TAMPA, Fla. — On Thursday, Good Morning Tampa Bay anchors Andrew Kinsey and Deiah Riley emceed the 9th annual MLK Parade Foundation Gala.
The event showcased community heroes, civil rights legends, and the next generation of leaders. The theme was “Courage is contagious.”
Watch recap from the Gala
Among those honored were local community heroes and civil rights legends, including six Tampa leaders whose peaceful protests at a downtown Tampa lunch counter in the 1960s put on the National Civil Rights map.
State Senator Arthenia Joyner was one of the legends honored. She’s 82 years old now but was 17 and a student at Middleton High School during the protest. She told Deiah Riley she had no idea she would make history.
"We just knew we had an opportunity to stand up instead of sitting downand seek the rights and privileged accorded to everybody else in America. Black people were not allowed the right to eat in restaurant on the ground in downtown and Clarence Fort came to Middleton and the rest is history,” said Joyner.
Fort was the President of the NAACP Youth Council. He organized local students for the sit-in.
The next generation of leaders were also celebrated as scholarships were awarded to high-achieving high school seniors for their academic excellence, community service, and leadership.
Tampa’s MLK Parade is Monday, January 19.
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Anchor Deiah Riley has called Tampa Bay home for more than 15 years. As a mother of two, she knows the importance of a good education and finding affordable things for families to do. Reach out to Deiah with any education related stories or activities you think she needs to know about.
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