When we talk about culture and the importance of representation through music throughout the decades, and it’s impact on our community, we are talking about the core value of the City of Miami Gardens very own Annual Jazz In The Gardens Festival. This year they celebrated 17 years of bringing together community of all different walks of life, through music from throughout the decades and quality programming.

     The glitz and glam of Hollywood’s biggest night was on full display and The Root was privileged to be in the building! But along with the pomp and circumstance that you see televised—there are a lot of other things you don’t see behind the scenes. But luckily for you, we’re here to show it all to you! So, keep reading to take a sneak peek at all the hidden chaos and secret goodness inside!

Before Michael Jordan was the face of the NBA there was Dr. J.  Before the TV sitcom Friends gave viewers 236 Episodes, so iconic that they are now prefixed as “the one about” there was the show called Living Single, yes, based around a group of friends indeed. Before its MTV birth in July of 2005 and now 20 seasons of “Wild N’ Out” with Nick Cannon there was “The Way We Do It” and Andre’ Barnwell. On a recent call with the proud 1986 Howard University graduate, Mr. Barnwell, now in Pasadena California, has a calm demeanor and a passionate yet measured speech that held not even an ounce of bitterness.

     “I want other people who are deaf and Black and also have been mainstreamed to be able to see that we’re out here,” 30-year-old deaf TikToker, singer, freelance artist and model Anjuli Symone told the AFRO. “We’re not all a monolith in our experience. We can do anything that we want to do. Just because there may be expectations, whether that’s put on us by us or society or family, doesn’t mean that we can’t or can do everything.”