Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective Celebrates National Black Theatre Day with Star-Studded Fundraising Gala

The Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective (BBRTC), an award-winning Black Queer-led grassroots theatre organization, is thrilled to announce “Denim & Diamonds: A Southern Takeover,” a one-night-only fundraising concert and gala held on September 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM at The Listening Room in Nashville, TN.

| GLAAD — “Save the Date: September 17, 2025 — ‘Denim & Diamonds: A Southern Takeover’ at The Listening Room, Nashville. Don’t miss this celebration of Black Southern culture and community!”

Taking place on International Black Theatre Day, this dynamic, music-filled celebration will support the BBRTC through the lens of Black Country culture, while honoring the rich history of Southern art and the ways in which that culture influences the nation and the world.

Guests will enjoy:

A full dinner and drink experience
A musical storytelling round with four Southern artists
A live keynote address from Rissi Palmer on the legacy and evolution of country music
A multi-sensory headline performance from Jada Cato and full band
A virtual silent auction featuring local goods, signed merch, and exclusive experiences

All proceeds benefit BBRTC’s holistic, community-engaged programming, including:

3 Annual Scholarships & Awards for Birmingham-based students and leaders
Theatre Lab Activations for students including Black Acting Methods-based curriculum
Live Production Fund we use to invest in writing, developing, and producing Southern Black Queer artists and their stories to help preserve history
Creative Job Creation Fund that sustains BBRTC’s 7-person staff and the numerous contract-labor artists we hire throughout the year

Sponsorship opportunities are open and tickets are now available! Contributions are tax-deductible through BBRTC’s fiscal sponsor, the National Performance Network, and can be made directly on their portal.

Purchase your tickets for Denim & Diamonds on Eventbrite today and secure your spot at this unforgettable celebration!”

Please send all sponsorship, donation letter, and press requests to: communications@thebbrtc.com

About the Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective

At BBRTC, we envision a future where artists living within the margins of the margins can thrive, are celebrated, and have access to creative capital in order to work toward a world of communal liberation. Through our “for us, by us” leadership model we prioritize the people most impacted by systemic violence centering Black QTGNC people, Black women, Black disabled people, Black youth, and Black senior citizens in our process, practices, and organizational leadership.

“This is a space by us, for us. Who is ‘us?’ Everyone that is walking in the light. There is so much push back on even the possibility of multiracial democracy and class + gender equity in this country. At BBRTC, we show you how it’s not only possible and accessible to everyone, but that we have come together like this for over half a decade because we are cultural organizers at heart.”
— Jada Cato

BBRTC’s core strategies include advocacy for racial justice, gender justice, and disability justice in the arts; intergenerational collaboration; culturally empowering artistic development; and holistic community-engaged performance art. The Denim & Diamonds: A Southern Takeover fundraising gala is in collaboration with BBRTC’s Media/Comms Associate and Founder of The Modern Green Book, Theo Edwards-Butler, and is made possible through support from the Cricket Island Foundation.

Meet the Denim & Diamonds Special Guests

Rissi Palmer (Keynote Speaker) stands as a prominent figure in both Country and Americana music. Her performances have graced illustrious venues such as The White House, The Grand Ole Opry, Lincoln Center, and the Apollo Theater. She has made national TV appearances on ABC News Live, CBS Mornings, CNN, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, and PBS NewsHour, while garnering recognition from prestigious publications including Associated Press, Essence, New York Times, Parade, PEOPLE, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, Washington Post, and more.

Notably, Palmer holds the distinction of being one of only eight Black artists to have singles charted in any genre, highlighting her enduring impact on the music industry. Palmer continues to tour across the US and overseas and serves as a correspondent for CMT Hot 20 Countdown. She also holds the esteemed position of Governor at the Recording Academy Nashville.

Brei Carter (Host) is from Monroe, Louisiana where, amidst the nurturing embrace of the Deep South, she was born into a world where faith, music, and love intertwine like the roots of ancient oaks. Raised on a rich diet of gospel hymns from the Lone Star Missionary Baptist Church, the soul-stirring melodies of Charley Pride and Loretta Lynn, and the powerful voice of Aretha Franklin, Brei’s life has been rooted in strong southern tradition and unwavering familial devotion. This foundation, layered with the sacred words of the Bible, became the bedrock of her journey.

But Brei’s path was anything but ordinary. With a relentless spirit, she pursued education with the same fervor she held for music, earning a Bachelor’s in Business from the University of Louisiana in Monroe, a Master’s in International Relations from Webster University, and a Doctorate in Theology from New Foundation Theological Seminary. Her service in the U.S. Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, further shaped her resilience and dedication. Upon setting her boots in Nashville, Brei Carter carved a niche for herself as an exquisite country soul singer-songwriter, blending the threads of country, soul, and southern pop into an electrifying tapestry of sound.

Meet BBRTC’s Co-Artistic Directors & Gala Producers

Jada Cato (she/they/we) is… The Cosmic Cowgirl! From the cosmic currents of Austin’s neon nights to the radiant constellations of Atlanta’s City Winery, and onto the Broadway stage at The Lincoln Center, Jada Cato is an artist whose music feels less like entertainment and more like an astral alignment. One listen, and you’re not just hearing her—you’re orbiting her universe. With songs like “Strange Times,” co-written with Waylon Payne (son of country legend Sammi Smith), Jada doesn’t just invite you in—she pulls you through a stargate into a galaxy of raw truth and emotional gravity. As the recent recipient of GLAAD’s National Rising Star Grant and a Color Me Country Grant, Jada is blazing her trail across the sky with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre as her creative compass—channeling emotional wisdom, stellar storytelling, and powerhouse vocals into every note, all while radiating joy and authenticity.

Jada has been collaborating with BBRTC since its inception in 2019, through acting, intimacy directing, and costume designing (2019 Broadway World Award for Costume Design: BBRTC’s Southeastern Premiere of Tarrell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy). She now serves as Co-Artistic Director, Teaching Artist, and Cultural Organizer.

David H. Parker (they/them) is a director, producer, writer, model, performer, and cultural worker from Birmingham, AL. They have been with the Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective for 6 years and now serve as one of its Co-Artistic Directors.

David is grateful to claim multilocality, with roots and community all across the US South, Los Angeles, and New York. David has directed or collaborated with Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artists. They owe a deep debt of gratitude for all their collaborations, but particularly to being inducted into the inaugural cohorts of the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship and GLAAD’s 2023 Black Queer Creative Summit. David has also worked on Broadway (Fat Ham/Geffen Playhouse, Hadestown/SDCF Shadow) and Off-Broadway (Patience/Second Stage UPTOWN); had their work reviewed in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times; trained at the Highlander Center in the footsteps of cultural organizers, both ancestral like Rosa Parks and still walking the living plane like Angela Davis; and recently published an interview with André De Shields in Southern Magazine.

David earned their Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and their Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.