Monday night marked a momentous new beginning for the City of Atlanta and A3C Festival & Conference. A3C Festival and Conference and Atlanta Streetcar hosted a private event at Noni’s Bar & Deli to celebrate their revolutionary partnership and the official kick-off for the 2015 A3C Festival & Conference. Special guests included Councilman Kwanza Hall, A3C Festival & Conference Director Mike Walbert, Atlanta Streetcar Project Liaison Keith L.Hilsman, Director of Vehicle Maintenance Facility Ozell Hayes III and Wilma Sothern.
Councilman Kwanza Hall spoke about the importance of hip hop and how significant it is to have elected officials that grew up in the hip hop culture.
“It made me who I am as a person, listening to Afrika Bambaataa, doing things with him in school, being a part of the Zulu Nation and now being a councilman. So think about what it means to have elected officials that really understand and come from the hip hop generation. That really is a milestone in our community, in our city, and in the world.”
Councilman Hall also began to notice the business and entrepreneurship that was occurring at A3C and with many people of color. Which made it all that more important to him to make sure that A3C stayed in Atlanta.
“I saw them about three or four years ago at Masquerade, and they had entrepreneurs and everyone was about their business. I said, ‘Wait a minute, it’s not just a party, it’s not just a conference, it’s about people getting paper.’ It was a lot of people of color and well-organized, about business from all over the country, all over the world and we have to support them. They had to leave that location and I was like, ‘Wait a minute you can’t leave Atlanta, can’t leave my district and lets figure it out.”
The interactive media experience featured a mixer at Noni’s Bar & Deli, live cyphers by Soul Food Cypher, live art by Cultivating Cultures and a private streetcar tour of the Old 4th Ward followed by a mixer. Guests learned valuable tips about riding the streetcar and how all A3C Festival & Conference events are conveniently located along the streetcar line this year.
If you have never been to A3C and you have the opportunity to go, this year is a must.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfs699MOMQ]For more information about A3C and Atlanta Streetcar partnership visit a3cfestival.com and follow social media handles @A3C on Twitter, @A3Cfestival on Instagram.
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