All Y'all is a video series that's focused on connecting people from different backgrounds and helping them find inspiration in one another. As part of the series, we find Southerners who are making a difference in their communities and we introduce them to the world through highly shareable video that makes viewers feel connected to the subjects. The series launched with "Feed the Need," the inspirational story of Lisa Thomas-McMillan, who started a restaurant that only accepts donations in Brewton, Alabama. Lisa's story is core to the mission of All Y'all: to highlight the people who are making the South a better place.
We believe everyone's story is important, and deserves to look and feel that way. All Y'all takes a cinematic approach to social video -- subjects tell their own stories while we recreate pivotal moments from their life. We select inspirational stories that we know will resonate with audiences and result in high engagement.
"Feed the Need" had more than 1.1 million video views across Facebook and YouTube, but it was the feedback from viewers that really showed us the approach was working. In a year full of so many challenges, people told us how meaningful it was to hear stories about others doing good work in their communities. They donated to Lisa's restaurant, Drexell & Honeybee's. They opened up and shared their own stories with us. They left encouraging notes for one another. And they much of this in social media commenting spaces, showing that kind, respectful discourse is possible, and reflecting the mission of the series: to help people find inspiration in one another.
