BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"
Welcome to Be A Baller, where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities, and the world! I'm your host, Coach Tim Brown, and I'm excited to for you join me on this journey.
On this show, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our own lives, but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come.
Our guests will be individuals who have built a legacy in various fields – ministry, business, sports, and community service. And what's unique about our guests is that they're committed to the Wisdom Pledge. That means they're not just sharing their own stories and experiences with us, but they're also paying forward and sharing wisdom to empower the next generation.
So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance, and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place!
So grab your earbuds, get comfortable, and let's dive in!
BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"
Shelbi Toone: How One Young Artist Is Preserving Black History
Send us a comment about the Be a Baller Podcast Episode. Thanks for support.
Shelbi Toone, Community Activist, takes us on a remarkable journey through her evolution as an artist, community organizer, and cultural preservationist in Columbus, Ohio. What began with watching her grandparents honor their elders has blossomed into a multifaceted career dedicated to ensuring Black history and community stories aren't lost to time.
Today, as project lead for the Poindexter Village Museum (soon to be Ohio's 59th historical site), Shelbi is creating her most enduring legacy yet – a space that will preserve African American history in Central Ohio for generations to come. Through her inspiring story, we discover that true legacy isn't just about the art created but the platforms built and stories preserved that might otherwise be lost.
Growing up as what she calls an "art jock," Shelbi brought unique strengths to her creative pursuits – the teamwork, discipline, and practice ethic from basketball and track meshed perfectly with her artistic talents. While many know her vibrant murals around Columbus, fewer understand the deeper purpose driving her work: creating space for underrepresented artists while preserving cultural narratives.
After graduating with her master's degree in 2010 amid economic uncertainty, Shelbi took a leap of faith by starting her own creative services business rather than pursuing traditional employment that didn't align with her passion. This bold move not only launched her career but sparked her commitment to building platforms where other artists could thrive. From founding All People Arts gallery on Columbus' South Side to establishing the Walt Neal Mural League, she's consistently created opportunities specifically for Black artists who historically lacked access to public art commissions.
Perhaps most fascinating is the story behind her signature "new peace symbol" and the evolution of her artist name "Peace Shelbi." What began as a personal journey to find peace transformed into a powerful artistic statement that "peace begins with you" – a philosophy she's integrated into virtually every artwork for over a decade.
Want to support Shelbi's work? Visit shel10.com to learn about Columbus' Black history and explore poindextervillagemuseum.org to follow the museum's development.
I have a special relationship with my grandparents because I would say they are foundational in how I'm thinking, how I choose to do my purpose work. I know how important it is to honor our elders and I think it started very early for me watching my grandparents honor their elders, always knowing how important it was to respect those that came before them. I watched them all be very humble in their own personal journeys while being trailblazers in the work that they were doing, and so fast forward into the work that I do. I just have a passion for making sure that elders remain at the forefront of our voice and that we're hearing them.
Speaker 3:Welcome to Be A Baller where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities and the world. Your host, coach Tim Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. On each episode, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our lives but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come. So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place. So grab your earbuds, get comfortable and let's dive in. It's time to be a baller.
Speaker 4:Welcome to Be A Baller podcast. I'm your host, coach Tim Brown, and I'm blessed and honored to have in studio with me a good friend who I watched grow up and mature into the community activist like she is today, and that's Shelby Toon. Shelby is a distinguished artist and community organizer dedicated to using creativity as a tool for social change. Since graduating from Gahanna Lincoln High School, she has championed cultural preservation, public art and inclusive community engagement throughout Central Ohio. As a Columbus Art Commissioner and a board member of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, shelby plays a pivotal role in shaping the city's artistic and culture policies. She has led transforming initiatives through her leadership at All People's Art, the Neighborhood Design Center and the Poindexter Village African American Museum. Shelby, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 4:Boy, I was trying to read all that. You've been busy since some days at Second Baptist Church. You know you were recently inducted into the high school, into the High School Hall of Fame of Gehenna Lincoln. How was that recognition? How was that honor?
Speaker 1:Definitely amazing. I didn't really know that I wanted that kind of honor. Once I got it, I was like you know what I really do appreciate this. I'm representing Gahanna here. So it feels good to you know. Put my Gahanna pride on my back too and continue the work that I'm doing. So I'm so blessed Amen.
Speaker 4:You know, I know, growing up you had a strong village. You know you mentioned school.
Speaker 1:I know church and the community as well. That raised you. Can you talk about the influence of your village in your life? You know, being close to my grandparents, their community was their church. So St Paul, AME, and you know Good Shepherd. So I just had a good foundation of a church life and very actively involved in dance ministries and choir. I sang in the choir, did plays, so just always very actively involved in church and it's been really the foundation to my artistic expression. You know, and I'm blessed to have community through church and growing up with my family and all of them.
Speaker 4:I know your family was artistic as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they are Singing and all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 4:Can you talk about how that impacted you and kind of what you do today?
Speaker 1:So you know my parents both of my parents are full-time city employees but they're both artists. So my dad my entire life he's always been in the theater directing plays, acting in plays. And then my mother she's a jazz singer. So I grew up watching her do big band and you know do jazz concerts and really understanding and appreciating the arts in Columbus really early and even their impact in it. You know do jazz concerts and really understanding and appreciating the arts in Columbus really early and even their impact in it. You know watching my dad serve on our boards. You know Cat Co and mom with the jazz arts group just always being intertwined and seeing them firsthand have full-time jobs and still have passion for the arts.
Speaker 4:You know another side of your family is a community part. We can't get off of that. Can you talk about that and what you saw in that and learned from your family being involved in the community projects?
Speaker 1:Very actively involved community. My family was always in the community. You know I had a grandfather who was a city council member, a dad who was heavily involved in community initiatives. Just being able to be a witness to what it means to pour into your community, I definitely got a front row seat to that. I think it's made me a lot of who I am today very actively involved in community. I understand that if you want anything to change, you have to be, you know, an active part of that change and I think that that became who I was just by witnessing others do that in my family.
Speaker 4:So that's good. I know you spent a lot of time with your grandparents. You know. Can you talk about the impact and share with the audience some of those life lessons that you learned from them?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a special relationship with my grandparents because I would say they are foundational in how I'm thinking, how I choose to do my purpose work. I know how important it is to honor our elders and I think it started very early for me watching my grandparents honor their elders, always knowing how important it was to respect those that came before them. I watched them all be very humble in their own personal journeys while being trailblazers in the work that they were doing, and so fast forward into the work that I do. I just have a passion for making sure that you know elders remain at the forefront of our voice and that we're hearing them. I think my grandmother she instilled those things in me. I had a another. Both of my grandmothers are very actively involved in the arts. One was a singer and one was a community liaison for many, many arts initiatives. So just being able to watch them I think that's really a part of my makeup today was them.
Speaker 4:Why are you so passionate about honoring those elders and keeping their voices around? A lot of times we'll see older people we just push them off to the side and young people. But why is that so important to you and how have you been able to do that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's foundational and very important to have those traditions passed down.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, you know, our community has had a lot of disruption in passing generational stories and, you know, essentially passing the torch to the next generation to make sure they have the tools and the history and knowledge they need to move forward, sure they have the tools and the history and knowledge they need to move forward.
Speaker 1:You know this is not news that the Sankofa thinking in the process of looking back to go forward. It's just foundational in who we are as a people and I think that I've become very passionate about it because the growth in the city and all the changes that are happening do not prioritize that right. It's about changing the old and bringing in the new and so often we're not preserving what was there or, you know, we're very often watching things wiped away rather than uplifted, and so I just try to be a part of the preservation experience and making sure that we're not losing those stories. It's good to have new things and you know we're not always going to be a part of the preservation experience and making sure that we're not losing those stories. It's good to have new things and you know we're not always going to be here one day, but it's our job to you know. Make sure that we do our part to make sure that our kids get the information.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's it. That's it Particularly during this time of year. You know, as we're in the Black History, you know, february just making sure you said it really well making sure our kids get the information. That's what it's all about. That next generation, you know kind of changing gears. You got involved in this sports thing. I knew you as a basketball player and then you went over to Gahanna and you captained the basketball team and track as well. You know can you talk about that sports experience.
Speaker 1:You know sports. I think I used to call myself an art jock. Okay, all right.
Speaker 1:I did sports all the time play soccer, basketball, ran track but at the heart of my off time was art. And a lot of people didn't know that because I was, you know, more of a sketchbook artist or just in my free time. But I happen to have a mother who knew I was good at art, so she cultivated that for me. I started very early in understanding I could sell my art and be an artist. So I would say I saw myself as an artist as early as like the age of 10 to 12. So meanwhile, while I was doing sports, I always tried to also balance that energy with the arts and doing something you know, whether it was at King Arts Complex, a Saturday art class, or and doing something, you know, whether it was at King Arts Complex, a Saturday art class, or just kind of, you know, staying actively involved.
Speaker 1:And I think I had the fortunate privilege of going to like a Second Baptist Church, for example. We would, second, would do an art challenge, you know, and I'd be, I'd do the art challenge and win a, you know, a savings bond and I, you know it was giving me all the encouragement I needed to believe in myself, to know that I could do this. So sports was foundational. I also think that you know I went on and did some some good things in high school and onto college, ran a little college tracks and things like that. But those were foundational teamwork, repetition and practice and those things are why I think I'm a little different as an artist than most artists.
Speaker 1:People often say like oh, you know artists. How do you do you know you can work both left and right side of your brain, you know? I think that's all coming from my makeup in sports and growing up a team player and understanding how to put work ethic in. And yeah, so I think you know I often I'm concerned about folks who don't do sports.
Speaker 4:So many life lessons besides just running up and down the court on the track and so many of those things you learned in that. When was that light bulb moment when you clicked that? You know what I'm good at this art thing. When was that moment?
Speaker 1:I think for me it was when I graduated from graduate school.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 1:So I had always shown my art and done artistic things endeavors, shows, all kinds of things but I think I had my breakthrough moment when I graduated in 2010 with my master's, in the middle of a time where no one was hiring and people were telling me that I needed to take my degree and go get this other job. That didn't. It wasn't really in alignment with what I wanted to do, and so I just stepped out on faith. I came home and I probably was home, you know, all of a couple of months before I decided to start my own creative services business, shelton LLC. And within that year, I you know gate, you know put some faith in the work and I was getting phone calls all the time for work and I realized that I could. I didn't necessarily need a job to thrive because I was good at art.
Speaker 1:I was good at graphic design, I was good at branding, I was good at being a creative and I needed to lean in more to what that meant and I also liked the benefit of helping people.
Speaker 1:So in 2010, a lot of people needed to update Right, right, oh yeah, Including me. People needed to reimagine the way they saw themselves and so I feel a part of. I see so much success out here with a lot of entrepreneurs and small businesses, nonprofits and organizations and I feel like I've had a piece of being a part of people's journey because you know, they've called on me to do a design or do some artwork or put a mural up in their building and I get to be a part of. You know those avenues and those things. So I think that's when I started to really lean in, is when I started the business and I was like you know, I've got this and I started to not only do my business and the creative services stuff, but I also started to create platforms for artists to show work, because I wanted to show my work. Ok.
Speaker 1:And so that's a whole other journey of you know, I'm still curating today. There's a show that I have up today at Art of Republic with 15 artists, you know, still trying to cultivate that too.
Speaker 4:That's awesome. You know I've seen your work all over murals, murals all over the city. What's been your? What's your inspiration when you decide to create a mural? What is your inspiration for creating that?
Speaker 1:I often think about the youth a lot in my work. So I'm always thinking about what it looks like for a little girl or a little boy to drive past what they're looking at, and so I try not to be too complex, because my audience I want to get you young. You know I really do think about the young people a lot. I have a huge background in arts education and so even as I approach my work now, where it's a little more complex and it's more about culture and history, I still try to approach it in a lens of perspective of a little girl or a little boy who needs to also make their own interpretation of what they're seeing.
Speaker 1:And I just I really love art and what it can do to transform people's thinking, bring people together, people together, and I've enjoyed being a part of kind of planting some of those seeds to have art be a part of the conversation. The art that I'm creating is planting a seed of bigger things. A lot of the early work I was doing, people weren't really giving me the big opportunities that I wanted to, so I inserted myself in community conversations and inserted art as a solution to a lot of the you know conversation pieces that we were having. And so fast forward now you see people all the time kind of using art as a avenue to bring community together, have community. Do you know, address an issue I can say, gosh, more than 10 years ago that wasn't as common as it is now and I feel like I jumped in that lane very early and helped kind of be a part of the wave of facilitating how art can meet community.
Speaker 4:That's good. I think God has a way of his timing and he puts you in that space at the right time. As we think about the George Floyd incident and all the murals and pictures that were going up or whatnot, and you were a big part of that. Can you talk about how that vision for social change and using art as social change- yeah Gosh.
Speaker 1:So 2020 was, I think, the year where everyone thought that it was going to be a game changer in their own personal lives. Everyone kind of had things set up for themselves and I was one of those people who had a show that I was going to do and you know these initiatives that I was just, you know, passionate about and already kind of had a calendar for 2022. I actually was in the heart of opening All People Arts, which is a Southside art gallery, and I had got the keys to the building March 2020. Gallery and I had got the keys to the building March 2020. So it was a very interesting year for me because I was in the heart of trying to open up a gallery on the South side for artists, but the whole town had been shut down.
Speaker 1:And then, you know, here we are trying to open this gallery space and then George Floyd happens, and I've always been a voice for, you know, black history, black history in arts and I felt that, as the world was kind of shutting down, this was, you know, I couldn't sit still, while the answer I had always known was art.
Speaker 1:You know, I'd always known that. You know we could lean in to art, but I didn't really see anyone lean in until George Floyd happened. There's always pros and cons to that. We don't, as artists, want to be used either, and there is a huge message in the George Floyd situation that we can't ignore. And so it's not using art to cover up the ugly, it's using art to express how we truly feel about the ugly and also keep moving through the ugly at the same time. So I was honored to be a part of you know what I would say a huge movement that happened in Columbus, and I did get a lot of calls. So I did answer a lot of calls and got out there, probably a lot more than I originally anticipated, but it was. You know, in my eyes, everything happens the way it should, and I think that Columbus, you know, went through a huge turning point in the way that they see in not only just a Black Lives Matter conversation, but even arts in community.
Speaker 4:You mentioned you were in the middle of starting Arts Plus what was it All People, arts. All People Arts. Can you talk about that initiative?
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 1:So you know, there's always different sides of town, you know, and the South Side, traditionally for Columbus, has, you know, always lacked our access, among other resources.
Speaker 1:The Community Development for All People organization had actually started an initiative where they wanted to do healthy food and arts, and this was kind of as early as like 2017, 16, 17. And one of my closest friends, april Tsunami. She had asked me to kind of take a look at what they were doing and see if I couldn't help navigate next steps on how to create a gallery or some kind of art access space for the South Side. And I had just done some work on the Near East Side with William H Thomas Art Gallery and been there for a while and had, you know, kind of curated shows and done festivals. So it was an opportunity to pull back and see if I could be of use on another end of town. And so in 2018, I officially came on to work with All People Arts and see if I couldn't basically create a gallery space somewhere on the south side to create our access. And so we did that. We ended up founding director of All People Arts.
Speaker 1:We ended up opening our gallery doors in 2020 in the heart of the pandemic, but we're thriving on our fifth year anniversary this year and there's a director there, sydney Spivey, and I serve as the chair of the board and we I mean artists now know that if they want to get their start, they can definitely start at All People Arts.
Speaker 1:That was something that wasn't an option before. They didn say artists before didn't really have too many options other than trying to maybe fill around on the Short North Alliance area or the Short North area or maybe jumping in in the studio in Franklinton, but I would say All People. Arts provides an instant access opportunity for people to get their start, be able to say they've shown in Columbus, and so I'm proud to be a part of that.
Speaker 4:Something about that name All People's Art. What does that mean to you?
Speaker 1:I mean it means brown, white, purple, blue. You know everybody deserves access to art. It deserves access to art and when I think about all people arts, it's about really just making sure people understand that this space is for them and so I've always believed in. You know, there are kind of different hierarchies in the arts world and I believe all people arts is setting the tone to say no, everyone's an artist and everyone can start being an artist right here. So it gives it makes it an entry point, gives the access to folks and you know, and the future is bright. You know galleries and art stuff is either. You know it's fluctuating and I think it gives the South side some stability in the in the conversation.
Speaker 4:You know I've seen a lot of your murals. With teamwork, you have a way of bringing persons together on projects. It's not just you. How are you able to do that in collaboration, bringing artists together?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's like really the heart of a lot of, I would say, my work has been is how do I get more artists, more opportunities? And you know, when we started the Walt Mill Mural League, it was always first seeded an idea that I knew that we were lacking opportunities in murals and it was specifically Black artists. We were not getting opportunities to do murals. And when we were getting opportunities to do murals, often enough they were not large scale murals or permanent opportunities. So I knew, going into starting the All People Arts Gallery, that we also wanted to start a group for artists to get opportunities to create in public spaces. And so you know we've done just that.
Speaker 1:We actually, the one that most people know about is our first mural is at Easton Town Center, where we were able to do a Walt Neal original replica of the moon goddess, and that speaks volumes to what the goal has always been, which is to not only give artists a voice Black artists specifically but also pay homage to the shoulders we stand on.
Speaker 1:And Walt Neal was one of the first, if not, you know, the first muralist whose work you saw in the city and you know whether that be on garages or on sides of buildings. You knew that was Walt Neal, and so you know. When we lost him in 2020, it just felt right to rename this kind of initiative that I was driving for after him, and so bringing artists together is actually at the heart of that mural group, but we also give them individual opportunities so they can shine, too, in securing walls, but there's nothing more beautiful than being able to see artists collaborate on something. It's not everybody's cup of tea I realize that I'm a special breed of folks who likes to do that, but all artists don't like to collaborate but it just happens to be a gift that I feel like I can bring. And, yeah, what a blessing it is to have several collaborative murals around the city and, hopefully, artists feel inspired by being a part of them, and then now they're also equipped to do that same work for themselves.
Speaker 4:We had someone on the show talked about how important mentoring is, but he went a step further. He said it's good to have a mentor, but you have to have a sponsor. And that's the level that you're at now. Where you're that sponsor, you know. When you're doing a project, you can say, hey, I know somebody, you know, let's give them an opportunity, give them an opportunity to showcase their talents and whatnot. And that's what it's all about. When you get to a certain level, it's about being a sponsor. You know, bringing people along with you. You know, and not just talking about it, but actually doing it. We do a lot of talk now, we do a whole lot of talk, but then, when it comes down to bringing people along, you know, and that's where I see what you're doing, and it's truly a blessing to the community being able to do that. So, you know, as someone who's been involved in the trenches of community engagement and leadership, what wisdom can you share with our listeners and what advice would you give to those looking to make a lasting impact?
Speaker 1:Um, the advice I would give is that you know, um, one joy is on the other side. Everything is not always as it seems. There will be hard days, there's always ups and downs, but for me, I try to stay in alignment with how good God is and what joy actually means to me, and being able to know that peace starts with me. Know that peace starts with me, and? Um. So my advice would always be to be reminded that peace starts from within, it starts with yourself, and that joy is always on the other side. So keep pushing, and keep pushing for that, um, that self assurance and peace that you're looking for, um, but you know, mainly for me, art is the, the. There's many purposes to doing art, but I think the sole purpose for most people should always be to find that purpose, or you know whether that's the. You know anchor on the news. You know, whomever, whomever you think you are, there is an art and a craft about what you do.
Speaker 1:There is creative thinking behind how you do your work, and I think it's important for everyone to tap into that, whether they can draw or not you know still being okay with knowing that there's a creative side of themselves that they can also tap into and knowing that often when you tap into that you'll find joy in it. You know, and you know you can use that however you need. What was your second question?
Speaker 4:You said what advice would you give to someone making a lot to make a lasting impact?
Speaker 1:a lasting impact, being intentional and making sure, again, it has to be in alignment with what you yourself enjoy and what your purpose, work is and who you are. I think so often we see other people's lives and we want kind of what they have Right. But I do think that God has given us all a special journey and a special purpose and a special place and we just have to do the work with ourself to identify. You know what those steps are.
Speaker 4:You talk a lot about joy and peace, and I've seen your work and you always sign it peace, shall we? That's how I know that's you. What does that? Where did that come from? What does that mean to you when you sign that?
Speaker 1:So I'm a graphic designer and at the heart of learning graphic design, you learn about logos and symbols, and when I was graduating well, I guess I would say, maybe softly, after 2012, 2011. So I had graduated, started my business and really started to paint regularly on the side and really doing my art all the time. I realized in those moments that there was so much history attached to symbols and there was more to what I was seeing. I started to grow a love for history and knowing more things, about things. I think a lot of times, as people, we take things off the surface and I started to take a deeper dive into. Well, we take things off the surface and I started to take a deeper dive into. Well, no, but really, where did this come from?
Speaker 1:After doing some research, being a person who strived for peace and what does peace mean to me, I learned about the peace symbol and how it came about, what it was and to me, in the process of kind of finding peace for myself, I wanted to free myself of things that were not of my culture, not for my people, and so in 2011, I felt kind of like I had come up with this symbol. It felt really connected to the Adinkra symbols and often what you see in that background. So I came up with this new peace sign and so 2011 kind of started this thing where I was like, oh, this is new peace, this is a new peace sign and, as an artist, everybody has their thing or like they believe in it, and so I just believed in it wholeheartedly. This is the new peace sign. Why do we need a new peace sign? You know well if you do some history and even if you think about what, what has happened. We need an opportunity to see peace for ourselves, and the original peace symbol is about everyone, including you know where this peace symbol is about.
Speaker 1:Peace begins with you, and so I started. There's probably not many pieces of artwork that are out there that don't feature this peace symbol. In my work, I put it in everything and it's just to symbolize that peace is possible, and I think you know sometimes we overcomplicate peace to think that world. You know this world peace picture, but peace genuinely starts with oneself, and so I've just been driven by that for now over a decade, or you know um in my work and the things that I do and people who listen to, because often, as an artist, you're overlooked, just naturally. People who really pay attention know that I'm doing this work in what this peace symbol is and all of a sudden people just start calling me peace and it really is interesting. It started with the elders. Actually, they would hey, there's Peace.
Speaker 1:Right right right Peace, Peace, Peace. So I got used to it. Then I also got to a place where I had to start responding to it. Oh yeah. Because they were really calling me Peace, right, right right. So it's fun and it means that the people understand me and I feel blessed, you know when, anytime, someone understands me or my artwork. So, yeah, that's where that comes from. Yeah, peace.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And in 2020, actually, I decided because I had been doing it since 2011. And when the Black Lives Matter happened, I decided to just you know new peace 2020. New peace 2020. And I just went really, really all in on people understanding that it was time to self-check and start with peace from within. Man, that's good.
Speaker 4:Come around the corner. You know this is a legacy podcast. So what is the legacy that Shelby Toon has built in our community?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel blessed that art has moved my career in a direction where I can truly be impactful. So you know, I am now the project lead for Poindexter Village Museum. It's an African-American museum, Point Dexter Village Museum it's an African-American museum and it'll be the 59th site of Ohio History Connections State of Ohio site system.
Speaker 1:What that means to me is when I first started, I always knew how art could be impactful. I also tried to use art as a platform for opportunity. I was blessed to be able to be pulled into opportunities where I could voice what artists needed and what was important for community arts to meet at a head. I feel like fast forward. Through my work, I was able to create a reputation of building legacy and so when the opportunity came where Ohio History needed to hire someone to lead the African-American museum project for central Ohio, um, I think, naturally it, it just fit for me to fall in that role, and I think a lot of people you know it, it it definitely caught people off guard like, oh, aren't you an artist? You know, but this is my legacy.
Speaker 1:My, I have always, um, been a. Aren't you an artist? But this is my legacy. I have always been a folk artist, so that's an artist who cares a lot about history and storytelling and preservation. And so, fast forward and trying to make sure that that's a part of the fabric of our community is a huge part of my legacy to make sure that we are leaving something for the next generation to also be able to tap into that, and so the work that I'm doing with the African American Museum.
Speaker 1:It will preserve the arts and culture, history of the Near East Side and beyond. It will stand up those Columbus Black history heroes that we often hear about and don't hear about. It will, you know, really get to the heart of the impact of racism and, you know, discrimination in housing as far as, particularly to Central Ohio, and I just feel like that work is the, is the legacy work that I'm in right now. That work is so important, whether people understand it or not, um, so that we have a platform when we're not here, so that our kids also have this information. Because even for me, at my big old age, I'm still learning stuff that I should have known about my community a very long time ago, and so I'm just trying to carve out a little piece so that it doesn't have to be this challenging for the future to get connected to the past.
Speaker 4:Wow, that's truly legacy building. You know that's what this is all about. So, as we come to the conclusion of today's episode with Shelby Toon, a trailblazing artist, curator and community organizer, we're so grateful to have you here to share your wisdom with us, and I thank you for answering that call. You know getting off that track, giving up that gym and really answering the call that God has for you, and so we're so appreciative for that. So thank you for leading the change, the social change, through art and your commitment to peace. You know joy, love and community. As we wrap up, how can the audience support you and your initiatives? Can you share with the audience how they can support the projects that you're working on?
Speaker 1:Okay, you know I always tell people, you know, be informed. I think that the heart of what I'm doing is to make sure that you're learning about the history of Columbus, black history specifically. So be informed, I think you know. Go to my website, shell10.com. There are resources there to learn about the community, to learn about ACE, to learn about Amina Robinson, to learn about Amina Robinson.
Speaker 1:You know I've put now almost two decades of work into sharing stories within the community and you know those resources are there and so I think for most people, I think being informed would be a great first step. And then also, you know, buy local art. You know whether it's mine or not. I think that there's a lot to say about us starting to really turn the way that we think and spend and really investing into artists and investing into, you know, instead of going to TJ Maxx to get your art really, you know, going, maybe, and being thoughtful and buying some Shelton art or whomever else. You know, those kinds of things, but I think those are the best steps. And then, of course, check out poindextervillagemuseumorg. That's the current project I'm working on with the museum, but yeah, that's it.
Speaker 4:So I want to thank you for being on the show today, and I want to remind the audience that building a lifelong legacy is not just about what you leave behind. It's also about the impact you have those on around you every day. Every day, and so I thank our audience for listening to Be A Baller podcast. You can listen to it on all social media platforms. So thank you, shelby, for being a part of the show. Thanks for having me. Thank you.
Speaker 3:If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with family and friends. The Be A Baller podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. This podcast was created by Coach Tim Brown and recorded and edited by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller.