Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Walker.
Joshua was born and raised on a farm in South Carolina and attended Winthrop University as a Political Science major and Theater Performance minor.
I discovered my talent and passion for acting and other arts in college, and that was when the spark was lit. Upon moving to Los Angeles four years ago, I created The Social Renaissance Project with my good friend Avery Archie, a media production company that creates video content dedicated to raising awareness on societal issues in America.
I have always been a champion of the people. I know what its like to be mistreated for being who I am, and it was also the reason I pursued Political Science at first; I wanted to make a difference. It didn’t take long to determine that I was not built for the world of politics or law as a career, so I combined my passions into what I do now.
I also currently work at Paramount Studios for the number one show on daytime, Dr. Phil. My story has been pretty random LOL.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
NO! It has not been a smooth road AT ALL! LOL
I am so grateful for my journey and my path because it is my own and its the only one I have to deal with, but it was not easy. When I decided to move to LA, I had no plan, no job, and no place to stay. I also didn’t know many people here, but I felt like it was something I needed to do.
When I got here, I blew most of my money on Air BnBs because I could not find a place to stay, I was having a hard time finding a job, and I was also struggling with paying bills.
But here I am four years later with so much to show for it, and I am happy for my struggles because I know they prepared me for something greater and had made me a stronger and more resilient person.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Josh, You Trippin – what should we know?
The Social Renaissance Project was created to be a catalyst for social change and is based on digital platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Recently, Avery Archie, my partner in crime, have branched off and begun doing parody videos where we gender bend the characters.
Our Grey’s Anatomy videos have been a big hit online. We are just waiting for Shonda Rhimes to notice us. Some of our videos now have millions of views on Facebook! One of our short films was even accepted into the Palms Springs LGBTQ festival this year.
This is a line taken directly from Avery’s interview, but it perfectly sums up our process, “Joshua and I can have an idea one week and then start shooting it the next just because we want to get started and done. Most of the time our projects are self-funded with a zero dollar budget so we just aim to make our videos with the best quality we can with my own equipment and people seem to enjoy it!”
I also recently, started the travel blog, Josh, You Trippin, which aims to give audiences an authentic look at the world traveling as a black man. So far the blog has taken me to so many amazing places and has caused me to go so far out of my comfort zone to do the thing I never thought I would do like take a helicopter ride and dangle my legs out the side of it!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I owe a lot of my success to my friends that come out and support me in projects without hesitation. If ever I need an extra, or a production assistant, director, camera op, or anything else. I know I can rely on my friends to help out.
However, I would feel remiss if I don’t specifically shout out Avery Archie. She has been my creative partner and director of photography in basically everything I do.
We are strangely always on the same wavelength to the point that whenever I have a hard time communicating what I want, she is usually already doing it or planning a way to make it happen. It has even gotten to the point that we even end up dressing alike when we go to events together. Lol.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joshyoutrippin.com
- Email: joshyoutrippin@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshyoutrippin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkerj5
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
