Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 2-4-22

Local
The Importance of HBCUs
Police To Host Forum On Gun Violence
Was The Focus Of Straz
On Monday, February 7th, Interim Tampa Police Chief Ruben Delgado will host the Second Community Forum On Gun Violence. The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Springhill Park Community Center, 1000 E. Eskimo Av- enue, Tampa, FL, 33604.
Everyone is encouraged to attend and join in the dis- cussion as we to find solu- tions to address gun violence in our communities.
Since the beginning of the year, 8 people have lost
their lives to gun violence. Last year, nearly 50 people died as a result of gun vio- lence in the community.
Chief Delgado will ad- dress what the department is doing to combat gun violence and the new initiatives in place to help combat the problem.
Ms. Patricia Brown,
founder and CEO of “Rise Up For Peace,” will be on hand to address those in atten- dance. Ms. Brown is a par- ent who lost her son in March 2020 to gun violence.
Town Hall Series
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are the backbone for higher educa- tion for the Black community.
The Straz Center series, Voices of the Community, offered a vir- tual town hall meeting on the importance of HBCUs. The town hall was held recently.
Voices of the Community vir- tual town hall meetings provide a safe space to share stories and experiences, cultivating relation- ships, and highlighting topics or pieces of art created by or about Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC.) The goal is to ed- ucate those who want to learn about Black lives and the contri- butions of the Black community.
The moderator for the virtual session was the Artist in Resi- dence and Community Engage- ment Specialist, Fred Johnson.
“I think that it is beneficial for people who haven’t experienced the richness of a HBCU. They do not know how far these institu- tions have come. Many HBCUs were started in church base- ments.”
“HBCU graduates talk about the sense of pride and community that comes with going to a HBCU. The immersion in a world where people look like you and want the best for you. Peo- ple in positions want the best for you.”
“People who have never felt discrimination can learn a lot about our inspirations, lives, and support system,” stated Mr. Johnson.
According to the United Negro College Fund, “HBCUs provide a stable and nurturing environ- ment for those most at risk of not entering or completing college: low-income, first-generation col- lege students. Many of these stu- dents are academically underprepared for college, yet they're precisely the students that the country most needs to obtain college degrees.”
Several HBCU graduates shared heartfelt stories from their time at their HBCU as well as the continued benefits that bless them every day.
Participating in the discussion were Paul Wiggan from Florida Memorial, Chandra Fleet from Bethune-Cookman University, Imani Asukili from Morris Brown College, Kim- berly Rainey from Clark At- lanta University, and the father/son duo Dan Mathis. Jr., and Dan Mathis, III, from Florida A & M University.
The central theme of the dis-
FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY
cussion was the tremendous support each person received from their HBCU.
Future Voice of the Commu- nity events are scheduled for March, April, and May.
On March 24, 2022, the town hall will be - Meet the Creators: An evening with regional com- posers, playwrights, choreogra-
RUBEN DELGADO INTERIM POLICE CHIEF
phers, film
designers.
Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/s/83 878404146
On April 28, 2022, the town hall will be - An Evening of Au- gust Wilson: Celebrating the great American playwright.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/85 038758533
On May 26, 2022, the town hall will be – BIPOC Voices in the Media: A deep dive into the ever-changing media land- scape.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/83 263993950
makers and link:
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