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40 maconmagazine.com | June/July 2025 F O R U N I O N V I L L E , B Y U N I O N V I L L E L E A H D U V A L : C R E AT I V E ly enhancing a historic neighborhood through art and music M acon born and historic Unionville bred Leah Duval's got nothing but love for her neighborhood. So much so, she's planning toward giving back to the community that shaped her next summer in the form of an arts and music festival titled For Unionville by Unionville (F.U.B.U.). F. U . B . U . F o u n d a t i o n s Since childhood, 23-year-old Leah Duval of Macon has had the music in her. As a child she sang, which eventually led to her developing into a formidable soprano as a teen and young adult. Her love for singing also manifested into the creation of Gifted Harmony – a special needs gospel choir for adults, directed by her mother Wanda Davis Duval. STORY BY CLARENCE W. THOMAS, JR. Leah's love for music and singing are major. Right there with her love for the community and the people within it that helped to mold her into who she is. Her intense connection to Unionville is rooted in her rearing. Her grandparents have lived on Key Court since 1962. And she lived nearby on Carlisle Avenue as a youth. "Even though I moved away I always came back to Unionville," she shared in reference to her college career at School of the Art Institute of Chicago until her graduation with a degree in art administration and policy in May. "Our family is close and so I feel very compelled to keep returning." Her desire to give back to the community that gave her so much is For Unionville By Unionville (F.U.B.U.), a neighborhood arts and music festival slated for the summer of 2026 at Henderson Stadium. It's designed to bring together Unionville residents and all Macon for the purpose of re- instilling community pride and respect for the neighborhood, as it doubles as a platform for creatives beyond the borders of downtown and neighboring communities Duval shared. The initiative is inspired by the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in Chicago – where she worked while attending school and stands to right historic wrongs, too, she added. Wrongs like the separation of Unionville because of the opening of I-75. Redlining. And what she feels has been increased neglect and divestment for a number of years. To check Macon's temperature around these issues and see if residents agree with her vision for an