Women's History Month Concludes with News of UGA Graduates Integral in Liberty Theatre 100th Party

COLUMBUS, Ga. - March 30, 2025 - PRLog -- Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight San Francisco ~ Dallas

The historic Liberty Theater is celebrating the kick off of its centennial celebration with a Gala, Friday, April 11^th and an inaugural Film festival, on Saturday, April 12^th.  University of Georgia graduates nationally acclaimed journalist ABC's 20/20 Deborah Roberts; Pastor Nawanna Lewis Miller, founder of UGA's Pamoja arts and journalism groups in 1970; actress, producer, filmmaker  Vanessa J. (VJ) Roberts; retired Sacramento, California educator and music consultant, Felicia Bryan Bessent; writer and script consultant, Tracey Harris and former award-winning WTVM Reporter and award-winning filmmaker, Jackie Wright are honored to have roles commemorating the Liberty Theatre as it turns 100 years old.  As Women's History Month ends, the news of the Film Festival Screenings highlights several women graduates of the University of Georgia.

Friday, April 11^th, Deborah Roberts (https://vimeo.com/1065203373?share=copy) serves as honorary chairperson of " the Liberty Theatre 100^th Centennial Gala, The Soul of the Community" along with her husband, NBC broadcaster, Al Roker (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BUXQmDkj7/) and Georgia's longest serving state representative Calvin Smyre of Columbus, Georgia.  Oz Roberts, a University of Georgia Graduate, AFLAC Executive, Miss Georgia Pageant Producer, a leader in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the chairman of the centennial celebration.  The evening will be filled with a distinguished lineup featuring celebrated film actress Donna Biscoe; Broadway performers Michael Stiggers and Willa Bost; Miss Georgia 2022, Kelsey Hollis; and gospel singer Wendi Wyatt, the evening promises to be a spectacular celebration of Black talent. Renowned media personality AJ Calloway will serve as the host, bringing his signature energy and charisma to the evening

For tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the gala event click here:

https://www.universe.com/events/support-the-liberty-theatre-centennial-celebration-tickets-BC4JXP

Saturday, April 12^th, the second day of the kick off celebration will be the free Liberty Theatre Film Festival organized by Stacy Cunningham and Zack Lee that will screen the short documentary  "When the Dogs Left," about the founding of Pamoja in 1970 by Pastor Nawanna Lewis Miller at time following the integration of the land grant University of Georgia by esteemed graduates, the late Dr. Hamilton Holmes and renowned journalist Charlayne Hunter Gault.

In an unwelcoming hostile environment, the Black Student Union "Mistress of Cultural" created five cultural arts groups that still flourish today after 50 years. The groups are:  The African American Choral Ensemble (AACE) originally Pamoja Singers; Pamoja Dance Company that began as Pamoja Dancers;  Black Theatrical Ensemble (BTE), founded in 1976 by Larry Calhoun, a UGA graduate student, who reinvented the Pamoja Drama and Arts; InfUSion Magazine formerly Pamoja Newspaper and The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) formerly The Journalism Association for Minorities (JAM).  The short "work in progress" directed by Jackie Wright and edited by music consultant Felicia Bryan Bessent with script oversight by Tracey Harris is scheduled to be a full documentary that will be released in the fall of this year.

"We are so excited by this Liberty Theatre Film Festival screening and thankful to be able to get audience input as we complete our film in time for the 55^th Anniversary of Pamoja," said Subrena Clark, President of Pamoja Connections, Inc., a non-profit created after the 50^th Anniversary: Five Decades of Grace (https://music.uga.edu/news/stories/2020/five-decades-grace-golden-anniversary-pamoja-celebration) to produce a book, film and scholarship to help the on-going participants of  the Pamoja groups. "We've come a long way since the University of Georgia President Jere Morehead gave the initial financial support to create a film class to begin filming our history.  The project has past, present and future educational value."

"It's amazing and looks like we are coming full circle.  From the original committee with the instrumental influence of Professor Jay Hamilton, Head of the UGA Department of Entertainment & Media Studies to the fact one of our newly appointed Pamoja board members, Reverend Lonnie Walls resides in Columbus, Georgia coupled with  Columbus being the childhood home of  director, Jackie Wright, this is nothing but God," said Pastor Nawanna Lewis Miller, Chairman of Pamoja Connections Inc. "I give Him  all the glory."

"Comfort for Ourselves," the short documentary that concludes the screening, also has a Pamoja connection. Actress, producer, writer, podcast and radio host Vanessa J. Roberts was an active member of BTE-The Black Theatrical Ensemble during her studies at the University of Georgia. Roberts' film ends the screenings that will be followed by a 4:00 p.m. film industry panel discussion.

Additionally, Jackie Wright, director of "Pamoja: When the Dogs Left," also has an inspirational film "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor" (www.lovereunited.org) that was selected to be part of the Liberty Film Festival.  The film with siblings as executive producers Stanley Wright, Phyllis Cameron, the late Joe Wright, (founder with brother Stanley of the popular Cedar Hills' HomeBoy and HomeGirl Reunion (https://www.prlog.org/12793463-homeboy-homegirl-reunion-celebrates-tenth-anniversary-in-columbus-georgia.html) in South Columbus) and Jackie Wright, tells the military story with roots in Fort Benning, Georgia. Jack LiVolsi, CEO of Jackson Street Partners in San Francisco is editor of the film and co- director with Jackie Wright.

The Wright Family moved their father, U.S. patriot and Fallen Vietnam Hero, Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. who died March 9, 1964 as an Honor Guard for then Secretary of Defense Robert H. McNamara, from a deteriorating graveyard in Jacksonville, Florida to Arlington National Cemetery.  In 2014, the Wrights reunited their parents Sp5 Wright, who was in the Mt. Olive Cemetery for 50 years and his "love of his life," Ouida Fay McClendon Wright who had been buried at the historic Green Acres Cemetery in Columbus, Georgia for 44 years.  The award-winning short documentary is among seventeen films being screened beginning at 1:00 p.m. with the second block at the Columbus Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus, Georgia.

For more information about the "Liberty Theatre 100^th Centennial Gala, The Soul of the Community," visit the Columbus Georgia Convention and Visitors website: https://civiccenter.columbusga.gov/Events-Tickets/Events/Liberty-Theatre-Gala.