Live performances will put the heart in our special History, Heart & Honor event, with storytelling that will touch your soul and music that will send your spirits soaring.

Decorated veteran-turned-country singer-songwriter Keni Thomas headlines the celebration. You’ll be captivated by Keni’s personal account and life lessons from when he served as a U.S. Army Ranger in the chaotic Battle of Mogadishu (also known as the Black Hawk Down Incident) in Somalia. You’ll then be inspired by Keni’s powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics, as he performs his own music featuring themes of patriotism and perseverance in the face of life’s challenges.  

Opening for Keni will be singing historian Roy Justice, who will perform a folk-style song about Homeland’s history written especially for this occasion. Roy’s interest in music, history, and storytelling comes from his own historical ancestry. He is a distant cousin to the Civil War poet and musician Sydney Lanier, and his paternal Great-Grandmother was a well-known storyteller in Ashville, NC. Additionally, Roy’s maternal Great-Grandfather was a recognized tap dancer in New York City, who performed (according to family anecdotes) with the great entertainer George M. Cohan!