Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 1-15-16 Edition

Local
East Tampa Business & Civic Association To
Host MLK Day Festival
Gay Rights Organizations Critical Of Speaker For MLK Leadership Breakfast
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Monday, January 18th, residents are invited to attend the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Community Wide Festival. The event will be held at the Belmont Heights Little League, 2101 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.
The event will open at 10 a.m., with the singing of “Lift Every Voice And Sing.” It will conclude at 5 p.m.
The annual event is being hosted by the East Tampa business & Civic Association (ETBCA), Inc., and is de- signed to provide entertain- ment for the entire family.
The theme for the event this year is, “With My Own Two Hands, I Can Change The World.” The festival is free and open to the public.
Ms. Dianne Hart, CEO of ETBCA said, “The 2016 Event of reflection and festiv- ities not only celebrates the achievements of the great Civil Rights leader, but also showcases the talent, spirit, and pride of the close-knit East Tampa Community.
“We hope to reach out to people of all ages through music, healthy soul food and goodies prepared by local
THE STAMPEDE
food vendors. Area step teams will perform and there will be supervised activities for children that includes face-painting, arts & crafts, to introduce youngsters to Dr. King’s ideas.”
There will also be a bounce house and a variety of family-friendly games.
The adults can take ad- vantage of a lineup of talent designed to inspire, entertain and invigorate, Ms. Hart said.
The entertainment in- cludes: DJ Kross-Style and DJ Asaw will provide music
and sound. Pastor’s On Patrol will be partnering with ETBCA to present the Gospel Explosion that will take place at 10 a.m. Ms. Ebone Cruz and Ms. Patti Bonner will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies.
The Gospel Explosion will be cherishing the legacy of the late gospel singer, Ms. Shelia Upshaw during the event.
The Upshaw Sisters, Psalmist & recording artist Jorad Holmes and gospel minister Sennatra, along with dance ministry teams Majesty, Sharbonay Kiegler and Jessica Clack will be performing, she said.
After the Gospel Explo- sion, Apt 9 will perform a va- riety of music forms including R&B, Rock & Roll and Motown. Other perform- ers are CHE, Seckond Chaynce, Jonah, Revolu- tionary, Bri’Chelle, and Mezzo.
ANGELA ROUSON NCNW President
REV. JAMAL HARRISON BRYANT
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On January 18th, the Na- tional Council of Negro Women (NCNW) will be hosting St. Petersburg’s 30th annual MLK Leadership Breakfast.
When the name of the keynote speaker for the event was released, gay rights or- ganizations were outraged.
Angela Rouson, Presi- dent of the NCNW, St. Peters- burg Metropolitan Section, announced that Rev. Jamal Harrison Bryant would be the keynote speaker.
Rev. Bryant is pastor of the Empowerment Temple, a church in Baltimore, Mary- land where he has built a na- tional following and also where Rev. Bryant has called homosexuality “a sin that’s on par with drug addic- tion and gambling.”
Susan McGrath, Chair- woman of the Pinellas County Democratic Party and Presi-
ERIC SKAINS
St. Pete Pride Director
dent of Stonewall Democrats, was quoted as saying she con- siders the position Rev. Bryant has taken as being hateful and mars the city’s image as being diverse.
Eric Skains, Executive Director of St. Pete Pride, said they have asked Mrs. Rouson and the other or- ganizers to select a different keynote speaker.
“We haven’t heard any- thing in response of their in- tent to change the speaker, but we also understand Mrs. Rouson has been adamant that the speaker won’t be re- placed. This is very frustrat- ing for us.”
Mrs. Rouson couldn’t be reached for comment, but she had earlier said she was aware of the complaints from the gay rights groups, and Rev. Bryant would remain the keynote speaker for the event.
Equality Florida represen- tatives have said this is just another example of the insen- sitivity that exists when it comes to gay rights, and the mindset of a lot of people in leadership positions.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016