LEGENDARY: The Legacy of John R. Hayes

Join us at the Biltmore Park campus of Western Carolina University for an evening of live performance, film, and conversation honoring the late John R. Hayes and exploring the broader story of community enrichment in Hillcrest and its connection to Umoja Health Wellness and Justice Collective.

The John R. Hayes High Steppin’ Majorettes & Drum Corps will open the program, followed by a screening of LEGENDARY: The Legacy of John R. Hayes. The film is a short introduction to Legacy on the Mountain, a documentary in progress exploring Elder Hayes’s broader legacy in Black Asheville.

Following the screening, filmmaker Sekou Coleman, Umoja founder Michael Hayes, and former Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy will join a panel discussion moderated by Kevan Frazier, Executive Director of Western Carolina University Programs in Asheville. Our conversation will examine the Hillcrest Enrichment Program, founded by Elder Hayes in 1977, what the program meant for the community and how its legacy continues today.

We’ll close with an opportunity to support continued production of the documentary and time to connect with one another.