Ring true: Boxer Jack Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight champion, and at the height of the Jim Crow era he was “the most famous and the most notorious African American on Earth,” according to documentarian Ken Burns. Directed by multi-faceted artist and C-VILLE contributor Leslie Scott-Jones, The Royale, written by Marco Ramirez, is loosely based on Johnson’s story and delves into a boxer’s psyche as he faces the fight of the century when the sport was still racially segregated.
Related stories

The Japanese House
On her sophomore album, In The End It Always Does, The Japanese House, aka Amber Bain, explores themes of love, loss, and identity. With her dreamy vocals and heartfelt lyrics, Bain captures the cyclical nature of relationships in a range of real experience that is unapologetically human. The album, co-produced by George Daniel of The […]
C-VILLE Writers | June 12, 2024
The Japanese House
On her sophomore album, In The End It Always Does, The Japanese House, aka Amber Bain, explores themes of love, loss, and identity. With her dreamy vocals and heartfelt lyrics, Bain captures the cyclical nature of relationships in a range of real experience that is unapologetically human. The album, co-produced by George Daniel of The […]
C-VILLE Writers | June 12, 2024

No blank pages
Shannon Spence awoke to her calling as a cartoon artist while pursuing a fine arts degree focused on printmaking at University of Virginia. In her fourth year, she took a course in sequential art–and she saw her future. “I realized what incredible potential comics were as an art form, and it just clicked for me,” […]
Tami Keaveny | June 12, 2024
No blank pages
Shannon Spence awoke to her calling as a cartoon artist while pursuing a fine arts degree focused on printmaking at University of Virginia. In her fourth year, she took a course in sequential art–and she saw her future. “I realized what incredible potential comics were as an art form, and it just clicked for me,” […]
Tami Keaveny | June 12, 2024

Informal arrangements
By Aaron Irons The Arcadian Wild finds uplift and grace amid warm harmonies on Welcome, the Music City string band’s latest effort, which blends elegance and heart-swelling dynamics with endearing revelations. Equal parts meditation and jubilation, Welcome offers connection and understanding in an era when such notions are at a premium. Lincoln Mick formed The […]
C-VILLE Writers | June 12, 2024
Informal arrangements
By Aaron Irons The Arcadian Wild finds uplift and grace amid warm harmonies on Welcome, the Music City string band’s latest effort, which blends elegance and heart-swelling dynamics with endearing revelations. Equal parts meditation and jubilation, Welcome offers connection and understanding in an era when such notions are at a premium. Lincoln Mick formed The […]
C-VILLE Writers | June 12, 2024