TAMPA — On a weekend spent celebrating the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the community took to festivities that brought people together from all over to one location in peace. The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival was the scene of vendors, singers, families and children where enjoyment and education was the agenda.
The festival’s founder, Dr. Samuel Lamar Wright, Sr. and the Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, a major contributor, had a vision to raise awareness of the African and African-American heritage within the Tampa Bay area and surrounding community. The result of their combined efforts was increased exposure to African and African-American culture through positive images and achievements. The festival surrounds the teachings and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who advocated for a diverse community that is culturally sensitive to all who live there according to their literature.
The mission of the festival is to offer the communities in Tampa Bay a unique blend of African and African-American art, culture and history. Its goal is to serve as a conduit for promoting and perpetuating the art, culture and history of African Americans and African people for the benefit of all Tampa Bay residents and tourists.
