Revolt Summit x AT&T 2022 took place in Atlanta this past weekend. Over the course of two days, attendees were able to experience a variety of live talks, panel discussions, musical performances and pitch competitions centered around the weekend’s theme of “the future.” This year’s event featured a stellar lineup of today’s biggest artists, industry experts, tastemakers, and cultural leaders so that creatives across the country could connect in order to build a better tomorrow.
Hosted by Fly Guy DC and Pretty Vee, Saturday’s festivities kicked-off at 11 am with a riveting speech from Matthew Brooks, Lead Marketing Communications Manager, AT&T Special Events, followed by the Future of Connectivity panel. Later in the day, Rashas Bilal and Tory Millings – the co-hosts of the financial literacy show Assets Over Liabilities – moderated a discussion with Master P. During their conversation the legendary music mogul spoke about self-confidence, and how to be cognizant of the people you surround yourself with.
“I can tell who you are by the people you hang with,” he said. “I tell people all the time, ‘I’ll rather fly with the eagles than walk with the pigeons.’ Sometimes eagles have to fly alone. Most of the time they fly alone because everyone isn’t going to believe in your dreams and your goals.”
As the opening day progressed, Brandon Marshall and Dennis Rodman gave their perspective on life after sports, the audience learned about what the future holds for the budding cannabis industry, the Big Facts podcast interviewed Lil Boosie, and DJ HED spearheaded a talk about how creative freedom has progressed throughout the years. One of the highlights of the evening was the Cancel Culture panel hosted by Jason Lee, where Amber Rose, Nene Leakes, and Ray J elaborated on their respective journeys in the entertainment industry. With a music schedule that featured performances from Big Boss Vette, Dreamdoll, Rob49, and more, Revolt experienced a successful Saturday in Georgia’s capital city.
Although Sunday began with a bit of rain, it didn’t stop the show. After opening remarks from Tamika Mallory, Van Lathan moderated a reparations discussion featuring Killer Mike, Erika Alexander, and Tariq Nasheed. That afternoon, the Caroline A. Wanga, Chief Executive Officer of ESSENCE, delivered a beautiful keynote speech about the power and influence of Black women. She spoke about how their thoughts and actions are critical to the survival of society in addition to the many responsibilities that fall upon the shoulders of Black women; responsibilities that often go overlooked by others.
“What she also will do is provide you with the intrusive insights,” Wanga said. “The intrusive insights that remind you that although we’re not where we were, we’re not where we need to be So when she sits at the forefront of the conversations about the health of our children, the health of our community, the equity necessary to be an entrepreneur, the fact that economic inclusion should be a human right,” she continued. “The reality that she is the revolution, and the revolution must be financed – then you start to understand the power that she has.”
Following her speech, Wanga sat down with Revolt Audience Development Strategist Corvaya Jeffries to further discuss the importance of Black women in all facets of life. In what was a standout moment, she explained to Jeffries about purpose, saying: “I fundamentally believe that every person on earth was born with a purpose. It’s a purpose only that individual can fulfill, nobody can fulfill it on their behalf, and if you don’t find your purpose, the world goes without.”
“So for me, if you combine this idea of everybody having a purpose and we live indignantly in service of that purpose, and we are literally sitting here and letting that purpose guide our decisions; that purpose is what helps us believe that we can change the world, that purpose is what gives us the patience to live through the voice of dissent,” she added. “Then what you start to see is, if every single Black woman stood strongly in the purpose she was born on this earth to do, we would need nothing from any other group in society.”
As the inclement weather subsided, Ashley Nicole Moss hosted the Future of Women in Sports panel, which featured words of wisdom from Te’a Cooper, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and Justin Tinsley. Sunday included a conversation hosted by Gia Peppers, as well as a special edition of the Rap Radar podcast, where Elliott Wilson and B. Dot spoke with Atlanta legend Gucci Mane, about his contributions to the state of rap music. Revolt Summit ‘22 also has appearances from DJ Drama, Big Freedia, and Lou Williams, as well as performances from Rich Homie Quan, Lakeyah, Baby Tate, and several others.
From the informative panel discussions, keynote speeches, and energetic live music lineup, the 2022 Revolt Summit x AT&T was truly one to remember. Be sure not to miss next year’s event!