Melbourne-Palm Bay Alumnae Chapter Hosts Legacy Event Black Heritage Calendar Fest
By Hyla Plummer, President
The Melbourne-Palm Bay Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated rang in Black History Month in grand fashion on February 4 at their legacy event, The Black Heritage Calendar Fest. The Afro-centric event, with many attendees dressed in traditional African fashions, was held at the Eau Gallie Civic Center. The event, founded over twenty years ago by chapter member Mrs. Sandra Pelham, was chaired for 2023 by Mrs. Robin Rice. The theme for this 21st annual celebration was BLACK EXCELLENCE: CELEBRATING OUR DIVERSE CULTURES. And it was a night centered around acknowledging and celebrating Black excellence, entertaining the 350 attendees with African American art, history, music, dance, cultural experiences, and, of course, soul food.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 13, 1913, by 22 collegiate women at Howard University to promote academic excellence and has become one of the preeminent service-based sororities, with more than 300,000 initiated members and over 1000 chartered chapters worldwide. The Melbourne-Palm Bay Alumnae Chapter, chartered in 1989 in South Brevard County, focusses on Delta’s five major program.
areas: Economic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness, and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement. The Black Heritage Calendar Fest incorporated education and the arts. Chapter members prepared exhibits on a variety of topics reflecting the diverse nature of the African American experience in America since 1619. Tributes honored historical figures such as poet James Baldwin, athlete Wilma Rudolph, former president Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama; African American poetry, The Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Exhibits also commemorated Maya Angelou’s movie “Down in the Delta,” Alice Walker’s book/movie “The Color Purple,” and the historic Brown vs Board of Education Supreme Court case in 1954. Other exhibits were informational in nature, with focusses on Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and the Gullah culture.
The evening’s entertainment continued the theme of Black excellence. The entertainment began with the renowned “Drum Luv Dance Center” troupe’s agile dancers and skilled drummers performing native African dances that took the audience back to our African roots. Ten-year old Keonna Horskin, following the urging of her advisors at Club Esteem, performed “Hey Black Child” to a standing ovation. Saxophonist Eric “RJ” Sanz, in a nod to his Afro-Cuban ancestry, played “Havana,” which he noted was the first song his father taught him to play on his instrument. Internationally-renowned singer Nina Jones gave a soul-stirring rendition of “Stand Up.” And the acclaimed “Move Your Body Soul Steppers,” led by Mrs. Theresa Gaines, had the audience on their feet and dancing in the aisles.
A highlight of the evening dedicated to Black excellence was the keynote speaker, the multi-hyphenate David Jones, CEO and Executive Director of Diversity of Thought, Inc., a nonprofit with the mission of “helping people thrive and not just survive.” Mr. Jones spoke on the importance of celebrations of Black history, because “knowing the past opens the door to the future.” He also noted how far African Americans have traveled but pointed out that we still have far t0 go and calling Black Americans “the ultimate success story.”
The culmination of the evening was the recognition of the Community Spotlights of Black Excellence to two individuals chosen for their service to Brevard County. Spotlighted were Benjamin Cain, founder and Executive Director of EBONY NEWS TODAY, Brevard County’s foremost newspaper dedicated to the interests of the African American community; and J. D. Gallop, award-winning religion and criminal justice reporter for FLORIDA TODAY, a newspaper with a circulation of over 89,000. Mr. Gallop has interviewed and reported on celebrities ranging from a convicted serial killer to astronaut Buzz Aldrin to singer James Brown.
Sponsors of the Black Heritage Calendar Fest were Lancet Warren, Financial Advisor of the L. C. Warren Group, Inc.; Elaina Friesel Garvin, Senior Vice President for Investments, Garvin Wealth Management Team; Brevard County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Melbourne-Palm Bay Delta Life Development Center; and Brevard Alphas, of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
According to Committee Chairperson, Mrs. Robin Rice, “the importance of this event cannot be overstated. Our community, county, and country need more experiences like the Black Heritage Calendar Fest to highlight the achievements and diversity of the African diaspora.”
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