A Film Project of Village Connect
Through story, personal dialogue and creative pursuits, the Culture Connects Us documentary film dives into America’s melting pot, dissecting diverse cultures from a perspective that hopes to reveal false narratives and beliefs that, albeit in a technologically connected world, separate us.
By exposing the heart of these matters, our intent is to heal, to free ourselves from divisive fear, and to release cultural barriers in favor of cross-cultural communication, pushing for recognition of the true commonalities that bind us all, towards unity.
Participate!
We are seeking people like you to participate in the development of our upcoming empowerment documentary about diversity!
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Keep scrolling to read and learn more about the project and the amazing team making it possible. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and your perspective.
Executive Producer
Village-Connect (VC) is committed to transformative change for individuals ,groups, and families. We believe this type of change occurs on three levels: consciousness, behavior, and structure. Our programs, services, and initiatives are rooted in a belief that within every person there exists a “higher self” that seeks to improve and expand one’s life circumstance. Once this “higher self” has been awakened, being connected with an association of like-minded individuals and groups become optimal to sustaining growth and development.
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Culture Based Transformative Coaching ® CBTC
CBTC is a new life-coaching intervention model, which employs evidence-based motivational interviewing and culturally congruent curriculum that focuses on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Trauma informed care, and financial literacy. VC is rooted in developing and growing self-awareness and building cultural and communal bridges that awaken and animate individual, group, or a family’s higher self.
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“The village represents a harmonious interdependence of mind, body, spirit, and community.”
- Gaylon Logan, Founder
Gaylon Logan
Founder
Our Production Team
​Aldane Walters
Aldane Walters is an up and coming media mogul. He is an experienced television producer and digital content creator. Aldane produced and presented Feel Alright, a reggae and mental wellness radio program on KGPC 96.9 FM, a community station which broadcasts out of Oakland California. As the video production lead at Covenant Church, Berkeley, he has produced the live broadcast of services on Sundays and Tuesdays; shooting and editing praise and worship music videos; community engagement features; and all other video content the non-profit distributes. He is also an experienced social media coordinator, working with non-profits and individuals to increase their engagement across platforms.
At the early age of fifteen in his Jamaican homeland, Aldane was freelance writing for Jamaica Observer, Jamaica’s first full color newspaper. By age nineteen he was producing and assisting on various broadcasts at Jamaica’s top-rated television station, Television Jamaica. Walters moved to the Bay Area in 2017 to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts from San Francisco State University, a goal he would have achieved by the end of Spring 2021. In 2019 he was one of the first cohort of 26 Maynard Fellows; US media professionals of color chosen to receive specialized training, capacity-building and ongoing support in a program sponsored by Google News Lab, the News Integrity Initiative and the Craig Newmark Philanthropies, in partnership with USC Annenberg and the City University of New York.
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“I believe in what we’re doing. This is important work and a message that is needful today. My goal here is to help create something to provoke healing; that from this project people begin to focus less on the fragmented nature of our world but rather our common humanity. And know that as much as we are different, we are also the same.” - Aldane Walters
Kaylah Marin
Kaylah is a creative powerhouse, media manager and also serves as tech support for KAJE CREATIVE. She has more than a decade of experience in Project Management and Technical Support and has been creating Videos and media content for over 4 years. Analyzing company data and training goals, Kaylah has developed the ability to look at a clients business and create tailored media solutions that deliver results. Kaylah Marin has also worked in the music industry. She has collaborated with top producers and even ran a theater company which has contributed to her creative perspective of production and storytelling. In addition, she is a talented songwriter, having had her music land on the Billboard Charts thus becoming a Billboard Charting Songwriter. The multi-talented Kaylah Marin is a invaluable member of KAJE Creative.
Jalila A Bell Esq.
Jalila is a Managing Producer and Talent Coordinator for KAJE Creative, LLC. As a dancer, choreographer and writer, Jalila has used her artistry to raise awareness, awaken, teach and create. Jalila nurtured her artistic talents at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts before obtaining her BA in Dance from Mills College. She went on to graduate from the American Dance Festival six-week school, where she studied with Donald McKayle and Marlies Yearby. Jalila has performed with Delucia Benson Dance, and was a principal dancer for NYC’s Nyane Khosi Dance and Vissi Dance Theater. Jalila is a vinyasa yoga teacher (RYT-200). She teaches workshops and private classes in performance, improvisation and yoga. Her choreography has been performed in colleges across the nation. In 2017, she expanded her horizons by serving as Associate Producer for the dramatic short film Foreign Lovers (2017), and is a Producer for Worthy of Survival, a short-to-feature film by Director Skyler Cooper now in post-production. Ms. Bell has also found herself in many other credited roles on stage and in film. In 2020, Jalila was humbled to perform for and meet the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg, while dancing and singing in the breakout role of Young RBG for the New York City Bar Association's Twelfth Night Performance. As a lawyer, Jalila is a fierce advocate for women, tenants, labor and civil rights. She obtained her law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law, and is a licensed practicing attorney in the State of New York, and the United States Courts for the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Wanda Whitaker
Visionary painter, Healing Arts practitioner and Spiritual Advisor, Wanda Whitaker is a facilitator in racial reconciliation and social imagination. Art and communications is part of her life’s purpose in promoting brotherhood and a cultural awakening for living from a spiritual perspective. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, cafes and museums in the Bay area. She has helped to facilitate Singing Tree murals and collaborative murals in safe houses for women.
In addition, Wanda is an innovator in cause marketing, supporting marketers to meet their objectives through sales promotion, events, social media and other initiatives through incorporating a cause. Additionally, she serves nonprofit agencies by creating and developing intellectual property ideas, developing marketing strategies and consulting on alternative fundraising, and partnerships/sponsorships for projects and events. Wanda has served on the Board of Directors of the Global Exchange, La Casa de las Madres, the SF Black Chamber of Commerce, Create Peace Project and Unity through Creativity. WandaWhitaker is based out of Pacifica, California.
Marc Dennis
Marc Dennis of Marc Samuel Media is a Los Angeles-based media director. He often works on live music performances, podcast production, Livestream direction, and commercial advertisement.
Aldane Walters
Kaylah Marin
Jalila A Bell Esq.
Wanda Whitaker
Marc Dennis
Team Gallery
We are taking submissions now! Be a part of Culture Connects Us and Send us yours today!
To participate, take a 3-5 Minute video with your responses to the following prompts:
1. What is the ethnic background of your family?
2. What misconceptions exist about your own culture that you’d like to correct?
3. Name a culture other than your own that you admire and why.
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Then Submit your video by uploading it to the secure Dropbox link
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Sign and submit your media release form to Dropbox, make sure to add your name to the file name. Only individuals who sign and submit the release form correctly will be featured in our film.
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Lastly please also answer the questions above in written form on our Google Survey. Here you will have the opportunity to sign up for a potentially bigger role in our film.