Now in its fifth year of celebrating Black excellence in Charlottesville, the Soul of Cville festival returns with a week of engaging and exciting events throughout the city. Kicking off on August 10 with a free Soul Skate at McIntire Park and peaking with Soul of Cville at IX Art Park on August 16, the festival celebrates accomplishments, creativity, and culture. Ahead of the weeklong fête, we put festival co-founder Khalilah Jones in the HotSeat.
Name: Khalilah Jones (pronounced like Delilah with a “K”)
Age: 46
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Job(s): Children’s Services Act program coordinator by day; Atmosphere shifter by night (also, by day!)
What’s something about your job that people would be surprised to learn? That I actually have one (since I’m so active in the community).
Why is supporting cultural festivals important? Supporting cultural festivals is important because in a world that’s tried to silence, erase, and rewrite our joy, showing up and celebrating ourselves out loud is not just wanted … it’s so necessary, radical, and healing.
What does this year’s festival theme of Firmly Planted. Fiercely Flourishing represent? Whew, honey … year five is a milestone. We started from the bottom, now we’re here! Firmly Planted, Fiercely Flourishing means we’ve rooted ourselves in purpose and community, and now we’re blooming out loud with no apologies.
What is Black excellence to you? Black excellence to me is showing up twice as bold while working twice as hard … being undeniable in rooms that weren’t built for us, then kicking open the door, thriving out loud, and making sure there’s space for the whole cookout to flourish right alongside us.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival? Whew, that’s a tough one … but I’m equally hype for Soul Café: Blacks in Tech, Afrobeats x Carnivale Fusion Line Dancing, Trap Karaoke with Black Women Who Wine, and of course the Vinegar Hill Best in Black Cville Awards at the Paramount. (Shoutout to our marquee sponsor United Way and VIP reception sponsor Black Professional Network.) And let’s not forget the fashion shows, because clearly, I don’t do favorites, I do vibes.
Best part of living here: Hands down the best part of living here is the unwavering community support. There’s no way something like Soul of Cville would see a year five without it. Thank you, C’ville!
Worst part of living here: Honestly? Trying to explain to out-of-towners that yes, I meant Charlottesville, not Charlotte. And no, we don’t all live on a vineyard or bump into Dave Matthews at the farmers’ market every weekend.
Favorite Charlottesville restaurant: I am not a restaurant chick. I just have fave dishes like the Thai chicken burrito from Continental Divide, but the Brussels sprouts at Black Cow Chophouse for sure give them a run for their money.
Favorite Charlottesville gallery/museum: IX Immersive Art Museum, duh. Check out their community day on Thursdays!
Favorite Charlottesville landmark/attraction: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
Bodo’s order: Not a bagel gal. If it’s round dough with a hole in the center it better be drowning in glaze.
Best advice you ever got: Sometimes the ship you’ve been waiting for is the ship you need to build.
Proudest accomplishment: I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of an amazing team that’s brought Soul of Cville to life for five years straight, especially last year, exactly five months after my bilateral knee replacement, which made it all the more meaningful.
Describe your perfect day: My perfect day in C’ville looks like waking up at 6am to roller skate at McIntire Park (before it gets too hot), grabbing a Thai chicken burrito from Continental Divide, a carrot bundt cake, and driving over to Chris Greene Lake to have a car party with my family, and then midday naps.
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be? I’d come back as a bold red lip: timeless, intentional, and never out of place at a photo shoot, boardroom, or block party. Yasss!
Most embarrassing moment: Hands down the time I accidentally drove through the Dogwood Parade. Yep, just cruised right in like I was the opening act. Once I realized what was happening, I committed to the bit and started waving like “don’t mind me.” Super embarrassing. Thanks for unlocking that core memory.
Favorite book: Who Moved My Cheese?
Who’d play you in a movie? Younger me: Marsai Martin. Older me: Sheryl Lee Ralph.
What’s your comfort food/meal? Carbohydrates
Go-to karaoke song: “Before He Cheats”
Best journey you ever went on: Co-founding a cultural festival as a form of resistance in a town I am not from.
Next journey: Daring to take the risk, whatever one presents itself that speaks to my soul.
Favorite word: My absolute favorite word is OONTZ.
Hottest take/most unpopular opinion: Melted cheese is an abomination.
What have you forgotten today? To take my perimenopause supplements to help with brain fog.
Photo: Eze Amos
