Photograph by Lynsey Weatherspoon
On a recent evening inside One Contemporary Gallery in Sweet Auburn, the usual quiet of an art space gave way to lively conversation as a different kind of event began.
About 100 people, from young children to retirees, helped themselves to a spread of sandwiches, fruits, and drinks before making their way upstairs to eat, view the artwork, and mingle with familiar faces and new attendees.
Afterward, they gathered for a conversation featuring Mike Jordan, a senior editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution who helms the paper’s new Black culture section, UATL. “Journalism needs more people who care about the truth,” said Jordan, who discussed the need for media transparency and journalistic integrity, and the role of Black culture reporting in Atlanta.
The evening event—part soiree, part community discussion—was hosted by The Tenth, a new salon-style social club in Atlanta, founded by married couple and longtime Atlantans Clint and Nasim Fluker. Part of the Flukers’ mission is to facilitate discussions that highlight important perspectives on today’s issues.
Photograph by Lynsey Weatherspoon
The couple created The Tenth as a space for the “intellectually curious and creative,” as the club’s website puts it. It is a gathering place for people seeking meaningful conversation, deeper connections in their community, and initiation into the city’s arts and culture scene.
“We’re not just about intellectual discourse,” says Nasim Fluker. “We’re equally invested in the dynamism of creativity and culture. We want to be a place where people who are new to the city can become part of the cultural fabric of Atlanta, and a place where people who have been here for generations can continue to learn and grow.”
Salon-style gatherings have historically been a way to have intellectual discussions about community building and culture in a relaxed, home-based setting. The Tenth was inspired by the famed salons of the Harlem Renaissance and the Negritude movement in Paris, as well as the work of cultural figures who pioneered Black intellectual gatherings, such as Alain Locke, the Nardal sisters, and A’Lelia Walker.
Its name is a direct nod to W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of the Talented Tenth, which proposed that the top 10 percent of Black men—those who acquired a college education and were directly involved in social change—could lead the community’s advancement in society.
The Tenth seeks to reclaim that concept’s core ideals; but where Du Bois’s original meaning of the term was criticized as exclusionary, The Tenth aims to be more inclusive. Unlike many social clubs, it requires no specific degree or job title. Membership includes access to the monthly salon series, plus invitations to small-group experiences and discounted event tickets. The club also hosts occasional free events open to the public.
Photograph by Lynsey Weatherspoon
The Flukers have been hosting salons around town for more than a decade. Soul Food Sunday, which they ran out of their home for two years, started as a way to stay socially engaged while raising their two children. Over time, that vision expanded into partnerships with organizations such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Villa Albertine, and SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.
Photograph by Lynsey Weatherspoon
To date, The Tenth has hosted conversations with filmmakers David and Matthew Adeboyé, Netflix host and food writer Stephen Satterfield, artist Shanequa Gay, and other thought leaders, artists, and creatives in various places around the city.
The club has no fixed location; instead, The Tenth hosts pop-up events around town, often at venues steeped in the past century of Atlanta’s Black history, such as the Hamilton Howell House, Haugabrooks Gallery, and the Hammonds House Museum.
“It’s about creating a sense of discovery, a journey through Atlanta,” says Nasim, “all while preserving the intimacy needed to foster genuine connection.”
For Black Atlantans, being part of a social club that honors their history in such a prominent way—right down to the choice of venue—adds unique value to the experience. “We’re often told by people who attend our events that it feels like church,” says Clint Fluker. “For Black creatives and professionals, this is more than just a social club; it’s a sanctuary.”
Photograph by Lynsey Weatherspoon
Many attendees, Clint adds, are seeking spaces where they can share something meaningful and feel heard while exploring what makes this city and their community unique. To spark such conversations, each Tenth gathering begins with a thought-provoking question for the audience: At the event at One Contemporary Gallery, it was “What makes you come alive?”
Such contemplations emphasize the club’s ethos: Rather than being a networking opportunity filled with small talk and rehearsed elevator pitches, The Tenth is an invitation to engage meaningfully with others in the community.
Looking ahead, the Flukers hope to expand The Tenth to cities beyond Atlanta, offering more ways for members to connect both digitally and in person and partnering with organizations that share their mission.
“The Tenth is more than just a social club,” says Nasim. “It’s a movement. It’s not about scale, but about the depth of connection.”
This article appears in our May 2025 issue.
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