Bayard Rustin–Audre Lorde Breakfast: Amplifying Legacy Through Digital Advocacy

A Case Study in Movement Messaging, LGBTQ+ Solidarity & Southern Strategy Pictured left to right Rustin-Lorde Breakfast co-founder Craig Washington, Guy Pace, and Aigner "Anye Elite" Ellis founder of Icon City Entertainment at 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Atlanta, Georgia. 🧠 The Challenge As identity-based organizations navigate shrinking donor attention and changing cultural climates, many struggle to maintain intergenerational relevance. For its 25th anniversary , the Southern Unity Movement needed to both honor its legacy and speak directly to the next generation — especially in the digitally native South. That’s where Icon City Entertainment stepped in: to modernize the event’s outreach strategy without compromising its historic gravity. 🎯 Partnership Objectives Engagement Goal: Reach new and younger audiences via social media channels like TikTok. Media Goal: Generate buzz and visual assets to amplify the event’s theme, “Powerful Together: Unafraid and Ready for Change.” On-Site Goal: Support day-of production and content strategy to document and celebrate the 25th anniversary moment. 🛠 Icon City’s Role Social Media Management: Created original content for Southern Unity’s TikTok channel to extend digital reach. Promotional Coverage: Provided real-time coverage and story placement through IconCityNews.com . Leadership Support: Aigner “Anye Elite” Ellis was on the ground in Atlanta, supporting logistics and coordination with event leaders Maurice Cook and Darlene Hudson. 📊 Outcomes & Milestones Expanded reach to new, younger LGBTQ+ audiences Increased social visibility across platforms including TikTok and IconCityNews Visual storytelling assets captured to support future Southern Unity campaigns ✍🏽 What We Learned Win: Legacy events gain new life when paired with strategic digital content that honors their history without diluting their mission. Lesson: TikTok and other youth-facing platforms aren’t just for entertainment — they’re for mobilization. Question: How can we help more grassroots orgs evolve their digital presence without losing their political core? 💡 Tied to the Icon City Theses This project demonstrates our guiding belief: “Narrative Repair Is a Strategy — Especially in the South.” By helping Southern Unity Movement translate its historic breakfast into a digital moment, Icon City amplified not just an event, but a legacy of Black queer resistance and radical unity. 🔗 Looking Ahead Want to bring your next community event into the digital era while preserving its roots? 📩 Partner With Icon City🌈 Explore Icons Rising to support the next generation of Black and LGBTQ+ storytellers📰 Read full coverage at IconCityNews.com About the Southern Unity Movement   The Southern Unity Movement works to build a more unified Black LGBTQ community through education, advocacy, and leadership programs. Their commitment to fostering intergenerational, multi-gender, and multiracial collaboration aims to improve the agency and well-being of individuals across the South. About Icon City Entertainment