SARASOTA COUNTY 8th ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY BREAKFAST
BY MWEZI DAKE write4living@yahoo.com
Dr. Harriet Moore
Sarasota’s
8th Annual Black History Celebration Breakfast event will be held on
Saturday, February 2nd from 9am12pm at the Robert L. Taylor Center in
Sarasota. The event’s keynote speaker this year is Dr. Harriet Moore.
Dr.
Moore is the daughter of Estella Moore-Thomas who owned Moore’s Grocers
when African American residents couldn’t shop at other grocery stores.
The Newtown business that still bears the family’s name supplied the
community with groceries and fresh produce. Before Moore’s, she rented a
store in the building once occupied by Eddie’s Fruit Stand. Harriet
helped her mom run the store. “We were one of the few stores that gave
credit to people,” Moore chimed in. The elder Moore didn’t finish high
school because the responsibility of helping at home as a teenager stood
in the way, but she made sure her children received the best education.
Harriet earned a doctorate degree and is principal of McIntosh Middle
School. “The way that it used to be, I miss that rallying around people
who didn’t have and making sure that nobody went hungry around here.”
The event kicks off a month-long celebration of proud Black History and
this year the event will be filled with entertainment, music, a
delicious breakfast and more. This yearly event has hosted other keynote
speakers such as Dorothy Smith, Honorable Charles Williams, Ed James
II, James Brown and many others. This year’s keynote speaker, Dr.
Harriet Moore will bring enlightenment, delight and capture the
audience’s hearts and attention. This is an event to attend and support
the proud Black community and celebrate as a community. Tickets are $10/
per person. For more information and to purchase tickets before the
event: contact Lyme Dixon at (941) 284-6552.
