Activist/Writer
A respected educator, counselor, commentator, consultant, and activist in the areas of hip hop, mental wellness, Black identity, manhood, and popular culture, for his work with his community-based agency From Afros To Shelltoes, Dr. Garnes has appeared on the cover of Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine and on/in Black Enterprise Magazine, CNN’s Headline News, Sirius Radio, CBS Radio, and allhiphop.com. He currently stars in the internationally acclaimed documentary film series Elementary Genocide directed by Rahiem Shabazz. Additionally, his national tour Sweet Tea Ethics has featured famed brothers Dr. Cornel West and Clifton West. Dr. Garnes also appears in BET's acclaimed documentary Killer Curves, examining pop culture influences Black women's body image.
Revered for his work as a literary artist, Dr. Garnes has opened for icons Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, and The Last Poets. A longtime music contributor to Creative Loafing, he has profiled and interviewed such cutting-edge artists as Spike Lee, Outkast, Gerald Levert, Erykah Badu, Anthony David, Divinity Roxx, Raphael Saadiq, T-Boz(TLC), and DMC (Run DMC). A finalist for the Fulton County Arts Council Dialog Literary Fellowship, Garnes was honored during the 2004 National Black Arts Festival with an installation featuring his classic poem “Contemplation Of A Looter Somewhere In The USA.”