Listening to Black Voices

Renée James Gilmore on Continuing Her Family's Historic Local Legacy

Gilmore is the daughter of the late activist Dr. Ed James and the great-granddaughter of Mary Emma Jones, who led the 1955 wade-in efforts to desegregate Sarasota beaches.

09/09/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Walter Gilbert on Growing up in Newtown, Community Activism and the State of DEI

"Everyone should have an opportunity to be as good as they can be. We all have to be willing to stand up and say some things out loud."

08/20/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Transportation Expert Paul Toliver on Growing Up in Segregated Alabama and the Impact of AI on Public Transit

"It's important to believe that we all have a right to be here."

07/09/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Fashion Industry Veteran Claudia Swan on How Being a Fair-Skinned Black Woman Impacted Her Life and Career

“What happens with me being fair-skinned is that I hear the racist feelings that people really do believe and what they're saying to their friends.”

06/17/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Civil Rights Attorney Victor McTeer on the Power of Serving Underrepresented Communities

McTeer won his first case, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, at age 27. He also worked on a major lawsuit against a tobacco company that inspired John Grisham's The Runaway Jury.

05/13/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Samantha Gholar on the Lack of Black Journalists in Newsrooms and the State of Diversity in Sarasota

"There are organizations in this community that have zero Black or brown people on their boards. It’s unfortunate that business leaders don’t include us in the bigger conversations."

04/10/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Department of Skincare

Curious About Retinol and Retinol Alternatives? Here's What You Need to Know

Plus, skincare tips from two dermatologists.

04/03/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

World Series Champ John 'T-Bone' Shelby on His Passion for Baseball and Never Giving Up

Shelby, who's now retired and lives in Sarasota, won two World Series championships with the Baltimore Orioles and the L.A. Dodgers, and coached for many years.

03/18/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Dale Booker on the Experiences That Shaped Her and the Realities of Living in Florida as a Black Woman

"It’s disconcerting that many of Florida's transplants seem to have never been exposed to Blacks before."

02/19/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Spelman College President Dr. Helene Gayle on Higher Education, Affirmative Action and Black Excellence

“If we are going to lean into who we are becoming as a nation, we’ve got to grapple with the importance of diversity."

01/09/2024 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

The Hon. Charles Williams on the Importance of Patience and Empathy in the Legal System

Williams also shares what it was like growing up in segregated St. Pete, as well as a touching story about meeting his idol, boxer and activist Muhammad Ali.

12/11/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Travis Ray on Family, Theater and the Dream That Led Him to Found Dapper Bowtique

"Our world needs real conversations, without anger, that allow us to get on the same page."

11/06/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Briana Harris Francois on Tennis, Coco Gauff and What It's Like to Be a Minority in a White-Dominated Sport

Francois picked up a tennis racquet when she was just three-and-a-half years old. Today, after a long and successful career, she's the first Black tennis director at The Resort at Longboat Key Club.

10/09/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Former MLB Player Jeremy Shelby on Identity, Opportunity and Giving Yourself Grace

Shelby is the founder, president and head of directors at Sarasota's Elite Life Management, a wealth advisory company.

09/11/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Chandra Bivens Carty on Reclaiming Her Family's History

Carty's great-great-grandfather was enslaved at Manatee County's Gamble Plantation. Carty is working to establish a memorial that honors him and the other 150-190 enslaved people who worked at the plantation.

08/15/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Shirley Miller on Sex Education and Civil Rights

Miller spent more than 30 years of her career designing and implementing sex education programs in more than 70 countries.

07/11/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Francina Hollaway on Growing Up in Segregated Florida and Integrating Her Elementary School

Throughout her education, Hollaway focused on excelling at math. "Writing can be critiqued because it's subjective," she explains. "But in math, there’s only one right answer.”

06/12/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Q & A

Author Alvin Hall on the Green Book and the History of Black Resistance

Hall shares a deeply researched journey inspired by the historical Green Book traveler’s guide for Black Americans during the Jim Crow era.

05/31/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Listening to Black Voices

Longtime Educator Dr. Caryl J. Sheffield on the Power of Culturally Sensitive Teaching

Sheffield, a retired professor, also shares the story of her paternal grandfather, Caesar Sheffield, who was lynched in the early 1900s, and how his death resonated in her family.

05/09/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Pump You Up

Celebrity Trainer Steve Schewe on How to Work Out Well at Any Age

Schewe built his fitness career alongside the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.

04/18/2023 By Heather Dunhill