Q & A

Glenda Hatchett: 'Black History Is Not Just for Black People. It Is for All of Us.'

The judge, attorney and television star traveled to Sarasota last week for an event dedicated to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

02/12/2024 By Jessika Ward

What's in My Closet

Trisha Dunn Shows Off Her Designer-Filled Closet and Her Handmade Jewelry and Costumes

'Fashion is what you buy and style is what you do with it. I love seeing when people take their creativity and make fashion their own.'

04/26/2023 By Jessika Ward

Q & A

Model, Influencer and Former Sarasota Resident Eden Lipman Doesn't Hold Back in Her New Memoir, Ambitchious

Lipman moved to Sarasota at a young age and spent her formative years on a farm here.

04/07/2023 By Jessika Ward

Civil Rights

The Vital History of Newtown's Freedom Schools

A 1969 student boycott helped save schools in the historic Black neighborhood.

02/23/2023 By Jessika Ward

What's In My Closet

A Sarasota Marketing Director Shares What's in Her Closet

Catherine Aganmayo is all about fun, functional, affordable fashion.

02/21/2023 By Jessika Ward

An Eye for Fashion

At 3rd WE + RE Create Studios, Sarasota Native Brent Yancy Is Dressing Celebrities and Athletes

"You can't do anything without fashion," Yancy says.

01/13/2023 By Jessika Ward

What's In My Closet

Sarasota Attorney Bryan Hannan Gives Us a Peek Inside His Designer-Filled Closet

"I have no kids and I’ve never been married. How else do you enjoy yourself?"

01/03/2023 By Jessika Ward

What's In My Closet

Jewelry Designer Patra Jordan Gives Us a Peek Inside Her Closet

"I believe clothes are pieces of art you move through the world in."

11/11/2022 By Jessika Ward

What's in My Closet

Donna Koffman Gives Us a Peek Inside Her Designer-Filled Closet

"There is never a shortage of reasons to dress up in Sarasota."

10/18/2022 By Jessika Ward

What’s in My Closet

Tiffany Lowe Gives Us a Tour of Her Closet and Shows Off Her Favorite Pieces

"I just like to be well dressed."

08/31/2022 By Jessika Ward

Showpieces

Sarasota Designer Patra Jordan Has 'Major Plans' for Her Jewelry Line

Patra Jordan's tagline is "where classy meets edgy," and that description is spot-on.

02/24/2022 By Jessika Ward

Love Your Hair

Seven Sarasota and Manatee Salons that Specialize in Black Hair

A journalist shares her thoughts on the power of Black hair and where to get it styled.

10/14/2021 By Jessika Ward

Arts

Dan Houston Uses Art to Tell Stories of Underrepresented Communities

Houston shows his work in his Sarasota gallery and sells sculptures and paintings online.

08/20/2021 By Jessika Ward

The Big Time

Catch Sarasota Native Greg Weeks in the Amazon Action Film The Tomorrow War

The summer blockbuster is about a war that takes place 30 years in the future.

07/23/2021 By Jessika Ward

Mat Work

Kundalini Yoga Combines Exercise, Meditation and Chanting

Practitioners say sessions—in which participants wear white and focus on movement and breath—reduce stress and boost energy levels.

06/21/2021 By Jessika Ward

On the Road

A Sarasota Couple Is Helping People Embrace 'Van Life'

Nomads Rob Thorington and Stephanie Jaramillo remodel vans for other wanderers.

05/12/2021 By Jessika Ward

The Teacher

Neirda Lafontant Paves the Way for Future Innovators in S.T.E.A.M. Careers

A dynamic speaker and motivator, Lafontant created the nonprofit FUNducation in 2019 to give kids an opportunity to build robots, learn about forensics, explore coding and more.

09/17/2020 By Jessika Ward

First Person

What It's Like to Visit The Ringling as a Young Black Woman

Jessika Ward asks herself how the world sees her—and is surprised to find answers at The Ringling’s Being Seen exhibit.

07/08/2020 By Jessika Ward

Black Lives Matter

A New Facebook Group for Black Businesses Takes Off

The group now has more than 10,500 members.

06/10/2020 By Jessika Ward

Troubled Times

Sarasota's Black Community Reacts to the Death of George Floyd

A chorus of voices speaks out about racism, justice and our future.

06/02/2020 By Susan Burns, Megan McDonald, Heather Dunhill, Kay Kipling, Jessika Ward, and Cooper Levey-Baker