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Nelson to Be Keynote Speaker at Black History Month Luncheon

Bill Nelson | U.S. Senate | Congress

Dr. Samuel L. Wright, founder of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, will be honored at the luncheon.

TAMPA – Community activist Samuel L. Wright, founder of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, is scheduled to be honored as a “Champion of Education” today (Feb. 10) at the 11th Annual Tampa Black History Month Luncheon sponsored by the United Negro College Fund.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, will be the keynote speaker.

Proceeds from the event will help deserving students attend the college of their choice. UNCF has a long and strong commitment to Tampa. More than 6,100 students in Florida, are getting their education with UNCF scholarships at colleges and universities across the country.

“We invite all members of the Bay Area community to join us as we raise money to send deserving young people to college,” said Gwen Hewitt, UNCF development director. “Everyone who believes that ‘A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste®’ should attend the luncheon. We must empower our young people to secure passports to opportunity by way of their college degree.”

WFTS anchor Deiah Riley  will be emcee, and retired Sgt. Sonya Bryson Kirksey will sing the National Anthem. AT&T Regional Director Andrew Hall is the luncheon chair.

Dr.-Samuel-L.-Wright | Tampa Black Heritage Festival | EventsWright, who will be honored as a Champion of Education, has a strong commitment to education in Tampa. Wright was recognized for his work at USF by the African-American Advisory Committee to the president at the 2012 Kente Awards. He is a well known community activist who has been influential in education throughout his career. His hometown of Boynton Beach elected him its first black city councilman in 1980. When he served as a board member with Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wright founded the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, which is held each January. He takes pride in helping others achieve their goals.

For more than 72 years, UNCF has provided financial assistance to students and its 37 member Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Without UNCF’s support, many of the students attending these colleges would not have access to higher education or the benefits they provide. UNCF events support more than 65,000 students a year at more than 900 colleges and universities across America.  Sixty-five percent of UNCF scholars are the first in their families to attend college while 60 percent come from households with an annual income under $25,000.

For information about the UNCF, go to uncf.org.

Bill Nelson | Samuel L. Wright | UNCF | Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival | TB Reporter

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