Frank Smith, Jr. is a civil rights activist and politician in Washington, D.C., and an advocate for DC Statehood. He was born in Newnan, Georgia, he attended Morehouse College where he developed his appetite for activism. In 1960, he participated in the Rich's Department Store boycotts in Atlanta; and almost at the same time he was working with other students to establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). A founding member of SNCC, he is recognized by his SNCC peers as the first SNCC worker sent into Mississippi to register voters. Based in Holly Springs, Mississippi, he worked in some of the most brutal and racist counties in Mississippi. He was also one of the few SNCC workers employed in the original HeadStart program. Working with the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CGDM), his Headstart Program was based in Jacksonville, Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Frank worked with native Mississippi sharecroppers who had been evicted from their homes when they requested a pay raise in the men’s salaries from a flat rate of $6 day to $1.25 an hour. The sharecroppers, Frank and his first wife, Jean Smith, purchased land, lived in tents where they were regular and ongoing targets for the plantation owner and friends during the year when they built housing, and established one of the first (and only) black cooperative communities in Mississippi—Strike City.

As part of Freedom Summer, Frank Smith and Frank Soracco, another SNCC worker, travelled the United States to raise funds for travel and expenses for the Mississippi Freedom Party and his friend and colleague, Fannie Lou Hamer to attend the 1964 Democratic National Convention. With the help of Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Party leader Walter Mondale, Johnson engineered a "compromise" in which the national Democratic Party offered the MFDP two at-large seats, which allowed them to watch the floor proceedings but not take part. The MFDP refused this "compromise," which permitted the undemocratic, white-only, regulars to keep their seats and denied votes to the MFDP. While they were unsuccessful at being seated, their presence and Ms. Hamer’s testimony led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

After leaving Mississippi, Frank Smith relocated in Washington, DC, where he continued his service to community. Frank was elected to the D.C. Board of Education in 1979; and subsequently to Council of the District of Columbia in 1982 where he served for sixteen years. His work focused on housing and economic development. While on the Council, he served as chair of the Housing and Economic Development Committee, the Metropolitan Washington Area Transportation Authority and the Baseball Commission. As a councilmember he shared his passion for gardening by introducing legislation to maintain the original victory gardens and allow DC residents to garden on vacant, District-owned properties. He has been in the vanguard of urban housing activities, setting up the original Neimiah project in the District of Columbia; and introducing legislation for urban homesteading. He also served as Chair of the DC Housing Authority. Smith's office records from his time as a DC City Councilmember are currently under the care of the Special Collections Research Center at The George Washington University.

After his stint with the Council, he focused on his passion – African American history—and found funding to build the African American Civil War Memorial, establish a nonprofit which supports the African American Civil War Museum. Smith is the Founding Executive Director and Board member of the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum.

Rick Cutler has been playing drums since the age of 5 1/2 & keyboards since his teens. He studied both at the Julliard School as well as with jazz great Chick Corea.

He has performed in many Broadway shows including Hair, The Wiz, Candide, They're Playing Our Song, Woman of the Year & Seesaw.

He has written much music for TV, Film & Radio. Some of his work in this field include the Emmy-nominated theme for Dateline NBC, Later Today, on NBC, the theme for the New York Yankees on MSG Cable & the Outlaws & Lawmen mini-series on the Discovery channel.

For 18 years, he served as keyboardist & musical director for tap dance legend Gregory Hines. His composition, "Boom" was choreographed by Mr. Hines & performed at the nationally televised Gala For The President with President & Mrs. Clinton in attendance. He was also the composer of all of the original music for The Gregory Hines Show on CBS.

He was one of the original percussionists for Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" which was written & performed for the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He performs on the original recording of that piece with Mr. Bernstein conducting.

For 8 years he toured the world as 1st keyboardist & then drummer (&, on a few occasions, conductor) for Liza Minnelli. He performed in her Tony-winning Broadway show, "Liza's At The Palace" as well as on the Grammy-nominated cast recording.

He has also played on countless TV & Radio commercials & themes.

Some of the artists he has performed & recorded with include Michael Franks, Noel Pointer, Stevie Van Zandt, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Don Rickles, Billy Eckstine, Gloria Gaynor, Rodney Dangerfield, Regis Philbin, Donna Summer, Pete Seeger, Larry Coryell, Jon Lucien, Johnny Hartman, Savion Glover, Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction), Richie Stotts (of the Plasmatics), Charles Aznavour & the NY Philharmonic Brass Quintet.

His 1st CD release, Sanctuaries, received praise from musicians such as Mike Garson (former keyboardist for David Bowie) & Mark Soskin (pianist for Sonny Rollins). His sophomore effort, First Melancholy, Then The Night Stretch, was released in 2011 & his 3rd & 4th CDs (From The Silence & Daydreams (Probably) were released in 2013 & 2017 respectively & received airplay on over 115 radio stations worldwide as well as garnering many great reviews, in print & online.

He was interviewed by the Huffington Post in 2017 towards promoting the Daydreams (Probably) CD. His 5th CD, Women & Children, was released in 2020. In the fall of 2021 he released 2 digital singles, Parallel Universes, a guitar/drums duet with guitarist Vinnie Zummo & Yar, a solo piano piece. A video for Parallel Universes, directed by Spike Lee protege Lee Davis was also released.  

In the fall of 2022, he released The Black & Blue Sessions, Vol. 1 which is an electric album extensively using loops & samples. Coming soon is The Black & Blue Sessions, Vol. 2 in May 2023. Upcoming projects include an album of children's music accompanying poetry & the release of a documentary about the life of writer Elmore Leonard to which he co-wrote the score.

A wonderfully eclectic mix of rock and funk, sweet ballads and dynamic protest anthems, the Brian Nahlen Band includes five accomplished musicians who blend original music and reimagined covers into every show. The lineup features frontman and guitarist/singer Brian Nahlen, guitarist Jason Lee Hale, keyboardist Tommy Priakos, bassist Brian Wolverton and drummer/percussionist Patrick Lindsey.

Nahlen is an Arkansas Ambassador for Arkansas Parks and Tourism. His original music has been called “finely crafted, soulful, deftly fuses funk, jazz, gospel, pop and hip hop.” The Band’s live performances showcase each player’s forte, and no two gigs are the same. one notable 2018 performance was at the Central Arkansas Music Awards.

Nahlen has released three albums, “Better Than I Thought It Could Be” (the title track was featured in an Arkansas Parks and Tourism commercial), “Cicada Moon” and “hiding behind blue skies” and five singles: “I Might Be Leavin’ (feat. Big Piph),” “In the Old Days,” “You Fool,” “I Won’t Yield,” “Beautiful Child (feat. Genine LaTrice Perez),” and “We Are the Enemy (Feat. Steve James Indie).” All of these are available on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and other streaming services. Nahlen will continue to release new music.

Nahlen is known as a social activist and often is asked to play benefit shows, which in 2018 alone helped radio station KABF, Puerto Ricans in Arkansas (Nahlen coordinated this), The Van, RAICES (Reuniting Immigrant Families), the Buffalo River and Animal Village. 

Nahlen started playing guitar 33 years ago and has been a full-time musician for the last 21. He regularly performs alone, in his namesake full band or in a duo with Jason Lee Hale, or Nick Devlin. Past stints include Dead Fish, Sunny Daze, Big John Miller Band, Quadraphonic and Pepperland.

Stefan Haves is a native of Los Angeles, California, who studied clown in Europe and ended up at Cirque du Soleil directing them— devising the clown acts for Kooza, Iris, Drawn to Life, and others.

He is a visionary vanguard in the entertainment world, creating globally, refining a contemporary cirque/theatre hybrid as he directs circus, theatre and film projects, Haves has conducted personal appearances for blue-chip companies such as PepsiCo, Disney, and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

He leads masterclasses worldwide, delving into such topics as imagination, humor, empathy, and connection. Stefan cut his teeth as an actor and a visual- comedian— even garnering $10,000 on America’s Funniest People.

THE POWER OF HA! shares comic insights and techniques by way of Stefan’s own sideshow odyssey, coupled by a surprising, spiritual renewal. Beginning as a street juggler in Paris and ending as a creator at Cirque du Soleil, Haves now elders others in the art of connection, the privilege of play, and the concussive calamity that is comedy.