Emrbrace Hope for Racial Understanding Lake Apopka Farmworkers attend Black History Month Event

On Monday February 12th 2018, our Apopka office along with Hope CommUnity Center,

shared an evening exploring the importance of storytelling within generations and the importance of dialogue centering racial experiences in America. The evening began with a southern style dinner catered by local chef Willie Bell, then followed with a dynamic presentation by South Florida native, Dr.Kitty Oliver, who is a veteran journalist, oral historian, author, television and radio producer.  She has been featured on CNN news, “Black in America,” for her race relations work. She is also president of Kitty O. Enterprises, Inc., a cultural diversity consulting firm based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and director of the new Race and Change Initiative at Florida Atlantic University. Her work focuses on intergenerational race and ethnic relations topics. A crowd of over 100 diverse people from the Apopka and Central Florida area were in attendance. Including key leaders of the African American Lake Apopka Farmworkers such as Linda Lee and her family, Maryann Robinson, Lessie Stevens, Rosa Nivens, Eloise Barnes and Mary Tinsley.

They attentively listened, asked questions and observed as Dr. Oliver discussed ways in which we as a community can prioritize and create race related dialogues to create connections in culturally different situations. Some of those in attendance could directly relate to Dr.Oliver’s reading’s of life in the South, at the end of the event several people shared their appreciation for Dr.oliver’s stories of racial experiences as it allowed them to feel more connected and unified with their experiences growing up and their community. This event was sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council (www.FloridaHumanities.org) with funds from the Florida Department State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.