IGNYTE 2026 marks a powerful new chapter as the first IGNYTE convening hosted by The Rustin Institute for Leadership Development. Rooted in the belief that movements are strongest when generations lead together, this year’s theme– Family Reunion: Our People, Our Power– celebrates LGBTQ+ community as chosen family and leadership as a shared responsibility.
Like any family reunion, IGNYTE 2026 brings together elders, youth, mentors, organizers, creatives, and advocates across lived experience and generations. It is a space to reconnect, to learn from one another, and to strengthen the relationships that sustain movements over time. By centering intergenerational dialogue and collective care, IGNYTE affirms that our greatest power lies in one another.
Dear IGNYTE Family and Friends,
The safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority. In light of the state of emergency declared by the Office of the Governor of Georgia and Atlanta Pride's difficult decision to cancel tomorrow's festival, we have decided to transition all of Saturday's IGNYTE programming to a virtual format.
With the governor's stay-in-place order taking effect at 10:00 PM tonight (10/9) and continuing into Saturday (10/10), we believe this is the most responsible way to keep our community connected while prioritizing everyone's safety.
The IGNYTE Planning Committee strongly encourages all our family and friends to exercise caution, remain mindful of changing weather conditions, and prepare for possible travel delays or cancellations. For those traveling from out of town, please check your flight status and contact your hotel as soon as possible if adjustments to your stay are needed.
What to Expect Tomorrow:
All Saturday programming will move to virtual Zoom sessions, allowing attendees to participate in any or all sessions from the safety and comfort of their chosen location.
How to Join:
A Zoom link will be available on our website alongside the Saturday programming schedule.
Rustin Institute staff will help guide participants through the breakout sessions.
Although the tropical storm has delayed Pride festival activities through Saturday, we remain hopeful that conditions will allow us to participate on Sunday. If it is safe and plans proceed as anticipated, we still intend to join the parade and make this rain-soaked weekend as meaningful, memorable, and joyful as possible.
We know these changes may be disappointing, especially for those who have traveled far and looked forward to gathering in person. Please know that our commitment to connection, community, and the spirit of IGNYTE remains unwavering. Even when circumstances require us to come together differently, the heart of our community remains strong.
Thank you for your flexibility, understanding, and continued support. Please take care of yourselves and one another, stay safe, and join us virtually tomorrow as we continue to. learn, connect, and celebrate together.
With care and community,
The IGNYTE Planning Committee
Schedule At a Glance
Schedule At a Glance
Something for Everyone
click a Track for Details
National Center for Civil & Human Rights
100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
Thurs. October 8
3:00 - 6:30 PM: Registration and Self-Guided Museum Tour
6:45 - 6:55 PM: Welcome by Nicole Moore, Senior Director of Education at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
6:55 - 7:40: The Pink Unicorn preview and Fireside Chat with Vince Tripi, Keena Redding and Miquela Rivers. - Glenn Room
7:40 - 7:50: Forward Together Artist Acknowledgment- Glenn Room- R. Cielo Cruz & Leo Seyij Allen.
7:50 - 8:00 PM: Leave a Story, Take A Story: A Community Alter Experience led by Ignacio Rivera, Founding Co-Executive Director of Heal Sweet Home:
We invite you to bring an offering—a story, photo, memory, or small object—you are comfortable leaving behind as part of our shared community altar. Throughout IGNYTE, this living space becomes a tapestry of who we are, where we come from, and what we carry, with each contribution optionally marked by a name or identifier to spark connection beyond the moment. At the close of your time, you are invited to take a story with you—honoring the exchange that only those who leave something may receive, reminding us that community is built through reciprocity, memory, and care.
Fri. October 9
National Center for Civil & Human Rights
100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
8:00–9:00 AM — Breakfast & Networking
Note: If a guest at SpringHill Suites, we ask that you eat breakfast there, since the breakfast at the Center is principally reserved for attendees not staying there.
9:10–9:15 AM — Welcome: NCCHR & Rustin Institute
9:15–10:15 AM — Is America Possible: Re-Membering Our Past, Reimagining Our Future
Is America Possible? Storytelling Tour is a nationwide, intergenerational initiative that invites us to reflect on the unfinished work of American democracy, honor the struggles of those who came before us, and imagine the future we have the power to create together. Led by Lucas Johnson, a global human rights advocate, faith leader, and peacebuilding strategist, this conversation draws on the teachings of Vincent Harding and the power of storytelling to connect historical movements with contemporary struggles for justice, belonging, and human dignity. Rooted in IGNYTE 2026's theme, Family Reunion: Our People, Our Power, the gathering challenges us to become ancestors in the making—recognizing that democracy is not simply something we inherit, but something we must continually reimagine, nurture, and build for generations yet to come.
10:15 - 10:35 AM — Why Rustin Institute and Why IGNYTE?: An Intergenerational Fireside Chat with Tim’m West and Evan Malbrough, moderated by Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga.
10:35–11:00 AM — South of Safe, North of Brave — Proof of Concept & Q&A
South of Safe, North of Brave (SOSNOB) is a short documentary tracing the lives, leadership, and political awakening of fellows from the Georgia Youth Advocacy Fellowship at the The Rustin Institute for Leadership Development. Set against the backdrop of Georgia — a state suspended between its civil rights legacy and a rapidly shifting political future — the film explores what it means to come of age as LGBTQ+ young adults and allies in a region where safety, belonging, and representation remain deeply contested.
11:00–11:45 AM — Workshop Block I
11:50 AM–12:40 PM — Lunch & National Youth Advocacy Corps Fireside Chat II: Preaching Rights, Practicing Control: Trans Pathologization in the Netherlands and the United States- Marko Tanjga; Lydia Berry- Greener Futures, Fairer Neighborhoods; Tanay Agrawal and Dhruv Aggarwal of It’s 4 Advocacy and Samuel De Falco of Antisemitism Now.
Moderated by Dr. Truong, Ph.D. and Zayn Azoulay
12:50–1:40 PM — Workshop Block II
1:50–2:40 PM — Workshop Block III (Choose your own adventure)
3:00– 3:50 PM — Forward Together Plenary
3:50–4:05 PM — Raffle Giveaway
4:40 - 5:00 PM: Closing Keynote: Raquel Willis
6-8 PM - NYAC & Youth Belong Dinner at Springhill Suites
Family Dinner at Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) Beehive. Come experience where the Rustin Institute calls home and enjoy dinner and networking with conference participants.
Russell Innovation Center for Enterpreneurs: 504 Fair Street, SW, ATL, GA 30313
Sat. October 10
National Center for Civil & Human Rights
100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
8:00– 8:30 AM — Continental Breakfast & Networking
8:45 - 9:40 AM - Family Equality Plenary
The Stories that Don’t Get Told about Black LGBTQ+ Families
Black families have long understood what happens when systems meant to protect children don’t see every family equally. Through the experiences of Black LGBTQ+ families, the legacy of those who have built movements before us, and the work happening today to protect families and advance freedom, this keynote explores how we turned lived experience into collective power.
9:40 –10:30 AM — Workshop Block IV
10:35 — 11:20 AM: Workshop Block V
11:25 AM–12:10 PM — COLAGE Plenary- The Intersection of LGBTQ+ Families and Disability Justice.
12:10-12:40 PM — National Youth Advocacy Corps: An Intergenerational Ecosystem for Youth Development with Dr. Nhan Truong, Zayn Azoulay, Stephanie De Falco, Sachin Aggarwal, and Lucy Stein
12:40–12:55 PM — Keynote: Bishop Yvette A. Flunder
12:55–1:00 PM — Group Photo by Pre-function stairs
1:00–3:00 PM — IGNYTE Family Cookout- The Franklin Pavilion’s Roof Terrace
3:00–10:00 PM — Atlanta Pride Festival at Piedmont Park (Optional)
Sun. October 11
ATLANTA PRIDE: TWO WAYS TO CELEBRATE WITH US! 🏳️🌈
🚶🏽 MARCH WITH US! Join Team Rustin in the largest LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in the Southeast!
🪑 WATCH WITH US! Prefer to enjoy the parade in comfort? Bring your chair, find your spot, and celebrate Pride with community!
Our Keynote Speakers
Global human rights advocate, faith leader, and peacebuilding strategist
Lucas Johnson
Lucas Johnson (he/him) has deep, global experience in conflict resolution and community organizing. He has been shaped by his time learning from veterans of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., most closely Vincent Harding and Dorothy Cotton, and by his work with human rights activists around the world, especially in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Lucas was a leader in the U.S. community of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), the world’s oldest interfaith peace organization, for 6 years, based in Atlanta and focused on the Southeast and mid-Atlantic. From 2014 until he joined the On Being Project in December, 2018, he served as General Secretary of IFOR’s global operation. Among the work he will draw on and extend as part of CCP, he incubated a Beloved Communities Project in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium; and helped to create an Ethics of Reciprocity initiative with the United Nations. Lucas studied at Mercer University and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He was born in Germany in a military family, grew up in Georgia (U.S.), and now resides primarily in Amsterdam.
Award-winning activist, writer, and cultural strategist
Raquel Willis
Raquel Willis (she/her) is an award-winning activist, writer, and cultural strategist whose work explores storytelling as a tool for justice, accountability, and collective liberation. She is the author of The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation and a nationally recognized voice on gender, media, culture, and social change.
Willis has held leadership roles across journalism, philanthropy, and advocacy, including serving as the first openly transgender executive editor at Out and later as Director of Communications at the Ms. Foundation for Women. Her writing and commentary have appeared in publications including Vogue, Essence, and BuzzFeed, helping shape national conversations around identity, liberation, and cultural power.
A longtime organizer and advocate, Willis is the co-founder and Strategic Director of the Gender Liberation Movement. Her work has been recognized by TIME, GLAAD, and Forbes, among many others. Born and raised in Augusta, Willis continues to challenge audiences to imagine more honest, expansive, and liberated futures.
Darra Gordon
Chief Executive Officer of Family Equality
Darra Gordon (she/her) is Chief Executive Officer of Family Equality, the national organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ families. A nonprofit executive with over two decades of experience advancing social justice, expanding opportunity, and driving organizational growth.
Since joining Family Equality in 2025, Darra has led the development of an ambitious five-year plan to strengthen the organization and establish Family Equality as the leading authority on LGBTQ+ families. Under her leadership, Family Equality has expanded its policy advocacy, family programs, storytelling, public education, and partnerships.
Darra holds degrees from The New School and Lycoming College and lives in New York with her wife, Nicole, their three children, and two dogs.
Bishop Yvette Flunder
American womanist, pastor, activist, and gospel singer
Bishop Yvette Flunder (she/her) is a nationally recognized pastor, speaker, and activist whose ministry has shaped conversations around faith, justice, HIV/AIDS advocacy, and radical inclusion for more than four decades. A womanist and liberation theologian, she is the founder of City of Refuge United Church of Christ and Presiding Bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, a global network of churches committed to affirming LGBTQ+ people and marginalized communities.
Known for her powerful storytelling, prophetic leadership, and deep pastoral care, Bishop Flunder has been a leading voice at the intersection of spirituality and social justice, including serving on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and speaking at the White House for World AIDS Day. Her work has also helped reshape conversations around inclusion within Black church traditions and faith communities across the globe. She is also the author of the acclaimed book Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion. Through her ministry, music, and advocacy, Bishop Flunder continues to challenge communities to build a more compassionate, courageous, and inclusive future.
The Pink Unicorn
by ELise Forier Edie
October 8, 2026
aN IGNYTE Preview. Adapted by Keena Redding
IGNYTE 2026 is honored to present a special preview performance of the award-winning solo play The Pink Unicorn, adapted and performed by acclaimed actor Keena Redding. This exclusive presentation offers audiences an early look at the production ahead of its full theatrical run in March 2027.
Written by Elise Forier Edie, The Pink Unicorn tells the story of Trisha, a Christian widow living in a conservative Texas town whose world is transformed when her teenage child comes out as gender queer and launches a Gay-Straight Alliance at their high school. Faced with questions of faith, family, identity, and belonging, Trisha must decide whether to cling to the expectations of her community or embrace the child she loves.
Presented as part of IGNYTE 2026: Family Reunion – Our People. Our Power., this moving and often humorous performance reminds us that family is not simply who we inherit—it is who we choose to love, protect, and grow alongside. Bayard Rustin taught us that movements are sustained not only by strategy, but by relationships rooted in courage, compassion, and an unwavering belief in one another's humanity. The Pink Unicorn embodies that spirit, inviting audiences to reflect on what it means to make room for one another around the family table, even when the conversation is difficult.
With sharp wit, profound tenderness, and poetic storytelling, Keena Redding's unforgettable performance explores the evolving meaning of parenthood, community, and unconditional love. As IGNYTE participants gather from across generations for a family reunion centered on justice, belonging, and collective liberation, this special preview offers an inspiring reminder that our strongest communities are built when every member of the family is seen, valued, and embraced.
-
Keena Redding is an actress, singer, playwright, director, composer, music director, teacher, and activist. She has a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Florida, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre & Music and an Opera Certificate from Brenau University. Keena was last seen onstage in the award-winning one-woman comedy The Pink Unicorn, at ART Station in Stone Mountain, playing the role of Trisha Lee. Other notable past shows include Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s critically acclaimed productions of Morningside and On the Verge. She has also performed lead roles at Atlanta Lyric, Horizon Theatre, Alliance Theatre, and Georgia Shakespeare. Keena served as music director for Madeline’s Christmas (8 years) at Horizon Theatre and recently directed the hit musical Ordinary Days at Stage Door Theatre. The World Premiere of her most recent play, The Park was presented as part of Working Title Playwrights 2025 Fornés New Play Dramaturgy Conference. Keena’s play The Bullet (current title Sisters), directed by national director/playwright, Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj and featuring a powerhouse cast of Atlanta actors, premiered as part of Theatrical Outfit & Working Title Playwrights 2022 Graham Martin Unexpected Play Festival. She is currently writing Freedom – A New Trilogy of Short Plays. Taking the audience on an emotional journey of love, sacrifice, and revolution, Freedom is a timeless love story rooted in history. Keena is founder and lead teacher at Hummingbird Studios, a voice and acting studio where she assists award-winning students with singing technique, acting skills, and overall performance. “The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others.” Dr. bell hooks
-
Miquela Rivers is an artist-activist based here in Atlanta. From an early age her artistic experience has encompassed many different roles within the theater both on and off the stage; including actress, choreographer, stage manager, theater technician, creative editor, and more. She has had the privilege of collaborating with, teaching, and directing actors and creatives of all ages and is thrilled to remount this beautiful production of The Pink Unicorn and re-embark on this artistic endeavor with her mother and lead actress, Keena Redding. Here’s to living life as your most authentic self. We all deserve sunshine!
Friday, October 9th- Opening Plenary:
Is America Possible? Storytelling Tour is a nationwide, intergenerational initiative that invites us to reflect on the unfinished work of American democracy, honor the struggles of those who came before us, and imagine the future we have the power to create together. Led by Lucas Johnson, a global human rights advocate, faith leader, and peacebuilding strategist, this conversation draws on the teachings of Vincent Harding and the power of storytelling to connect historical movements with contemporary struggles for justice, belonging, and human dignity. Rooted in IGNYTE 2026's theme, Family Reunion: Our People, Our Power, the gathering challenges us to become ancestors in the making—recognizing that democracy is not simply something we inherit, but something we must continually reimagine, nurture, and build for generations yet to come.
Atlanta Pride Festival 2026
Sunday, October 11, 2026: National Coming Out & Inviting People In Day
This year, the Rustin Institute will be marching in the Atlanta Pride Parade on Sunday October 11th. This happens to occur on the same weekend at IGNYTE, so if you would like to join us in the Parade, we would love to have you! More information to come.
"Splore Crowd 2016" by Skyviewphotography is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Big Thanks to our sponsors
