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When There is Hate, There is Love: Charles Patton Leads By Example in Atlanta Pride Parade

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Atlanta celebrates Pride in October for many reasons, with one of those reasons being National Coming Out Day, which is Oct. 11 and the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
The post When There is Hate, There is Love: Charles Patton Leads By Example in Atlanta Pride Parade first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2022

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By Isaiah Singleton

After two long years of social distancing, masks, and virtual celebrations, Atlanta celebrated Pride in person for the first time, October 8^th and 9th.

After the Pride festival and other festivities, Atlanta ended its 2022 Pride weekend with the celebratory Pride Parade, which brings the entire LGBTQ+ community and allies together to enjoy what pride means to them.

Charles Patton, 25, during Pride Weekend, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice

Originally born in Atlanta, Georgia but moved to Charlotte, North Carolina when he was 7 years old, Charles Patton, 25, said this is his third pride weekend in Atlanta and is most excited to “be out celebrating ourselves and enjoying being outside with positivity and love,” he said.

Atlanta celebrates Pride in October for many reasons, with one of those reasons being National Coming Out Day, which is Oct. 11 and the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

Around 100,000 people were in attendance, according to the Atlanta Police Department. The parade began on Peachtree Street and Ralph McGill at noon Sunday and followed to 10th Street and ended at Piedmont Park.

Patton (far left) and friends take a photo, “Pride has been and always will be incredibly important to me and others,” he said. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice

Patton (far left) and friends take a photo, “Pride has been and always will be incredibly important to me and others,” he said. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice.

Patton said he feels amazing to be able to celebrate pride and be able to mingle with his community in-person.

“I feel invigorated with the opportunity to celebrate our community together, especially since we haven’t had the chance to be with one another in a while,” he said.

Patton also said it is important to celebrate pride, especially nowadays, because although hate tries to overshadow, love will always come out stronger.

“Pride has been and always will be incredibly important to me and others. With the number of hate crimes that are not only still occurring but, on the rise, this is the perfect time for pride,” Patton said.

To Patton, pride means “everything.”

“When I was younger, I did not have the language or the understanding that I could be myself and I can be all of me with Pride. It is an absolute celebration all around coming into yourself,” he said.

Additionally, Patton partnered with his job with SalesForce, a San Francisco-based cloud-based software company, that provides customer relationship management software, to be a part of the Pride parade.

Salesforce continues to express equality, and celebrates Pride globally every year, Patton said.

The SalesForce Atlanta Team created its cloud-themed logo with a huge rainbow attached as their float to be a part of the pride parade.

As a leader in the LGBTQ+ community and at his job, Patton oversaw obtaining Black/Brown entertainment which included locals such as Princess Jauan Balenciaga, Desmond Stearns, DJ Reese, DJ Kenneth Kyrell, Nautica Ra’Sae, Kalon Justice, and DC-based DJ Boom Boom Balenciaga.

“I really loved going out and booking Black/Brown talent for this event,” Patton said. “SalesForce is deeply committed to equality for all and that means having the representation and investing in the communities that give so much of themselves and are underrepresented.”

As a Black gay man, Patton said, he does not “really look at being a leader or leadership as an unobtainable feat.”

“I believe we are all leaders in our own right and can learn from one another,” he said. “Me being a Black gay man allows me to have a perspective and experience that is unique to some and familiar to others. If there is a passion and willingness to serve others, then it is a given that you put yourself in the line of fire to help those around you.”

After the parade, Patton said he would spend time with family and friends to enjoy the rest of the day. Also, after the parade, SalesForce threw an after party at the Park Tavern where people could wind down after the parade, eat, listen to music, and mingle.

“This is more like a cool down and celebration of everyone after the parade for people to do more mingling and just have a good time with one another,” he said.

To encourage more people to attend Pride next year, Patton said there are so many memories that people make during Pride, and it is a way to celebrate yourself and community.

“I would say if you were looking for an inclusive joyous time where you can be everything you’ve ever wanted and more come out to Pride and LIVEEEEEEE!!,” he exclaimed.

The post When there is Hate, there is Love: Charles Patton leads by example in Atlanta Pride Parade appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

The post When There is Hate, There is Love: Charles Patton Leads By Example in Atlanta Pride Parade first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”