October 21–24, 2026
Fort Worth, Texas • Four Days of Purpose, Celebration & Legacy
Awards Gala
McDavid Studio
301 E. 5th Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
AWARDS GALA DETAILS
Thursday, October 22, 2026
VIP Reception: 5:00 p.m.
Awards Ceremony: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner immediately following the awards
Attire: Black Tie Preferred — Formal Attire Welcome
FEATURED ARTIST
Kimmie Horne
Kimmie Horne is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, entertainer, and brand ambassador with a legacy deeply rooted in music royalty. A proud Detroit native, she is the descendant of the legendary songstress and movie icon Lena Horne and the niece of Cleveland Horne of the celebrated Fantastic Four.
Renowned for her warm, sultry voice and magnetic stage presence, Kimmie effortlessly blends the sophistication of jazz with the soulful depth of blues and the vibrant energy of funky rhythms. As an outstanding vocalist and captivating performer, she takes her audiences on an unforgettable musical journey filled with timeless melodies, heartfelt emotions and charming charisma.
Her critically acclaimed CD High Standards features the standout single Summertime, So nice to come home to, Sleepless Nights and I will survive, showcasing her ability to breathe fresh life into jazz classics while making them uniquely her own. Beyond her artistry, Kimmie Horne is the visionary Founder and President of the award-winning Kimmie Horne Jazz Festival, where she celebrates her passion for music, community and philanthropy.
With a dynamic career spanning the globe, Kimmie continues to inspire, entertain, and uplift audiences with her unmatched talent and dedication to the art of jazz and evolution.
Awards Gala Honorees
Mike Guinn
Co-Host
Entertainment Executive / Filmmaker Educator / Entreprenuer
He holds a bachelors in social work from Stephen F Austin State University , a Masters in Social Work from The University of Texas in Arlington and a PH.D from Dem Streets University.
This former child abuse investigator is an army veteran, voting member of the NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, Grammys voting member who happens to be a multi-published poet, award winning mental health advocate, high energy emcee and professional storyteller.
Michael has appeared stage, film, commercials, and has been a guest on NPR, Good morning Texas, East Texas Now and other radio and television broadcasts. He is a renowned national award winning Speaker, Poet-Actor-Host.
Arguably one the hardest working event promoters in the country. Please give it up for my friend, From Fort Worth Texas! The One And Only Mr Mike Guinn .
Erskine Hawkins III
Erskine Hawkins III is an accomplished Music Director, keyboardist, arranger, and programmer whose career spans live touring, television, award shows, and major entertainment productions. He currently serves as Music Director for legendary R&B artist Babyface and Director of Music at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas.
His credits include work with Alicia Keys, Eminem, Rihanna, Zendaya, Chaka Khan, and numerous other acclaimed artists, as well as programming for Super Bowl LVIII and the Academy Awards. Hawkins has also served as Music Director for the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards, and Women That Soar Awards.
A graduate of the University of North Texas, Hawkins made history as the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Piano Performance from the university.
Dr. Michael Thompson
Technology Pioneer | Entrepreneur | Visionary
Dr. Michael Thompson is a technology pioneer, entrepreneur, and visionary with more than four decades of experience spanning internet infrastructure, video streaming, networking, data centers, software, media, and communications.
Beginning his technology journey at just 13 years old, Dr. Thompson quickly established himself as an innovator and technology leader. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he earned advanced certifications and training from leading companies including Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, AT&T, Lucent, Nortel, Fujitsu, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle. He also trained nearly 1,000 engineers for Bell Atlantic and Cisco Systems.
Dr. Thompson was an early pioneer in video streaming. In 1999, he founded Stream Now, delivering high-quality streaming video when the technology was still in its formative years. In 2000, he became Vice President of Video Services at Bell Atlantic, where he negotiated more than $150 million in movie licensing agreements with major studios, including Disney, Sony, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, and MGM.
His entrepreneurial career has included founding Food on the Move, In Proximity, and Sikhona, Inc., a global technology and communications company founded in 2020. Sikhona has developed more than a dozen social and communications platforms and has built technology infrastructure in cities around the world, including 27 cities across Africa.
Dr. Thompson also serves on numerous boards, including the World Conference of Mayors, an organization representing thousands of current and former mayors worldwide.
Today, Dr. Thompson's work is driven by a powerful vision: to change the way the world views Black people, not simply as consumers, but as innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders. Through Sikhona and his other ventures, he is committed to expanding technology infrastructure across Africa, creating generational wealth, and building globally significant technology companies that empower Black communities for generations to come.
Arthur Muhammad
“You can either wait or create, and I chose the latter.”
Dallas-born filmmaker Arthur Muhammad has built his career on resourcefulness, determination, and a commitment to telling meaningful stories.
His debut feature, Solitaire, was shot on 16mm film for just $6,000 over weekends, with Arthur serving as writer, director, producer, and editor. Despite the limited resources, the film secured distribution and reached Blockbuster and Walmart shelves,an extraordinary accomplishment at the time.
He followed with Sweet Justice, a 90-page feature shot in only 10 days on a $35,000 budget and starring Reagan Gomez. The film was distributed by Netflix during its early DVD-by-mail era. Arthur went on to direct First Impression, featuring Lamman Rucker, Lisa Arrindell, David and Tamela Mann, and Elise Neal, followed by his breakout film Carter High, starring Charles S. Dutton and Vivica A. Fox, which received a limited theatrical release before reaching audiences through Netflix and BET.
Arthur later joined the Directors Guild of America with Twelve, a horror film he wrote while earning his MFA.
With 17 feature films completed, Arthur has consistently demonstrated his ability to maximize limited resources while keeping story at the heart of every production. His work includes films such as Bid for Love and projects spanning film, streaming, and television.
A graduate of Southern Methodist University and Vermont College of Fine Arts, Arthur also completed the Directors Guild of America’s Episodic TV Mentorship Program, expanding his work into episodic television and character-driven stories rooted in faith, culture, and community.
Arthur Muhammad’s career is a testament to what can happen when creativity replaces limitations, and when you choose to create rather than wait.
Greer Christian
Executive Strategist / Entrepreneur / Educator / Board Leader
Greer Christian is an executive strategist, entrepreneur, educator, and board leader with more than three decades of experience spanning business strategy, financial services, strategic partnerships, organizational growth, entrepreneurship, higher education, and the business of sports.
Throughout her career, Greer has advised senior executives, led multimillion-dollar portfolios and operations, built strategic partnerships, and developed initiatives designed to strengthen organizations and expand opportunity. Her experience includes leadership roles with some of the world’s most recognized companies, including Walmart, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Charles Schwab.
Greer is the Founder and Managing Partner of Vigilant Management Group, a business strategy and sports advisory firm that helps organizations, athletes, and families understand the business behind the opportunity. Her work spans business and organizational strategy, growth and strategic positioning, partnerships, communications and reputation, athlete and family advisory, and the business of sports. She is also the author of the forthcoming The Vigilant Athlete: A Playbook for Families and Athletes Navigating the NIL Era.
An educator as well as a practitioner, Greer serves as an adjunct professor and graduate curriculum developer in Sport Management at Dallas Baptist University. She previously taught Sport Management at Southern Methodist University and Entrepreneurship at Texas Christian University.
Her commitment to community is reflected in extensive board and civic leadership, including service with Housing Channel, Black Sports Professionals North Texas and Healthier Texas. She is also a member of The Links, Incorporated.
Greer holds an MBA in Sports & Entertainment Management and Marketing Management from the University of Dallas and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Grambling State University.
Across business, education, entrepreneurship, and community leadership, Greer’s work is connected by a longstanding personal mission: to provide resources that help people better their lives.
Tonya Holloway
Filmmaker | Writer | Director | Actor
Tonya Holloway is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, director, and actor with over 20 years of experience in the film, commercial, and theatre industries. A passionate storyteller and mentor, she has made significant contributions to independent cinema and stage, both nationally and
internationally.
She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Prairie View A&M University and an MFA in Cinematic Arts from the University of Texas at Arlington where she works as an adjunct professor in the Theatre Department. She also works as a film consultant for the prestigious Booker T Washington High
School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Holloway is a Co-Founder of Soul Rep Theatre Company, Dallas’s longest-running Black theatre company (voted 2025 Best Theatre Company - D Magazine), where she has nurtured diverse narratives and emerging talent. She has also worked extensively as a public school educator across the U.S. and abroad during her husband’s military service overseas, bringing aglobal perspective to her creative work.
In television, Holloway served as Writing Consultant and Casting Director for Season Two of the Amazon Prime series #Washed. Her stage adaptation of Virginia Hamilton’s Her Stories was produced in Dallas and Stuttgart, Germany, earning five nominations at the prestigious Toppers
Awards, including Best Play and a Special Judges’ Choice Award for Best Original Music, which she composed.
Tonya Holloway is a committed artist, mentor, and advocate for diverse storytelling. She is a wife and mother of four based in Dallas, Texas.
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TATIANA “LADYMAY” MAYFIELD (BROWN)
Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield is an award-winning jazz/soul vocalist, musician, composer, and educator from Fort Worth, Texas. In 2023, LadyMay was named as an awardee for the “Next Jazz Legacy” grant program created by NEA Jazz Master, Terri Lyne Carrington in partnership with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, New Music USA, and the Mellon Foundation. Through this program, she has been mentored by NEA Jazz Master Patrice Rushen and harpist Brandee Younger.
Performance highlights of her career so far include NPR’s Tiny Desk series with Brandee Younger, the Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Center with the Next Jazz Legacy awardees. In 2026, she was a featured vocalist on the Cincinnati POPS Orchestra’s latest album “Harlem Renaissance” alongside the Marcus Robert’s Trio with Jason Marsalis.
She is also the featured vocalist for the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (CJRO) album “Golden Lady” (2025). Her original song titled “Chasin’ Freedum” with producer JeMarcus Bridges and rapper YelloPain is featured in the Peacock original film “Bosco”. LadyMay has performed with various symphonies and at venues across the U.S. and internationally.
LadyMay has recorded three albums as a leader and has provided vocals in various styles for several artists’ albums, television shows, and films. As an educator, she is the Assistant Professor of Contemporary Popular Music in the Lamont School of Music & Theater at the University of Denver.
The Award Gala Experience!
An extraordinary experience! The Sparks Resilience Awards Gala & Conference celebrates excellence, inspires change, and brings our community together in a powerful and meaningful way.
DR. GWENDOLYN MORRISON
Trustee
Tarrant County College District
The event was phenomenal! It was well organized, uplifting, and filled with networking opportunities that connect leaders and visionaries who are making a difference.
VELENDA DEWBERRY
Director of Sales, SE Region
Visit Fort Worth
The Sparks Resilience Awards Gala & Conference is a game changer for our community. Dr. Jackson has created a platform that empowers, educates, and uplifts. I'm proud to be a part of it!
GREER CHRISTIAN
Founder & CEO
Vigilant Management Group
A class act from beginning to end! The honorees, speakers, and performances were top tier. This event sets the standard for excellence in our city.
JOHNNY WIMBREY
International Motivational Speaker, Author & Business Coach
BUILDING LEADERS. | EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES. | CREATING LEGACIES
