Subscribe & save $142 per year!
Skip to main content

Sarasota Magazine

Tagged

In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words

Dancer Siara Delmar Hernández on Performing at the Super Bowl with Bad Bunny

“Being able to represent my people and my community is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly."

05/05/2026 By Megan McDonald

In Their Own Words

Harvest Church Pastor and Harvest House CEO Dan Minor on Building Community

Minor is the pastor at Harvest Church and president and CEO of Harvest House, putting him at the intersection of faith, housing, mental health and a universal question that’s more relevant than ever: Who gets to belong?

04/01/2026 By Kim Doleatto

In Their Own Words

Emmy Award-Winning Journalist Julian Phillips on Media, Food and Conversation

Phillips' career includes stints in national TV news and a year leading communications for the NYPD.

03/02/2026 By Kim Doleatto

In Their Own Words

Attorney Janella Leibovitz Gives Foster Kids a Voice in Court

Leibovitz oversees Legal Aid of Manasota's Legal Lifeline for Youth program, which provides comprehensive legal representation to kids in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

02/03/2026 By Megan McDonald

In Their Own Words

Maribel 'Belle' Stikeleather Helps Neurodivergent People Find Community

Stikeleather’s passion for the cause grew from a journey that began as a special education teacher in her native Philippines and the United Arab Emirates and later as a coach and clinical director in California.

01/02/2026 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

In Their Own Words

Lifelong Newtown Resident and Organizer Valerie Buchand on Perseverance and Hope

"We need people willing to fight, not for profit, but for justice. That’s what I would tell young people: Be ready for the challenge, but do right. Always do right.”

12/01/2025 By Kim Doleatto

In Their Own Words

Public Media Host Dalia Colón Is Always Hungry for Stories

"Sometimes all roads lead to Sarasota.”

11/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

In Their Own Words

Darwin Tepe Puts Data and Heart to Work for Sarasota’s Seniors

Tepe’s work pairs numbers with human stories, showing legislators and funders that investing in seniors isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s financially savvy.

09/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

In Their Own Words

Patricia Pete of Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library on the Power of Libraries

"We want kids to know that this is a safe place for them to come.”

07/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

In Their Own Words

Dr. Tanya Schreibman on the Current State of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

“Research keeps you on the forefront and provides opportunities for patients and staff. It’s the only way we’ll ever move forward with HIV.”

06/16/2025 By Megan McDonald

In Their Own Words

Former City Manager Marlon Brown on Public Service, His Biggest Accomplishments and His New Role with the Sarasota Chamber

"However many hours I ended up in the office, I didn’t care about anything else but just making sure that every day I saw people walking the street, enjoying the city and laughing.” 

04/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

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

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

At Sarasota Magazine, we celebrate Sarasota’s vibrant culture, rich history, and bright future with award-winning, high-quality content that captures the spirit of our community.

Channels

About

Subscriptions

513 Central Ave, Sarasota FL 34236 , Phone: 941.487.1100, Fax: 941.365.9233
© 2026 DreamLarge