Events, including a parade and jazz festival, will go on from Friday, Feb. 12, to Sunday, Feb. 14.
February marks Black History Month in the United States, and Plant City residents are bringing the celebration of heritage to a local level.
Friday, Feb. 12, will mark the start of Plant City’s Black Heritage Celebration, which will run through Sunday, Feb. 14. With a theme of celebrating the essence of the African-American spirit, the goal of the annual festival is to both educate and celebrate the culture, history and art of African-Americans.
“It’s different from the MLK Festival,” Sharon Moody, chair of the Plant City Black Heritage Celebration Inc. said. She has run the annual event for 13 years. “Black History is for everybody. It’s the history of our heritage, a celebration of what people have done in the community.”
The festival will kick off Friday, Feb. 12, with the 13th Annual Black Heritage Banquet at the John R. Trinkle Center on the Hillsborough Community College campus. The event’s keynote speaker will be Otis Anthony, president of Anthony Community Consultant Inc.
“That’s to honor the heroes of the community that paved the way for African-Americans in our community,” Moody said. “I’m looking forward to the banquet. You have a lot of different people there. It’s a diverse group.”
Five awards will be presented at the banquet, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Humanitarian Award, the Cornerstone Award and the Community Service award. The organization also will present a President’s Award, and the recipient will be announced at the banquet.
This year, the organization will host a youth summit for middle school and high school students Saturday, Feb. 13, followed by the annual parade at 1 p.m. and Jazz in the Park, which will be full of performances.
At Jazz in the Park, guests will be able to enjoy performances from jazz band NJ Lady Fingers, led by Normita Jeffrey. Other musical guests include Marlon Boone, jazz ensemble Standing 8 Count, Abnique, Nathan Mitchell and the Blake High School Jazz Band. The event will be held in the court of the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
“We’re asking everyone to bring lawn chairs and just sit and have a good time,” Moody said.
The festival will end on Sunday, Feb. 14, with a gospel concert at Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Alkoya Brunson, an actor and gospel singer who also will serve as the parade’s grand marshal, will sing. Guests also can look forward to performances by the Mt. Olive Baptist Church Choir, the La Red Ministries Gospel Choir and The Heavenlyetts.
For Moody, the three-day event is the perfect way to celebrate heritage while bringing the community closer together.
“I meet a lot of new people,” she said. “You get to know people and become friends.”
For more information contact Moody at (813) 453-7134 or sharonmoody91@yahoo.com, or Cynthia Bailey, co-chair at (813) 258-0223 or cx97@aol.com.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
