Monday night, Delta Kappa Omega Providence Community Center hosted their second annual Black History Month event. The center was named for its location in the center of the Providence Community on Lake Bradford Street.
The event started with the soulful singing of the black national anthem. The walls were decorated with Influential figures and dashiki images.
The guest of honor was James R. Ford, the first African American Mayor elected in Tallahassee.
Ford paved the way for many journalism students at Florida A&M, he built WANM in the school of journalism, and he became Tallahassee’s first black station manager.
Center Director Frederick Triplett was the master of ceremonies for the night and kept everyone in good spirit.
“It is so important that we teach our children what they are not learning in the school system.” Triplett said. “Slavery is a part of our culture and they need to understand the hardships African Americans had to endure.”
The DKQ Community Center is a safe haven for children who come from low-income homes. They are can to go to the center to get tutored by many FAMU and Florida State students. They have access to the library, computers, and Internet. The ladies of DKQ provide a daily snack to ensure the students can focus to complete their work.
The audience was packed with young children watching their older siblings, parents and community members perform.
The children recited poems and songs such as “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
Student volunteers from FAMU performed a play illustrating how slaves came to America. There was a tribute to Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.
Tatiana Smith, a junior economics student at FAMU, feels it is essential to be a positive role model in these young children’s lives.
“I attend an HBCU and it saddens me that these kids don’t know their history and they live less than 15 minutes away from a black school.” Smith said.
Vice President Vetty Gibbs of the Delta Kappa Omega Sorority thanked everyone who came and showed their support in her closing remarks.
“Seeing positive reinforcement like this gives the children a sense of pride that is needed to keep them motivated and out of trouble. “ Gibbs said.