20-02-2025
Florida State Panama City Hosts Annual Black History Event
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Around 300 high school students left the FSU Panama City Wednesday feeling empowered. They participated in the school's annual black history event, held Wednesday at St. Joe lecture hall.
The keynote speaker for the gathering was Florida Department of Children and Families secretary Shevaun Harris, who told the young people in the audience about her personal experiences.
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'A very powerful message to use the life and legacy of Mary Mcleod Bethune, the founder of Cookman University as her model, as she came from very meager beginnings herself. Secretary Harris, being an immigrant from the Republic of Panama and which FSU Panama City has a campus there, and then migrating to Brooklyn, New York. But she has understood the value of hard work and getting a sound education and she's a two-time graduate from Florida State Panama City so that message really resonated,' FSUPC Collegiate School student Samuel Buckner said.
Harris' message seemed to reach with many of the students.
'I feel like everyone here was able to really listen. And I feel like we all learned a lot. And I feel like we can all take that information and think about how it impacts us and become a better person and treat each other kinder and recognize all the experiences and whatever anyone that we know has gone through.'
The event also featured professional violinist Samantha Crawford, who performed an inspiring piece for the youth in attendance. Students also heard a mock debate from the Oscar Patterson Academy's 4th-grade debate team.
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