We recently connected with Eric/Jon M. Campbell/Lattimore and have shared our conversation below.
Eric/Jon, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
“Eric Campbell”
The organization “W.O.R.D has always been a safe place where everybody can gain more knowledge they came with. We learn and teach without even realizing it. There are many people that are fast-paced at what they do, but there is also creative artist that needs more time than others. We have built a foundation where you don’t have to take 30 steps forward right away. Therefore, you can create a sense of comfortability within yourself not only as an artist but as a person too. A big skill that the organization equipped over the years is promotion skills, leadership skills, writing skills, wordplay skills, etc. Over the years the organization had difficult times going into covid-19. We couldn’t really promote ourselves as artists other than being online, so new members couldn’t get the learning experience that they needed to build their character as an artist. Now in the Present-day, we are back on track ready to attack any obstacle that comes our way because we are “Way of Real Discovery,” and we can fight any and everything that is thrown our way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
“Jon M. Lattimore”
This organization, which was co-founded by four young men on the lovely campus of Savannah State University, on November 13th, 2001, was at first an open mic program for the residents of the residence halls of the university, then through the consistency of the program occurring at least every two weeks, the program flourished. I started the event during my sophomore year in the year of 2022. I was given the name of the organization by a guy that I ran into, who was at the time enrolled in the local art college in Savannah, GA; Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The logo was also made by a SCAD student about six (6) years later, in which she was one of the participants in the contest for creating a logo for W.O.R.D. However, within one (1) year after the open mic program was founded in 2001, W.O.R.D became an official university-recognized student organization, with all the rights and privileges given by the university. Those early years had us stepping off campus into the city of Savannah, and collaborating with other poetry-based organizations such as AWOL (All Walks Of Life), and Spitfire Poetry Group, just to name a few; had us traveling to other cities and states in the Southeast to perform; we hosted professional spoken word artists that touched Russell Simmons’s Def Poetry stages such as Tommy Bottoms, Abyss, and Georgia Me; other artists such as the internationally known spoken word artist, Queen Sheba. We were hosting freestyle battles that brought in talent from other colleges such as Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the former Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern-Savannah campus), the Georgia Southern University campus in Statesboro, GA, the city of Savannah, GA and beyond. For one particular open mic, on their expense and promotional purposes, we brought in an Atlanta, GA-based record label by the name of Raw Deal Records which featured female rap artist Ms. B’Havin’, former spoken word artist and now rap artist, Pledger, who is the son of the record label owner, and the rap artist now known as Yung Joc, who was a hype man during his tenure with that label. We became so popular on campus to the point in which the students of the university would at times, forgo the university’s basketball game and come to our event because we had it going on; the thrills, the liveliness, and excitement. And many of them would always ask “When is the next WORD?!” They were so ecstatic to be in the next event, either as an audience member and/or open mic participant. Furthermore, our consistency enhanced our popularity in which artists from other colleges, cities, and states came to our own campus open mic events such as Tavis Brunson, Omari Fox, and King Shakur, to name a few. I went by the name stage JLat (which is my nickname I picked up in college), then eventually added to it to complete it as JLat tha M.O.O.R, the other three co-founders, Reginald E. Smith, II (W.E.R.D.S.M.I.P.H), Corey Huckabee (Quotable Phoenix), and Jarnard Johnson went by his government name. We had support from my residential hall director and supervisor, in who he has been a great friend of mine for the past twenty (20) plus years, Nakeith C. Phillips, who was the organization’s advisor for some time, and he became a spoken word artist, going by the stage name, Moses Brown, performing at our events. He eventually joined A.W.O.L when they became a poetry troupe based in the city of Savannah, GA. Many artists that came through W.O.R.D eventually developed a stage name that reflected their persona such as Benjamin James (Benny J ), Shantel Dean (Shant), Evelyn Boykin (Lynn Wit Two N’s) Daniel Coleman (Young Child), Christopher Kirkland (Phocus), Michael Green (Mike G), just to name a few. And some just used their own government (birth) name.
When I graduated in May of 2005, I went into the real world, and faced the shock of learning that I wasn’t so special because I had a college degree; so, therefore, I went back to college in 2006 at Savannah State University to get a master’s degree, W.O.R.D was still continuing in the hands of those I left it in, however after I graduated from the master’s program in 2009, the organization collapsed in 2010 due to unwanted circumstances beyond my control. The other three founders moved on with life because life happens, even though I met with them and a few other organizational veterans and supporters to brainstorm ideas on how to continue the organization BEYOND college, however, people just moved on due to having other ambitions, goals, starting a family, etc. I couldn’t take it personally. A small voice told me to reinvigorate and reinvent the organization. I received advice from a great friend of mine for the past twenty (20) years, one of the founders of A.W.O.L (All Walks Of Life), Tony “Polo” Jordan, in which that organization took a new path to work with at-risk youth in the Savannah, GA community; and he told me to find a niche for the organization to involve itself in, and I also attended a nonprofit development workshop hosted by him and his wife, DaVena Sanders-Jordan.
I garnered support and assistance from faculty and staff members of the university that saw my vision to take it to higher heights, along with the few on-campus W.O.R.D members at the time such as Napoleon Marcel Martin (NEPO), Maurice Brooks, Sharamie Ware and Desmond Jackson (D. Ciano), encouraging them to keep the fire going. I want to give a special shout-out to Ms. Phyllis Jackson, who is a fellow Savannah State University alumnus and friend of mine, in which I didn’t know that she was a poet until after college, because even though I saw her in the audience at the open mics, I never saw her perform at the open mics, and if she did, I was not around to witness her glory. I asked her at an annual Savannah State University alumni reunion event held in the Atlanta, GA to help me rebuild the organization. That was back in the summer of 2014. It’s now 2022. Over eight (8) years. And Phyllis Jackson (Poetess Elitess) is still around contributing her insight, perspectives, and ideas to move this organization forward.
I decided to re-create the organization centered on the “student-artist”. We all should be aware of what a student-athlete is, so I decided to forge a new term with a past term to suit those with artistic talent and/or aspirations, desire to be part of an organization that will nurture those talents, gain confidence and stamina in their arts, while they serve the campus and the community, and prepare them for their careers after college. The organization became an official 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization as of August 2014, and we are still here maintaining our stake in continuing to be an influential organization in the Southeastern United States and beyond. Within the past year, we have given out scholarships to those that have met the criteria in our organization through our very first Mr. and Miss Way Of Real Discovery (W.O.R.D), INC pageant; those titles are held by Quadasia Mitchell as Miss W.O.R.D, INC and Destin Howard as Mr. W.O.R.D, INC 2020-2021, which they are both $500 scholarship recipients; the subsequent attendants (did not receive scholarship monies along with the title, just name and title recognition), Kennedy Vaughn as Miss 2001, and Imani Swanson as Miss Black & Silver, and we will continue to do that event again and others like it during subsequent years; because the ultimate goal is to fund an eligible “student-artists” entire undergraduate years, just as long as they continue to uphold the standards and criteria established by the organization, just as student-athletes are. From doing literacy volunteer work at the local West Broad Street YMCA and Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club, and select local middle/high schools; participating in the annual Savannah Spoken Word Festival since its early years; co-hosting a screening of a documentary that covered a historical tragedy entitled “Wilmington On Fire”, for the 28th Savannah Black Heritage Festival in 2017, to have a throwback 80’s and 90’s Hip-Hop & R&B talent and fashion show in the fall of that same year, to doing community-based open mics featuring local community artists that have been successfully attended, Way Of Real Discovery (W.O.R.D), INC, continues to make an impact. A few of the most notable past “student-artists” of ours include Miranda Nicole Fenderson (Miranda Nicole), in which she is now a professional singer/songwriter traveling and performing nationally and internationally for the past 15 years or so; Durrell Lyons, spoken word artist and actor, in which he was featured in movies such as 2017’s Tupac biopic “All Eyez On Me”, and Tyler Perry’s television show “The Haves and Have Nots”; Saad Morrell (Suave Calione), a gospel rap artist-songwriter that has recently released an album entitled “It Takes A Village”, Sean Edwards, (Wes Lee the Wordsmith), in which was one of the best presidents of the on campus organization that came through its ranks, and he is working a white collared job in upper middle management while pursuing his musical ambitions, releasing a recent album called COPE Deluxe (Sean Edwards has been very pertinent assisting me in giving back to the organization with moral and advisory support and I appreciate him more than he knows), or Asia Almeda, (Asia Adisa), a recent graduate of Savannah State University, (she majored in performing arts), who is working her way up as an influential singer in the music industry, in which she has just released an album entitled “INMATE #5683”, another notable recent graduate of the organization, Christopher Smith (2 Benjii), who now rising in his musical and networking ambitions, by creating 2Benjii ENT LLC, which is to give artists the platform and training hubs they deserve; and India Cade (Indigo), a recent graduate in political science, in which she is now a motivational speaker and business owner.
I don’t expect everyone that joins this organization to pursue music, performing arts, or an acting career, and even the students that wish to join the organization are not required to pursue a performing arts major (many of us in the past had various majors and didn’t pursue a performing arts degree) however, I do my best to ensure that each individual that joins this organization becomes the best he or she can be just as long as they apply themselves, develop their talents, and be prepared to face the real world. Each individual can take what has been learned in the classes of their major and apply it to the organization. If one is pursuing a business degree, apply those business organizational skills to benefit the organization. If one is majoring in marketing, apply those marketing skills to benefit the organization. Because everything you do in life is a performance and how well you do that performance will determine the end results. Last but not least, this organization is for those that want to find their voice, find their path, and find their purpose/meaning in life, and those that want to seek therapy to channel and ease their pain through the arts.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
“Jon M. Lattimore”
I love the arts. The visual. The oratory. I love music. Hip-hop. Jazz. Blues. R&B. Classical. Reggae. Etc. I love the ability of a person to express themselves in the right environment and to spread whatever message they want, even if someone or no one agrees with it. Everyone has the right to be heard, however, we can healthily and safely challenge those views with alternative views of our own. I’ve always been outspoken since my days of elementary school about particular subjects, and even though I caught hell from some classmates about being who I was in my eccentricity, they laughed at me, teased me, and in some cases, I had to get into physical fights, however, I continued to be me, and while in college, I found the opportunity to develop an organization for those like me. The outspoken. The creative. The artist. To nurture themselves into the best artist/individual they want to be. So, I found a purpose and passion in life that was in front of me since I was a child, I didn’t realize it until my college years. My organization welcomes the “black sheep”, “the outcast”, “the unheard”, and the “trailblazers” who in the end will become “The G.O.A.T.s (Greatest Of All Time) in society, thereby shaping and changing their communities and the world at large. Way Of REAL Discovery….the name says it all.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
“Jon M. Lattimore”
Yes. A few. Such as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” authored by Robert Kiyosaki. “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” authored by Stephen Covey. “The 48 Laws of Power” authored by Robert Greene. And I search for more readings for self-improvement/development. That is very important to me. Because no matter where we are in life…WE ALL have room to improve.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.word-inc.org
- Instagram: @wayofrealdiscovery/@word_ssu
- Facebook: facebook.com/wayofrealdiscoveryinc
- Twitter: @wordinc_2001
- Youtube: WayOfRealDiscovery
- Other: Tik-Tok: @wayofrealdiscovery SnapChat: @wordinc_2001 Tumblr: @wordinc-2001
Image Credits
IG: @shotbyoddyssey