From the first annual event in Los Angeles to this year’s event in Nashville, The Cookout has become more than a gathering… it’s a movement.
The Cookout Nashville was one of those nights where you had to be there to understand the impact. Over 150 Black creatives, execs, and allies came together on a beautiful September evening that blended music, games, joy, and belonging. Kinfolk’s collaboration with our counterpart ERGs at TikTok, Live Nation, Sony and BMI proved the need in Nashville for more spaces for brilliant minds to meet and just be.
The tone was set upon arrival, where a Rivian truck powered the outside DJ setup while another took people on test rides around Music Row. The vibes were even stronger inside, with tunes spun by DJs Solo and Dom, a live game of Hip Hop Charades, and dynamic performances from Summer Joy and Mille Manny.
Comedian J McNutt kept the energy high while people played games like Spades and Uno, took group shots at the photo booth, and shared stories over food and drinks.
The best way to describe it: it felt like family.
What started as an idea in 2024 has turned into a national statement of affirmation and connection. This year’s Los Angeles event went amazingly, thanks in large part to Sony Music for leading the charge, and we’re already planning out what we can do for the 3rd annual event in 2026.
But the Nashville event hit different. Like the Kinfolk Writers Camp a few months prior, it seems to be the first of its kind on Music Row. In a city with four HBCUs and such a rich legacy of Black artistry, that realization was both bittersweet and inspiring.
Between games of Spades and plates of food, people found each other: sharing laughs, swapping contacts, and building ideas. The event also highlighted local organizations like Nashville Music Equality and The L.O.V.E. Academy, reminding us that community work doesn’t just happen in boardrooms; it happens in rooms like this.
As a cherry on top, Kinfolk Nashville was nominated for Community Advocate of the Year at the upcoming 2026 Origins Impact Awards. The recognition is humbling, but I’m grateful others can see our hearts for helping create opportunities for representation and connection.
People are already looking forward to next year’s event, some even suggesting we make it quarterly. While The Cookout will remain once-a-year experience in each city, my hope is that it encourages more people to create the spaces we clearly need.
