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Voices from the Road: From Maryland to Maine: Retracing my grandparents’ first road trip

BY CARLA JOELLE BROWN, ROADTRIPPERS MAGAZINE

 

MAY 1, 2023. While I was nearing the end of filming my documentary, Everyone But Two, we were provided an RV from Go RVing for our last trip retracing my grandparents’ original 1965 trip from Maryland to Maine.

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The Black RV Experience, Exploration and Community

BY RANDALL BLOOMQUIST, TOGETHER OUTDOORS

 

FEBRUARY 15, 2023. For too long, Black Americans were marginalized in our depictions and image of outdoor recreation. But in reality, Black people have a long and rich history with every type of exploration, adventure and relaxation, including RVing.

Take, for example, Benjamin and Frances Graham, a Black couple from Baltimore who bought a used 17’ Stardust travel trailer in the summer of 1965 with one idea in mind: to visit that year’s World’s Fair with their three young children. Thirty-five years, 94,000 miles, and three RVs later, Benjamin and Frances finally unhitched for the last time.

The Grahams’ granddaughter, Carla Brown, is making a documentary called Everybody But Two about their remarkable experience. She says her grandparents had a tremendous wanderlust and considered all sorts of ways to adventure before stumbling across an RV.

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Retracing Her Grandparents’ Camper Travels Through the Civil Rights Era,

BY RACHEL CAVANAUGH, COLUMBIA TOUGH MOTHER GUIDE 

 

FEBRUARY 10, 2023. Filmmaker Carla Joelle Brown’s documentary explores her grandparents’ silent activism through stunning outdoor spaces. Carla Joelle Brown grew up hearing stories about her grandparents’ free-wheeling road trip adventures through the United States.

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Voices From The Road:  Moose, mountains, and midnight sun: An epic Alaska road trip to honor my traveling grandparents

BY CARLA JOELLE BROWN, ROADTRIPPERS MAGAZINE

 

NOVEMBER 14, 2022. I am a first-time documentary filmmaker making a personal film, Everyone But Two, about my grandparents’ travels by trailer to all 48 contiguous states starting in 1965. Thankfully, my grandfather kept a fastidious travel log detailing their journey of more than 35 years. For the film, I decided to use the log to retrace their travels and visit at least one place they had been to in each state, while my friend and talented cinematographer Thomas documents it all on film. 

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"Everyone But Two: The Life, Love & Travel of Benjamin and Frances Graham" as the winner of No Man's Land Film Festival 2022 Black Filmmaker Grant!

No Man's Land Film Festival 

 

JULY 27, 2022. We are beyond thrilled to announce our 2022 Pitchfest Winners. Every year we give away three grants. One for Black filmmakers, one for Indigenous filmmakers and one for women and nonbinary filmmakers. ⁠These grants are made possible by our friends at @deuter, @deuter_usa and @dometic.

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Voices From The Road: Chasing Ghosts and State Parks on Maryland's South Shore 

BY CARLA JOELLE BROWN, ROADTRIPPERS MAGAZINE

 

JULY 11, 2022. If Maryland was a pair of silly pants, the lower right leg is what we refer to as the Eastern Shore. The left leg, running parallel to the right, is generally called Southern Maryland; both shores hug the Chesapeake Bay. At the southernmost tip of the left leg sits Point Lookout State Park. While mainly known for its Civil War history and blue crab fishing, I’ve decided to visit for an entirely different reason: I’ve heard several stories indicating that this park and its lighthouse are haunted.

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RMWORLD TRAVEL CONNECTION

with Robert & Mary Carey and Rudy Maxa 

"PERSONAL CONNECTION" SERIES - CARLA JOELLE BROWN 

 

In many ways the the “Personal Connection” segment of our show epitomizes the focus we have to talking “Everything & Anything in the World of Travel” — as we go about sharing the connections we all have to travel, ways travel can be transformational, the impacts of travel, along with accomplishments through travel and more.

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KOA Get Out There Grant: Upper Peninsula Of Michigan

KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA (KOA): GET OUT THERE GRANT 

 

KOA GETS YOU THERE

Our whole reason for being is to help people connect more closely to the natural world. It's been our mission since 1962. After nearly 60 years of inspiring people to get out there, we believe there's still a wide world to explore.

 

And what better way than to grant access to an adventure that once only lived in the imagination. That's why we established the KOA Get Out There Grant – to grant access to your wildest outdoor dreams.

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Chapter 1:Intergenerational Outdoor Legacy. The wisdom of our elders and the Opportunity to share the generational gifts the outdoors has given us. 

BLACK EARTH UNITED PRESENTS: THE  THROUGH LINE 2020 PANEL

 

The Through Line is a love story. It is pure joy. It is an opportunity to virtually bring together BIPOC designers, business owners, non-profit founders, and outdoor enthusiasts to share in community and talk openly about our experiences in the outdoors. Our focus is to amplify and advocate for Black and Brown folks to create the future we want to see in the outdoor industry. 

Carla Joelle Brown 3 Roads Press Release

Baltimore Woman Chronicles Grandparents’ Silent Civil Rights Protest In New Documentary “Everyone But Two”Involving 35 Years, 48 States, Vintage Home Movies, And An RV As The Star

3 ROADS COMMUNICATION PRESS RELEASE INTERVIEW

 

Visual artist and Baltimore native Carla Brown is busy these days putting the finishing touches on her documentary tribute to her grandparents Frances and Benjamin Graham.

 

What is helping to inspire her as she toils away is the image of Jennifer Lopez belting out “This Land is Your Land” at the Biden Inauguration ceremony, which Brown says perfectly captures the message that her grandparents were trying to send to African Americans throughout the United States by traveling the country in their trusty RV oftentimes going to places in the U.S. where African Americans had never been seen before.
 

Carla Joelle Brown RVX 2019 Interview

GORVing Presents RVX Live Interview 

BY ALAN TAYLOR, RVX LIVE 2019 INTERVIEW 
 
Carla Brown interview at RV Industry Association Expo, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Carla Joelle Brown Roadtrippers Article

This Black couple spent 35 years traveling 96,000 miles by RV - now their granddaughter is sharing their story. 

BY ALEXANDRA CHARITAN, ROADTRIPPERS MAGAZINE

 

NOVEMBER 23, 2021. Carla Brown’s biggest fear is death. In 2012, she was driving through Baltimore on her way to her office manager job at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). A bad storm had knocked down a stop sign, and a distracted driver hit Brown’s car. Luckily, the accident wasn’t as serious as it could have been, but in the split second before impact, Brown says she had a cinematic epiphany: “I really thought, ‘This is it,’ and I was most upset about all the things I hadn’t done. There’s just so much to see—and I want to see and do as much as possible.”

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Mountainfilm Announces 2021
Commitment Grant Winners

Mountainfilm awards a total of $30,000 to 13 projects

 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021. Mountainfilm is excited to announce the 2021 Commitment Grant recipients. From over a hundred applicants, thirteen projects were chosen that embody Mountainfilm’s mission to inspire audiences to create a better world.

Carla Joelle Brown Jennifer Mag Interview

The Art of Travel: USA Edition

BY JENNIFER COOPER, JENNIFER MAGAZINE

 

JULY 1, 2021. Summer is finally here and after a year and a half of being holed up in our homes, I thought it was high time to discuss travel.

Like, properly and enthusiastically.​

So I called up my friend and travel expert, Carla Joelle Brown. Carla has been to every single state in the U.S. for her documentary Everyone But Two. Considering the majority of us have only been to 12 states, at most, that’s quite an accomplishment.

 

In the documentary, currently in post-production, Carla retraces the path of her grandparents across the contiguous U.S. as a way to connect with her family legacy while exploring the history of Black mobility in America.

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Rise & Shine with Rona on Today's 97.5 Interview

BY RONA MENSAH, WV TODAY'S 97.5

 

FEBRUARY 16, 2021. I was invited to be a guest on West Virginia's Today's 97.5. 

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At Home with Kim Flowers

KIMBERLEY AMPREY FLOWERS FACEBOOK LIVE 

 

JANUARY 18, 2021. I was invited to be part of Kim Flowers inaugural lifestyle segment. For this 1st segment, I'm joined Kim to talk about   Everyone But Two!

Carla Joelle Brown Baltimore Post Examiner Interview

Filmmaker Follows Grandparents Tracks in ‘Everyone But Two’

BY ANTHONY C HAYES, BALTIMORE POST-EXAMINER

 

MAY 8, 2020. BALTIMORE — For most Americans, the idea of international travel is on a Covid-19-induced hiatus. Even coastal cruises and continental air trips may get a hard look, once the pandemic subsides. But for families like those of Baltimore filmmaker Carla Brown, life’s greatest adventures have always started at the end of their driveway and unfolded on the open road.

Washington Infor

Filmmaker Documents Grandparents’ Travel In RV During Civil Rights

BY STACY BROWN, WASHINGTON INFORMER 

 

MARCH 11, 2020. Carla Joelle Brown is nearing completion of a new film that documents her grandparents’ journey in a RV around the country in the 1960s— during the heart of the civil rights movement when racism and discrimination made such travel nearly impossible for African Americans

Carla Joelle Brown Travael Noire Interview

For A New Documentary, This Filmmaker Retraced The Travels Her Grandparents Took By RV

BY DEANNA TAYLOR, TRAVEL NOIRE

 

FEBRUARY 27,2020. Baltimore native Carla Brown never imagined that filmmaking would become her life. The Visual Arts major always had the ability to look at things from a different perspective and she also loved travel. After being inspired by her own grandparents and their travels, she decided to set out on a journey like none other.

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On The Road Again: One Woman’s Journey To Discover The Story Of Her Grandparents’ RV Adventures

BY SUSAN BLUTTMAN, RV INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

 

FEBRUARY 27,2020. Every family has its history, its stories. Maybe we hear them when we are children, and distracted by other things, don’t listen. But sometimes, when we are older and more interested, they may reveal a treasure of information.

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#47: Everyone But Two Part 2

BY GONETRIPPIN PODCAST

 

APRIL 8, 2019. We return to a previous guest, Carla, as we get an update on her documentary, her travels, and what she plans to do next. We talk getting hangry and the stress of planning big trips. Don’t forget to listen to #37: Everyone But Two to catch the first part of her interview.

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Everyone But Two Producer Krystal Tingle Southern Producers Lab 2019 Fellow

MARCH 12, 2019. The Southern Producers Lab 2019, produced and presented by the New Orleans Film Society, is a three-day event (March 20-22, 2019) designed to bring together emerging, diverse producers from around the South for an intensive series of workshops, panels, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and networking opportunities. 2019 Lab participants and advisors are announced on the left tab..

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#37: Everyone But Two 

BY GONETRIPPIN PODCAST

 

OCTOBER 19, 2018. Join our discussions as we talk with guest, Carla Brown, Director and Writer of the upcoming documentary EVERYONE BUT TWO: THE LIFE, LOVE & TRAVEL OF BENJAMIN AND FRANCES GRAHAM. Hosts Ren and Cam discuss the passion behind the story, the importance of taking paid time off, and why road trip travel is affordable.

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Everyone But Two

My grandparents visited almost every state in the country at a time when few other African Americans took the risk of traveling.

BY CARLA JOELLE BROWN, LENNY LETTER

 

OCTOBER 2, 2018. Many of you may have never heard of the publication the Negro Motorist Green Book, created by Victor H. Green, an African American postal worker from Harlem. Published from 1936 to 1967, the guide listed specific cities, entertainment venues, accommodations, and other businesses that were known to be tolerant of and welcoming to African American travelers. 

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Over 35 years, 94,000 miles and 48 states, the Grahams, a black couple from Baltimore, savored each adventure
BY JACQUES KELLY, THE BALTIMORE SUN

 

JULY 25, 2018. Over 35 years, 94,000 miles and 48 states, the Grahams, a black couple from Baltimore, savored each adventure: Local filmmaker Carla Joelle Brown is creating a documentary about her maternal grandparents, a postal worker and a school teacher, who began their travels while living on Arunah Avenue in West Baltimore.

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Love Is In The Air

BY JEN COOPER, HEY, JEN COOPER PODCAST

 

DECEMBER 14, 2017. Philosophers study it. Poets write about it. Crooners sing about its ability to bewitch, bother, and bewilder us all. Today, we’re talking about life and, yes, love with artist and documentarian Carla Joelle Brown.

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Everyone but two: a love story of national park travels in the 60's African American Nature & Parks Experience
BY TERESA BAKER, AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURE & PARKS EXPERIENCE

 

NOVEMBER 29, 2017. Everyone but two: a love story of national park travels in the 60’s: Everyone But Two, a story of an African American family traveling the country by trailer, during one of the most turbulent times in history. A story told by their granddaughter, Carla Brown.

Carla Joelle Brown Docs in Progress Fellow

Docs In Progress

FEBRUARY 6, 2017. Docs In Progress is pleased to announce the participants in our Fellowship Program. Selected through a competitive application process, these ten Fellows represent emerging documentary filmmakers with a variety of professional backgrounds and at different stages of their current documentaries-in-progress.

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Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance

APRIL 1, 2016. Introducing the Rubys. What impact does a Rubys Artist Project Grant have on an artist? Introducing five grantees from 2014 and 2015.

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Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance

APRIL 22, 2014. The Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) is pleased to announce the 13 artists selected for the inaugural Rubys Artist Project Grants. Awards from $2,000 to $10,000 were made to support artists that reflect a diversity of talent and creativity for projects including immersive theater, interactive media experiences, documentary film and musical composition.

Carla Joelle Brown Baltimore Sun

Catonsville Artist Awarded $10,000 Grant

BY LAUREN LORICCHIO, CATONSVILLE TIMES

APRIL 25, 2014. ​As an interdisciplinary artist, Carla Brown often uses printmaking and photography to explore themes of gender, race and family in her artwork. That personal exploration grew to encompass her family and make a documentary about her grandparents' experience traveling across the country in the 1960s and '70s.

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