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City Of Tampa Black History Committee Hosts 29th Black History Celebration
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Former state Sen. Arthe- nia Joyner delivered a fiery speech at the City of Tampa’s annual Black History pro- gram on Tuesday, throwing darts at President Donald Trump’s travel ban and other policies and urging unity against divisive actions.
Atty. Joyner opened her keynote address at the 29th Annual Black History Cele- bration recalling that the event shared the same yearly anniversary as the Civil Lib- erties Act of 1988, a federal law that granted reparations to Japanese Americans who were interned by the govern- ment during World War II.
“I see the dissent in your faces,” she told the audience of several hundred gathered at the Tampa Convention Center. “What does this have to do with Black History Month?”
Atty. Joyner – who
served 16 years in the Florida Legislature before leaving of- fice last year due to term lim- its – wasted no time connecting the dots between the historic legislation and the month-long observance of African-American heritage and achievement.
While great strides have been made over the years, “... we continue to face monu- mental challenges,” she said.
Policies like Trump’s travel ban that blocked the entry of refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries puts people in the “crosshairs” of politics, Joyner said.
“If we are to improve the plight of working people...do we demonize other people?” she said.
In every African-Ameri- can flows the blood of “men and women born in servi- tude” and who “bled and died” to integrate restaurants and water fountains, she said.
Among the participants in the City of Tampa Black History Com- mittee Black History Program on Tuesday, February 28th were: from left, former State Senator Atty. Arthenia Joyner, guest speaker; Bobby Bowden, founder of the committee; Celeste Gibbons-Peoples, chairperson; and Tampa Fire Chief Tom Forward. (Photograph by BRUNSON)
should reach out to those who are under attack be- cause of their race, religion, or sexuality and let them know they are not alone, Joyner said.
“We are one,” she said. Joyner ended her speech invoking Hughes’ words: ‘“America never was America to me, but I swear it
will be’.”
2017 Black History
Celebration Honorees
The City of Tampa’s Black History Committee, Inc., rec- ognizes outstanding citizens of various backgrounds in- cluding teachers, media fig- ures, clergy, law enforcement, and commu- nity groups and organiza- tions.
This year’s honorees were: Rev. Abraham Brown (posthumously), Lauren Dungy, Police Chief Eric Ward, Chloe Coney, former State Rep. Ed Narain, Atty. Arthe- nia Joyner, Fire Chief Tom Forward, the Buffalo Soldiers, Carla Lewis, Rod Carter and Rev. Dr. Bartholomew Banks, Sr.
That group includes Tampa’s own Civil Rights leaders and activists who led marches and protests, in- cluding Clarence Fort who – along with dozens of teens – conducted a sit-in at Wool- worth’s lunch counter, Joyner said.
“We did that and Tampa is better for it,” she said. “Are
we really ready to deny these rights to others?”
In 1935’s “Let America Be America Again,” Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes writes that America should be what it promised – the home of the free, Joyner said.
The challenge remains the same today and we
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