The Legacy Awards dinner will be held at St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 Second Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg, on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.
BY J.A. JONES | Staff Writer
ST PETERSBURG — The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of St. Pete (IMAFL) holds its annual Legacy Week in the first week of February, bringing the community together while honoring leaders and changemakers. This year’s award recipients include Leon W. Russell, Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Bemetra Simmons.
The Legacy Awards dinner will be held at St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 Second Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg, on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.
In selecting this year’s award recipients, Legacy Week’s organizer Rev. J.C. Pritchett II, who is also executive director of Suncoast Tiger Bay, affirmed that all three award recipients have had local or national impact, assuring African American voices are contributing to informed political and local decision-making.
He acknowledged how especially vital it was to select leaders who reflect the importance of voter education and civic participation.
“2024 is a year where our ancestors are looking to see what we do when it comes to voting rights and democracy,” relayed Pritchett. “We’re excited to have the ninth annual awards dinner at the St. Petersburg History Museum, and we’re excited that Leon W. Russell, the chairman of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP, will be honored and in attendance.”
He remarked that choosing Russell was easy, acknowledging his record of years fighting for civil rights, human rights, and voting rights. Noting that there’s “no do-over in 2024,” Pritchett said it’s a year to collectively educate voters, get out the vote, and “vote to say we want the United States to remain a democracy.”
The committee’s selection of Figgs-Sanders was a “no-brainer,” he noted, due to her long commitment to working on behalf of the city’s residents, including now being the chair of the City of St. Petersburg Council.
For the Legacy Committee, Figgs-Sanders represents the critical, long-term impact decisions the city council and Mayor Ken Welch will be making about St. Petersburg, such as the Gas Plant Redevelopment. Her work also underscores the impact of Black women in positions of influence — whether in the government, on the streets, in church or at home.
“Time after time, Black women have saved our country when it has veered from the promises of democracy. Deborah Figgs-Sanders represents the future of our country,” noted the pastor, alluding to the ongoing and urgent reliance on Black women’s role in getting their husbands, children and loved ones out to vote.
In response to being selected, Figgs-Sanders shared, “I consider it such an honor to have my accomplishments and contributions to the community acknowledged in such a prestigious way. Legacy Week, for me, celebrates those who’ve accepted the accountability of service to benefit others and future generations while also paying homage to the contributions of trailblazers and our elders.”
Simmons, CEO of Tampa Bay Partnership, is being recognized for her work at that organization, as well as her contributions to Tampa Bay Live.
“Live Tampa Bay does work around the opioid epidemic. Sadly, African Americans in Pinellas County are being affected by opioid and fentanyl overdoses,” noted Pritchett, relaying that while numbers of overdoses are decreasing among other races, they are staying the same among African Americans. He praised her for building broad coalitions to deal with issues of opioids, housing, jobs and transportation, calling her “a great addition to our community.”
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