{"id":15262,"date":"2025-06-04T12:03:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T16:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/femimagazine.com\/?p=15262"},"modified":"2025-06-04T12:04:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T16:04:28","slug":"activist-author-gee-smalls-releases-powerful-new-memoir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/femimagazine.com\/?p=15262","title":{"rendered":"Activist & Author Gee Smalls Releases Powerful New Memoir"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ATLANTA, GA \u2014 Gregory \u201cGee\u201d Smalls, Sr., nationally recognized LGBTQ activist, philanthropist, father, husband, and entrepreneur, has released a deeply personal new memoir titled Black Enough, Man Enough: Embracing My Mixed Race and Sexual Identity.<\/a> The book, which debuted last month, has already sparked powerful conversations around race, masculinity, and sexual identity.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Smalls\u2014no stranger to national platforms like Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Aspire TV\u2014invites readers on what he calls \u201ca riveting, contemporary journey through multiple comings-out to authentically live his unique identity.\u201d From his early struggles growing up biracial in the Gullah Geechee community of James Island, South Carolina, to his evolution as a proud gay Black man, the memoir is a raw, unfiltered chronicle of resilience, love, and self-discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew I was different, called \u2018punk\u2019 or \u2019half-breed,\u2019 teased for my light bright skin, soft curly afro, freckly face, and feminine ways,\u201d Smalls writes. \u201cGrowing up the child of a Black daddy and white momma in the Gullah Geechee culture\u2026 I was an outsider.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From marriage to his high school sweetheart and fatherhood, to a painful divorce and custody battle, Smalls shares his internal conflicts and eventual liberation as he learned to embrace his truth. His journey led to marrying the love of his life, Juan, with whom he co-owns Virgil\u2019s Gullah Kitchen and Bar, a popular Atlanta-based restaurant celebrating Gullah Geechee cuisine and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virgil\u2019s quickly became a cornerstone for Black LGBTQ visibility in Atlanta, offering not just food, but a space that honors cultural pride and queer identity. The Smalls\u2019 unique blend of authenticity, activism, and entrepreneurship continues to draw in a loyal customer base from across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the kitchen and the page, Gee Smalls is also the co-creator of The Gentlemen\u2019s Ball, an annual Black-tie fundraiser uplifting the accomplishments of Black LGBTQ individuals. Proceeds from the event support The Gentlemen\u2019s Foundation, which provides mentorships, scholarships, and holistic development for Black LGBTQ men.<\/p>\n\n\n

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In a moving reflection from the book, Smalls shares:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of my life, I\u2019ve lived trying to be enough. Black enough. Man enough. Strong enough\u2026 GOOD ENOUGH. I am fortunate enough to have come out on the other side of knowing that I am already enough, just the way I am. And you are enough too, just the way you are. I invite you to own that and set yourself free.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Enough, Man Enough: Embracing My Mixed Race and Sexual Identity <\/a>is now available on Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ATLANTA, GA \u2014 Gregory \u201cGee\u201d Smalls, Sr., nationally recognized LGBTQ activist, philanthropist, father, husband, and entrepreneur, has released a deeply personal new memoir titled…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2436],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nActivist & Author Gee Smalls Releases Powerful New Memoir - 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