Tap Tap

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Pays Tribute to Tap with a Brand New Musical

The show is the brainchild of the troupe’s artistic director Nate Jacobs.

04/03/2025 By Kay Kipling

Preview

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's 2025-2026 Season Celebrates 'The Soul of a People'

WBTT's 26th season will feature fan-favorite performances, a drama by playwright and actress Dominique Morisseau, and a world premiere.

02/19/2025 By Staff

2024 Year in Review

A Look Back at Some of Our Best Stories of 2024

Editor in chief Cooper Levey-Baker selects his personal favorites.

12/19/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

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

Listening to Black Voices

Join Photographer Michael Kinsey for a Special Views From the New Horizon Artist's Talk on April 4

Kinsey will discuss his creative process, as well as his successes, challenges and inspirations at Art Center Sarasota.

03/21/2024 By Staff

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

Join Sarasota Magazine's Heather Dunhill for 'Listening to Black Voices' Panel Discussions March 20 and 21

The events will feature eight members of Sarasota's Black community who have been featured in Dunhill's series over the past four years.

03/06/2024 By Staff

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

Preview

Announcing Views From the New Horizon: Portraits From Sarasota Magazine's 'Listening to Black Voices' Series

The photo exhibition, created in partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation, will feature the work of Michael Kinsey and will be on display at Art Center Sarasota March 14-April 20.

02/02/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

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

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 diverse voices

Open Arms Consultants' Souad Dreyfus on the Power and Intimacy of Surrogacy and Egg Donation

Originally from Morocco, Dreyfus has been helping people have babies for 20 years.

06/27/2023 By Kim Doleatto

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

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

Listening to Diverse Voices

Rosa Grillo on Sharing Her Family's History With the Smithsonian

"The most important thing for me is that the world understands that the American Latino community is as varied as the larger American community."

05/04/2023 By Bethany Ritz