Fly, Fabulous & Fierce at 50

Loving My Hair Natural Hair Studio and the Black Shopping Channel sponsored the Fly, Fabulous & Fierce @ 50 Birthday Celebration at the Downtown Hilton on Sat., March 8. The event honored those born in 1964, the last year of the baby boomer generation.

The party was the first of the two-day 2014 Natural Hair & Beauty Expo extravaganza that recognized outstanding community leaders and provided a platform for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses.

A presentation highlighted that the newborns of 1964 arrived on the scene during a socially turbulent yet culturally invigorating time in American history. Motown, headlined by the Supremes and the Temptations, battled head-on with the Beatles and the second British invasion for dominance on the music charts.

Those chart topping battles were the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement in which players battled head-on with racism to obtain equality for African Americans. The 1964 baby boomers could not have arrived at a more explosive time.

Proud sponsor and guest speaker Cleveland Gary is also a 1964 baby boomer. This former NFL running back is the current CEO of the Black Shopping Channel (BSC). An entrepreneur, Gary heads a network that develops, supports and connects African-American businesses across the United States.

BSC started eight years ago in West Palm Beach and is now worth half a billion dollars. It sells and distributes a plethora of products and owns multiple subsidiaries. Gary encouraged local entrepreneurs attending Saturday’s event to not only get involved with his network but to support and encourage each other.

Local community heroes Renee Flowers and Luke Williams were honored with Fierce @ 50’s Inaugural Diamond Awards for outstanding character and achievements in the community.

“My family gets on me about giving, and I say when I close my eyes for the last time and look in the face of my Savior, then I’ll have all the time to rest. But right now it’s my job to serve,” Flowers said as she accepted her award.

Assistant Chief Luke Williams of the St. Petersburg Police Department expressed the same vigor to uphold his community: “If I have to be the only one in the room standing to make sure that people in our community receive their just do, then that’s what I’ll do!”

Entertainment for the evening was provided by BET comedian Marvin Dixon and dance duo Imani Bryant and Tyler Singletary from Gibbs High School.