Editor’s Note: Portions of this story, including direct quotes from filmmaker Ciara Ingram and Bryan Roberson, were originally reported by The Daily Memphian in a Feb. 16 article written by Vani Jaishankur. Quotes are attributed accordingly and can be found in the original story here: https://dailymemphian.com/article/59734/memphis-content-creator-bryan-roberson-featured-pbs-yobreezye
Memphis storytelling is going national.
Bryan Roberson — known across the city’s creative scene as YoBreezye — is featured in a new PBS digital series exploring how culture and identity are preserved through modern storytelling.
Roberson appears in episode two of “The Story in Us,” an eight-part documentary series streaming on PBS Voices, PBS’ YouTube channel dedicated to short-form documentaries. The episode, titled “From Front Porches to Feeds,” was released January 15 and highlights Southern creators who are using digital platforms to reclaim and reshape their narratives.
From Memphis Porches to Digital Platforms
The episode centers on how storytelling traditions in the South — especially those rooted in community spaces like front porches — are evolving in the age of social media.
“For my film particularly, historically, the front porch in the South is where stories kind of take place and live,” filmmaker Ciara Ingram told The Daily Memphian. “Where memories are shared, where identity is shaped, just where you get a feel for your overall community.”
Roberson embodies that evolution.
A content producer, curator and DJ, he uses platforms like Instagram and TikTok to spotlight Memphis artists, art shows and cultural moments, ensuring that creatives who may not receive mainstream attention still feel seen and valued.
“I just wanted to create a space and time to show these artists … your work is just as important and your voice is just as important as someone who does get covered in a larger publication,” Roberson told The Daily Memphian.
Rooted in Memphis, Amplified Nationwide
Roberson began building his creative foundation while studying mass communication at Middle Tennessee State University. During college, he explored photography, DJing and curating art shows, and launched a magazine titled VSNR (Visual Art, Lifestyle, Nightlife and Rhymes).
After being inspired by Nashville’s art scene, Roberson returned home to Memphis in 2021 with a mission: highlight the depth of creative talent shaping the city.
Ingram said that’s exactly what drew her to him.
“Bryan felt like a bridge between generations,” she told The Daily Memphian. “His work is deeply rooted in Memphis history and the bubbling art scene that’s happening in Memphis, and he was using his digital platform. I saw him carrying that history forward.”
Ingram herself has strong Memphis ties. Born in South Memphis and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas, she intentionally chose Memphis as a filming location for the episode.
“My goal has always been to shine a light on the different creative aspects that were happening back home,” she told The Daily Memphian.
B-roll footage throughout the episode features iconic Memphis landmarks including Beale Street, B.B. King Boulevard, The Old Daisy Theatre and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music — visual reminders that Memphis storytelling has always shaped global culture.
Continuing the Tradition of Cultural Preservation
“The Story in Us” explores cultural storytelling across communities nationwide, with other episodes highlighting Navajo Nation weavers, Chicano Theatre in San Jose, Puerto Rican trova traditions, Harlem griots and artisans in Chihuahua, Mexico.
But episode two makes one thing clear: Memphis remains a living archive.
Through his lens, Roberson documents creativity in real time — preserving moments, elevating artists and continuing a long-standing tradition of Southern storytelling in a digital age.
Because in Memphis, the stories don’t just live on front porches.
They live online. And they travel far beyond city limits.
