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MashUp Nashville Celebrates Wave of Community Support and Media Attention Following World AIDS Day Events

New coverage builds momentum for year-end stories centered on healing, leadership, and Black LGBTQ+ resilience.


NASHVILLE, TN — December 11, 2025 — MashUp Nashville, the Black-led nonprofit focused on the health and well-being of Black LGBTQ+ people in Middle Tennessee, is celebrating a wave of community support and media attention following two World AIDS Day events: “One Vision: A World AIDS Day Tribute to Queen” at Eastside Bowl and the 6th Annual Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II World AIDS Day Luncheon at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church.


“As we move into the holidays, Nashville is ready for stories of courage, joy and collective healing,” said Brian Marshall, founder of MashUp. “The response to our World AIDS Day events shows how deeply this city cares about Black LGBTQ+ well-being — from legacy builders like Miss Margaret and Rev. Sanders to rising leaders like Cory.”


“Even in the midst of negativity and harmful policies that discourage many, we are grateful for every journalist, radio host, arts editor and community partner who lifted up this work,” added Jerry Ivery, COO of MashUp. “This visibility helps ensure that HIV awareness, community care and Black LGBTQ+ leadership remain part of Nashville’s conscience — not only on December 1, but every day that follows.”


Hosted in partnership with Portara Ensemble, “One Vision” brought Queen’s legendary catalog to life with a full band, choir and guest vocalists all benefitting MashUp’s HIV education, advocacy and health-equity programs. The concert was named a Critic’s Pick by Nashville Scene which highlighted Portara’s decision to direct 100% of concert proceeds to community partners and noted that this show specifically benefitted MashUp and its work with Black LGBTQ+ communities.


WSMV4 highlighted the One Vision concert and the World AIDS Day luncheon alongside the ongoing work MashUp does around health equity in Middle Tennessee for Black LGBTQ+ people.


Nashville public radio outlet WNXP also spotlighted the concert on its “What Where When-sday” segment, introducing listeners to MashUp! as an organization founded to address health inequities and social injustices impacting Black LGBTQ+ people through education and advocacy and framing the Queen tribute as a vehicle to bring wider awareness to MashUp’s work.


Regional event guides and ticketing platforms including Do615, Lightning 100’s event calendar, WNSR local events, and Nashville-Theatre.com promoted the concert date, venue and ticketing details increasing visibility among music and culture-seeking audiences ahead of World AIDS Day.


On December 5, MashUp convened community leaders, advocates, faith partners and residents for the 6th Annual Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II World AIDS Day Luncheon at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church under the theme “Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.” The luncheon honors the legacy of the late Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II — a civil rights icon, minister and national HIV/AIDS advocate whose work transformed community care models across Tennessee and the South. This year’s luncheon theme — “Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.” — called Nashville to continue his mission by uplifting leaders forging a healthier, more equitable future for Black LGBTQ+ communities.


Honoring Black LGBTQ+ Leaders and Rev. Sanders’ Legacy

This year’s luncheon recognized two community heroes whose work extends Rev. Sanders’s legacy:

  • Cory Roroya (she/her) — sexual health educator, entrepreneur and founder of Heauxly House by Heauxlistic Healing — received the Rev. Edwin C. Sanders Rising Leader Award for her work advancing pleasure-centered, justice-rooted sexual health education across Tennessee and beyond.

  • Margaret “Miss Margaret” Williams (she/her) — a decades-long advocate for people living with HIV, and a grounding force within Nashville CARES and state health coalitions — received the Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II Service Award for her life’s work in peer support, harm reduction and community care.

  • Photos are available in this Google folder.


Partner organizations amplified the luncheon and its honorees across their own channels. Tennessee CFAR (the Tennessee Center for AIDS Research), Metropolitan Interdenominational Church and national partners featured posts lifting up Roroya’s and Miss Margaret’s awards and the luncheon’s theme, emphasizing that the gathering is “rooted in love, legacy and community strength” and recognizing both honorees for their powerful impact in ending HIV in Middle Tennessee.


Additional visibility came through GLAAD’s “Hangouts” World AIDS Day content which highlighted MashUp’s luncheon, named Miss Margaret as a pillar of the community, and uplifted Cory’s work as an example of transformational leadership in sexual health advocacy.


“These World AIDS Day events are about more than a single day on the calendar,” said Marshall. “They’re about reclaiming joy, honoring those we’ve lost and investing in the people and systems that keep Black LGBTQ+ communities alive, informed and thriving.” 


MashUp invites reporters, TV producers, podcast hosts and feature writers to explore further stories that highlight:

  • “Cut Out the Tongue” Conversation and Communal Dinner —  Saturday, December 27, the Nashville Radical Library and MashUp, in partnership with the Nashville Food Project, hosts a communal dinner amidst the "Cut Out The Tongue" art show. Meals are free and meant to alleviate food insecurity during the harsh winter months and holiday seasons.

  • MashUp Weekend 2026 themed Resurrection Renaissance to be held February 20-22. A cultural uprising rooted in the bold, brilliant spirit of Black  LGBTQ+ communities who have risen from silence, shame and suppression into unapologetic wholeness. 

  • The ongoing legacy of Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II

  • The leadership journeys of Cory Roroya and Miss Margaret Williams

  • The intersection of art, advocacy, and community healing through projects like One Vision

  • The evolving landscape of Black LGBTQ+ health equity in Middle Tennessee


For interviews, storytelling angles, or media assets, please contact:

Dawn Cornelius

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