Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Walker – E. Micheaux.
Edwin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey really began with a leap of faith. Just three months into adulthood at 18 years old, I packed up and moved to Los Angeles with $1,700 in my pocket and a relentless drive to tell stories. Coming from a background raised by a single mother on the south-side of Chicago, I had to grow up fast, embrace the hustle, and learn every corner of the industry from the ground up.
That 13-year chapter in LA was my proving ground. I cut my teeth as an actor, appearing on shows like Free Bert, Atlanta, Chicago P.D, Empire, and BMF, while simultaneously building my behind-the-camera career. In 2012, I launched my production company, Edclusive Entertainment, to take control of the narrative. I adopted the moniker E. Micheaux a tribute to pioneer Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and creating community intentionally. Over the years, that work grew into writing, directing, and producing projects across major platforms like Netflix, BET, CNN, Peacock, and Comedy Central. Early recognitions from the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award and Essence Magazine added value to the vision, paving the way for indie features like “Caged Birds” and impactful documentary work like the Emmy® Award-winning documentary “Preschool to Prison”. However, as my work evolved, I realized my creative calling was bigger than traditional filmmaking alone. The challenges of the pandemic and the broader cultural shifts in 2020 served as a major turning point. I moved back home to Chicago, did deep internal work, and felt called to expand beyond the screen. I also continued my evolution as a Creative Architect and Mixed Media Artist. In 2021, I founded Lab Eighty 8, a creative experience brand and community dedicated to building curated spaces, exhibits, and installations for artists of color. What started as a response to the lack of dedicated creative spaces has expanded into global installation work across hubs like Houston, Los Angeles, London, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta, collaborating with brands like Nike, Saint Heron, AfroPunk, Uninterrupted, and Netflix.
Today, whether I’m directing and producing the upcoming documentary project “The Price of Saving Kids” that sheds light on 81-year-old Carol Doe Porter co-founder of Houston’s historic Kid-Care who is rebuilding her legacy and name or curating a physical installation, acting or developing a new story, my core mission remains the same, to amplify Black creative voices, humanize our narrative, and build sustainable, equitable spaces where the next generation of creators can thrive unapologetically.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. No smooth road. Many ups and downs. It’s been a constant test of resilience. Moving to LA at 18 with just $1,700 meant learning to survive, grow up fast, and navigate an industry that often lacks true equity for Black artists. The biggest struggles came from industry instability weathering pandemic shutdowns, Hollywood strikes, dry spells, and burnout alongside the personal weight of dealing with untreated life traumas and performative industry promises. I got through it by mastering the pivot, establishing a rule to give set backs “no more than 24 hours” of energy, and building a solid collective of creative peers. The road was rough, but every setback forced me to build my own table rather than wait for a seat at someone else’s.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I Do & What I Specialize In
At my core, I am a Creative Architect, Mixed Media Artist, and Emmy® Award-winning Filmmaker. My work lives at the intersection of film, visual art, experiential curation, and cultural advocacy. Through my production company, Edclusive Entertainment, I write, direct, and produce narrative and unscripted projects for networks like Netflix, BET, CNN, and Peacock. Through my creative experience brand, Lab Eighty 8, I design, curate, and engineer immersive physical installations, spaces, and exhibits across major hubs like Houston, Los Angeles, London, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta.
What I’m Known For
I’m best known for acting, storytelling, creating and facilitating spaces that unabashedly humanize the Black narrative. Whether it’s produce-driven documentary work like the Emmy®-winning documentary “Preschool to Prison” and my upcoming film “The Price of Saving Kids”, or independent features like “Caged Birds” and “Peep Game” my work confronts systemic issues while keeping human dignity, vulnerability, and truth at the center. In the visual arts space, I’m recognized for creating bold, transformative environments for premier partners like Nike, Saint Heron, AfroPunk, and Uninterrupted that allow artists of color to showcase their work with true creative freedom.
What Sets Me Apart
What sets me apart is that I don’t fit neatly into a single discipline or box. I approach media as an architect building both the content and the physical or digital ecosystem around it. I move fluidly between acting, writting, directing, producing, creative art, and spatial design. Taking on the moniker E. Micheaux in honor of legendary pioneer Oscar Micheaux isn’t just a nod to history, it’s my personal mandate to remain a disruptor, own my intellectual property, and create sustainable access for the next generation.
What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m most proud of building spaces and projects that provide genuine agency and equity for Black creatives. Winning awards and securing major brand deals is meaningful, but nothing beats knowing that a human interest story I created helped shift public understanding, or that a Lab Eighty 8 experience gave an independent artist of color the platform and resources to be seen, heard, and paid fairly. Creating work that outlives the noise and builds real legacy, that’s what I’m proudest of.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is impact, equity, and legacy.
As a filmmaker and artist, I care deeply about using media to humanize the Black experience and confront systemic realities with truth and dignity. But beyond the art itself, I care about ownership and sustainable space for Black storytellers. Through my creative community, Lab Eighty 8, my focus is ensuring that artists of color aren’t just featured, but supported, resourced, and empowered to own their narratives.
At this stage in my life, success isn’t defined by accolades it’s defined by how many doors I can open for others and whether the work I leave behind makes a real difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/theeedwinwalker
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeedwinwalker?igsh=MWpkMGw2bWpyajg2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/labeighty8?igsh=MTBkdHN4bWkwN3ZlZg==
- Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/edclusiveent?igsh=MWQzYTJwd3lwdnNvYw==
- Youtube: https://vimeo.com/832410975
