Program Leaders

Lynn Rhoades is co-founder of Authoring Action and Executive Director for the organization. An artist in her own right, Rhoades’ love of performance art and passion for the welfare of young people merged with her commitment to social justice to give birth to the idea of Authoring Action, where the voices and dreams of young people find a forum among the adults who most affect their lives. For 15 years, Rhoades has served as a passionate, active and vocal community leader in fostering cross cultural understanding and social change. Rhoades is a co-facilitator of Cultural Competency and Closing the Achievement Gap training for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools; a part-time pastor of Danbury Community Church and former Associate Pastor for Wake Forest Baptist Church; a facilitator of College 200 at Salem College, a service and leadership class; a former clergy trainer for domestic violence awareness; a former member of the Faith in Action Committee of the Domestic Violence Community Council; a member of the Community Advisory Council for Hospice and Palliative Care - Walnut Cove office; a clergy member of Vigils for Healing - inactive, a community project which holds vigils for families of victims of homicide; and an advisory board member for Winston-Salem Sate University’s Center for Community Safety. A native of Winston-Salem, Rhoades studied writing, voice performance, musical theatre and political science at Carson Newman College and received a Master's of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Award Winning Script Writer, Filmmaker, Intensive Spoken Word Educator, Nathan Ross Freeman, an Impact Communications Specialist,was awarded 2007 B.E.S.T. Outstanding Faculty  as Member of the Intensive Writing Faculty teaching Screenwriting/Playwriting at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Mr. Freeman was the 2008-09 Visiting Writer at  Salem College: Upper Level Screenwriting, Introduction and Intermediate Poetry and Creative Writing.  Mr. Freeman is a member of the NC Humanities Speakers Bureau, Founder of Montage Showcase Ensemble, Assegai Film Group, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Authoring Action Youth Institute, Mr. Bones Film, Llc, The Quad Films, Llc. As a statewide resident NC Playworks Playwright Mr. Freeman is a key co-developer of the NCEdTA  state wide curriculum for Playworks in the Schools (K4-12).  Mr. Freeman was a Panelist for the 2009 NC Arts Council Playwrights/Screen Writer Fellowship. 

Nathan Ross Freeman, Author, Director, was Awarded the 2005 San Francisco Black Film Festival Screenplay Contest Second in Overall Scoring for “Hannah Elias”, Awarded Third Runner Up, 2005 Great Lakes Film Festival Screenplay Contest for “Geist”.  Feature Films include: Mr. Bones, Godly Decisions, Authoring Action (documentary).

Mr. Freeman is the  Writer, Director, Producer of the Independent Feature Film, Mr. Bones the official selection of 12 National and International Festivals, to include 5 Invitations and won First Place awards at the following : Best Drama, Editing, Scoring,  2007 Southern Appalachian Film Festival, TN State, Best Feature, 2008Auburn International Film Festival, Atlanta, GA.; 2009 Distinguished Film of the 15^th Anniversary Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Festival, CA . 2009;  Best Feature, Philadelphia International Film Festival.

Independent Short Film Productions:

Francine, Official Selection 2007 New York Short Film Festival: writer, director, cinematographer, editor; Going Dancing: Co-writer, director, cinematographer, editor; Marianna: writer, director, cinematographer, editor; Campfire: writer, director, cinematographer, editor; Freedom Music Video: director, cinematographer, editor; Trim:  director, cinematographer, editor; Candy: Sonya Henderson Music Video, director, cinematographer, editor.