Penelope French

Penelope French (they/she/he), known as The Soulful Siren, is a revolutionary soul singer and songwriter from Lansing, Michigan whose work draws deeply from Motown traditions and the gospel quartet sound that shaped their early musical life. French’s dynamic vocal approach moves fluidly across genres — pop soul, rock soul, jazz soul, funk soul, and classical soul — creating a sound that honors lineage while expanding its possibilities.

Beyond performance, French is a womanist spiritualist activist and community organizer committed to cultivating spaces of healing and transformation. Holding an MA in Interreligious Leadership with a concentration in Justice, Peace-building, and Conflict Transformation from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, French has spent more than fifteen years organizing spiritual communities with a particular focus on care and restoration within Black queer communities. They currently serve as Executive Director of Neighbor, a healing justice organization within the Movement for Black Lives ecosystem dedicated to liberation and creative self-expression.

As part of the Black Life Everywhere Atlanta cohort, French’s music contributes a sonic dimension to the series’ exploration of Black life in relation — carrying forward traditions of soul music rooted in struggle, faith, survival, and joy while offering contemporary expressions of possibility.