Southern Voice
Atlanta's Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Newspaper of Record, Est. 1988 — Preserved & Restored Through Artificial Intelligence
Publisher Description
outhern Voice stands as one of the most courageous and historically significant newspapers in American journalism — Atlanta, Georgia's pioneering LGBTQ+ newspaper of record, founded in 1988 at the height of the AIDS crisis, when the LGBTQ+ community needed a fearless voice more than ever before.
As part of the acclaimed Living Archive Series by Shumake Media Group, this landmark restoration brings back Southern Voice in its full, historic glory — a newspaper that gave dignity, visibility, and power to the LGBTQ+ community of the American South during some of the most challenging decades in modern history.
Through cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, every headline, every personal story, every advocacy piece, and every cultural celebration from Southern Voice's remarkable legacy has been meticulously preserved and restored — converting fragile archives into a permanent digital record for future generations.
About the Author
Robert S. Shumake, publishing as Ajarn Shaman Shu, has lived two lives in one — the builder and the priest — and his books are where the two meet. He rose from a Ford factory floor to become founding president and CEO of Inheritance Capital Group, a Black Enterprise-ranked private equity firm, served as honorary consul for Botswana and Tanzania, and founded Inheritance Media Group, owner of more than 300 publications produced by an AI-run newsroom. In spirit, each tradition that initiated him gave him a name: Buddhist Ajarn in the Theravada and Vajrayana lines, Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola in Ifá, and Shri Surya Narayana Swamikal in the Tamil Siddha line. He is the founder of Soul Tribes International Ministries and of Buddha Digital Temple and its universities — Orisha University, Buddha University, and Shiva University. He authored Detroit’s Proposal E, the 2021 ballot initiative that decriminalized entheogenic plants in Detroit, and is the author of more than 140 published books and 86+ DOI-registered academic publications. His philosophy: the Double Bottom Line — make a profit, and make a difference. Robertshumake.biz
