American Underground Celebrates Pride & Juneteenth with Free, Public Learning Events

American Underground, Capitol Broadcasting’s co-working community division, hosted multiple events in Juen to celebrate and offer opportunities to learn and honor both Pride Month and the Juneteenth holiday.

AU Marketing & Events Manager Courtney High coordinated. Both events were free and open to the public, as are many of the offerings hosted by AU.

“True amplification has to be coupled with education,” said High as she opened the Pride in Practice Lunch & Learn Discussion on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Her statement defined what it means to be an ally, as she introduced and moderated the panel of four.

American Underground Pride Lunch and Learn — *American Underground hosted “Pride In Practice: A Lunch & Learn Panel Discussion” on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.*

High set the tone to listen and engage with the intention of learning, creating a safe space for all who attended the free event in the AU Vault area. She moderated the distinguished panel.

“My guiding principle is radical hospitality,” said panelist Ari Sanders, Director of Tavern Operations for Fullsteam Brewery in Durham. “Welcome is active. Not just your ally in June, but your ally every day.”

Several members of CBC’s Human Resources team came to the event to learn.

“When I first found out about AU’s Pride in Practice event, I signed up immediately!” said Corp HR Business Partner Michelle Brooks. “I am passionate about creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and appreciated for who they are. Prioritizing inclusivity fosters a healthier environment, increases engagement and motivation, and leads to innovative ideas and solutions. I gained valuable information and insights from the panelists on how to best approach inclusivity in the workplace and what true active allyship means.”

Brooks is carrying her passion into action, joining CBC’s 2024-2025 DEIB Council, serving as Co-Chair.

“Prioritizing inclusivity fosters a healthier environment, increases engagement and motivation, and leads to innovative ideas and solutions.”
– Corp HR Business Partner Michelle Brooks

The previous evening, AU hosted another free, public event bringing together art, technology and Black culture. Code the Dream Labs collaborated with Black Googlers Network on “Synthesize: A Juneteenth Celebration of Creativity, Technology and Community.”

The first half of the evening took place in the Bullpen, the co-working area on AU’s bottom floor. A panel of artists and tech developers shared about how they got involved in their chosen fields, all stemming from a passion that got sparked by an experience they had.

American Underground Juneteenth — American Underground hosted “Synthesize: A Juneteenth Celebration of Creativity, Technology and Community,” a collaboration from Code the Dream Labs and Black Googlers Network, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

The panel of five discussed how we can leverage tech to foster creativity, communication and connection.

“There are ways stories can be told with mixed media, using AR/VR, etc, allowing them to have a more profound impact on people,” said Nehemiah Mabry, an engineer, educator and entrepreneur based in Raleigh.

Durham artist Candy Carver also encouraged non-tech ways of connecting.

“Be intentional to find ways for us to be together in person,” she said. “We engage differently in person.”

“Be open to influences of every kind, every minute,” said Anthony Kelley, Professor of the Practice of Music, has taught at Duke University and Composer in Residence at the North Carolina Symphony. “If you just lock in on something, you miss out on inspiration.”

The evening also included a presentation by Dr. Patrick Musau, who works on AI infrastructure at Google. He joined the event virtually and also took questions from the crowd.

Attendees then moved up to the top floor for refreshments, networking and an opportunity to use Code the Dream’s Synthesize app on Carver’s mural on the rooftop outdoor space.

Look for upcoming public events at American Underground and learn more about the Durham co-working community: