RODERICK
RED
CEO + FILMMAKER + COMMUNITY BUILDER
I’m an award-winning filmmaker and communications strategist with 13+ years of experience leading media, advocacy, and initiatives centered around equity and justice. I’ve led regional and national communications campaigns, directed impact-focused documentaries, and built narrative infrastructures for grassroots and government-backed initiatives. I specialize in creative leadership, cultural strategy, and shaping communication that drive transformation.
FOUNDER & CEO | 2012–Present
I’m proud to have built one of the south’s leading media and cultural strategy firms. I’ve led award-winning projects for national clients, including multi-year government and nonprofit initiatives.
+ I’ve scaled RED SQUARED from a one-person creative studio to a regional production powerhouse with a full time staff and an expanding division of production services and rental offerings.
+ I’ve led narrative-driven campaigns for organizations including the USDA and The Jackson Heart Study.
+ I’ve developed crisis communications strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest.
+ I’m positioning RED SQUARED as a thought partner on equity and narrative change in Mississippi and beyond.
FILM + MEDIA
I produce and direct documentary films that move with intention. They are often grounded in real stories, shaped by cultural strategy, and built in collaboration with community-rooted organizations. My work turns lived experience into stories that inform, connect, and push for change.
THE DEFENDERS (2022)
A short film about lawyers representing black Mississippians with limited resources during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement and inspiring hundreds of lawyers that came to work in Mississippi, transforming the legal infrastructure of the state.
Official Selection: Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, Oxford Film Festival, The March on Washington Film Festival, The Jackson Film Festival
PROMISED LAND (2023)
A short film chronicling the history of Mound Bayou, Mississippi—one of the first all-Black towns in America while celebrating the achievements of its residents while contributing to conversations about its future.
MISSISSIPPI LEFT ME OUT (2016)
A short film exploring the struggles of hardworking Mississippians facing the devastating consequences of inadequate healthcare access and the impact of the State of Mississippi’s decision not to expand Medicaid.
COMMUNITY & IMPACT
(2017–Present) Business Association of Midtown (BAM) – President
(2021–Present) Midtown Partners, Inc. – Board of Directors
(2024–Present) New Stage Theatre – Board of Trustees
(2018–Present) FLEET Creative Collective – Founder & Creative Director
AWARDS
(2019) Mississippi Business Journal Top 50 Under 40
(2022) Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival – Best Short Documentary
(2022) The March on Washington Film Festival – Featured Selection
› LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION
› CURRENT WORK
Delta Regional Food Business Center (2024–Present) – USDA-funded $30M initiative transforming food systems across the rural South. Leading strategy, stakeholder messaging, and internal & public-facing communications across five states.
Jackson Heart Study Community Engagement Center (2020–Present) – Directing statewide public health campaigns reaching underserved communities now and during the pandemic. Recognized by the Biden Administration's White House Task Force for innovative outreach to Black Mississippians.
The Hangar in Midtown (2022–Present) – Founder of a creative production campus in Jackson, MS, designed to serve as a hub for Southern storytellers and creative economy infrastructure. Leading capital campaign and development strategy for a full-service industry standard soundstage.