaika Favorite.

“Free as They Want to Be” — co-curated by Deborah Willis, Ph.D. and Cheryl Finley, Ph.D. — is a presentation of contemporary art inspired by historical memory that considers the historic and contemporary role photography and film have played in remembering legacies of slavery. It also examines the idea of personal freedom and the social lives of a diverse group of Americans within various places — on the land, at home, in photographic albums, at historic sites, and in public memory.

The exhibition will be on view at all three sites with a variety of programs taking place at each location during the exhibition. Each partnering organization will be offering free admission during the exhibition’s presentation.

“Free as They Want to Be” explores a number of themes, including migration, identity, and the African diaspora. The exhibition originated at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center as part of the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has since travelled across the United States before coming to Louisiana’s capital city.

The exhibit is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Additional support has been made possible by The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, The Josef Sternberg Memorial Fund, a Louisiana Project Grant, Dr. Khanh Ho, Kelvin Coney, The La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links Incorporated, Louisiana Lottery, The Prince Hall Shriners, House of Hues, and The Daniels Family Fund.

Southern University will host the exhibit’s closing reception on Wednesday, Aug. 19 in the Frank Hayden Hall Visual Art Gallery on campus. The reception will be preceded by a panel discussion with exhibit co-curator Cheryl Finley.

The exhibition will be on view at all three sites during the following gallery hours:
Southern University and A&M College
Frank Hayden Hall Visual Art Gallery
8229 Elton C. Harrison Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Baton Rouge Gallery – Center for Contemporary Art
1515 Dalrymple Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

West Baton Rouge Museum
845 N. Jefferson Ave.
Port Allen, LA 70767
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday 2-5 p.m.

For more information about the exhibit, artists and special events, go to batonrougegallery.org/fatwtb.

BRCC names Carlos Sample head men’s basketball oach http://drumbeatsla.com/carlos-sample-brcc Baton Rouge Community Coll...
07/22/2026

BRCC names Carlos Sample head men’s basketball oach http://drumbeatsla.com/carlos-sample-brcc Baton Rouge Community College has hired Carlos Sample as the next Head Coach of the BRCC Men’s Basketball program.

One of the most accomplished and respected basketball coaches in Louisiana history, Sample brings decades of championship success, player development and transformational leadership to the Bears.

“Our goal has always been to build a championship program that develops exceptional student-athletes on and off the court,” BRCC Director of Athletics Brock Kantrow said. “Carlos Sample is one of the most respected basketball minds in Louisiana. His proven ability to build winning cultures, develop talent and mentor young men makes him the ideal leader for our men’s basketball program. His passion for Baton Rouge, his commitment to student-athlete success and his championship pedigree align perfectly with the direction of BRCC Athletics. We are thrilled to welcome Carlos and his family to the Bears.”

A 2024 recipient of the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Mr. Louisiana Basketball Award, Sample was recognized for his extraordinary impact on the game throughout the state. The award honors individuals whose long-term contributions have shaped Louisiana basketball at every level.

Sample built Scotlandville Magnet High School into one of the nation’s premier basketball programs during his 16 seasons as head coach. His teams captured eight Louisiana state championships, reached 14 consecutive state championship games in Louisiana’s highest classification, compiled a remarkable 482-83 record and produced numerous Division I student-athletes, including NBA players. Throughout his coaching career, Sample amassed an overall record of 676-198 while earning a reputation as one of Louisiana’s premier teachers of the game and mentors of young men.

Before becoming one of Louisiana’s legendary high school coaches, Sample enjoyed an outstanding playing career at Southern University. A two-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, he helped lead the Jaguars to three consecutive SWAC regular-season championships, two SWAC Tournament championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT berth while scoring 1,399 career points.

For Sample, the opportunity to lead BRCC represents a homecoming and a chance to invest in the next generation of student-athletes in the city that has shaped his life and career. A Baton Rouge basketball icon whose influence has extended across Louisiana, Sample brings deep community ties, an unmatched reputation for developing talent and a passion for providing young men with opportunities to succeed both on the court and in the classroom. His hiring reflects BRCC’s commitment to building a championship program while serving as Baton Rouge’s community college.

“I’m honored and excited to become the next head coach at Baton Rouge Community College,” Sample said. “My goal is to continue the success of the BRCC men’s basketball program while bringing my own vision and energy to it. We will build a culture centered on discipline, accountability, academic excellence and relentless competitiveness. I look forward to recruiting outstanding young men, representing Baton Rouge with pride, competing for championships and helping our student-athletes reach the next level both on and off the court.”

Tour bring community health discussions to Amite, Bogalusa on July 30 http://drumbeatsla.com/health-tour The Louisiana C...
07/22/2026

Tour bring community health discussions to Amite, Bogalusa on July 30 http://drumbeatsla.com/health-tour The Louisiana Center for Health Equity will bring its LA40by2030 Tour to Southeast Louisiana on Thursday, July 30, with community meetings in Amite and Bogalusa focused on improving health and healthcare, particularly in rural communities.

The first session will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tangipahoa Parish Council, 206 East Mulberry Street in Amite. A second session will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at ADAPT, Inc., 216 Memphis St. in Bogalusa. Registration will open 30 minutes before each event.

The tour is designed to bring together community members, state and local officials, community-based organizations, healthcare providers, health professionals, and other stakeholders to foster meaningful dialogue and gather community input on health and healthcare issues. The discussions will place a special emphasis on the needs of rural areas.

The events are part of the Louisiana Department of Health's Region 9, which includes Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to register in advance. Separate registration is available for the Amite and Bogalusa events. Organizers noted that a virtual attendance option may also be offered, and participants should check the Eventbrite registration pages (Amite and Bogalusa) for updates and additional details.

For more information, email [email protected] or call or text 225-772-7029.

Established in January 2010, the Louisiana Center for Health Equity is a statewide, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing health equity and improving the health and well-being of all Louisianans. The organization works to eliminate health and healthcare disparities resulting from structural, institutional, and social disadvantages and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.

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