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MLK DEI Teach-In

MLK rally

ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å is celebrating MLK Week, which runs from Jan. 17-20, 2024, with two featured events: an in-person MLK DEI Teach-In on Friday, Jan. 19, from 9:15 a.m.– 12:45 p.m., in the Vaughn Center, and the MLK Day of Service with PEACE on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. starting in the Grand Salon.

This year’s theme, “MLK’s Vision and Legacy Globally: Connecting Our Voices Across Cultural Contexts," is an opportunity to celebrate the impact of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. across culture, language and identity. We are excited for students, staff and faculty to come together as a community to learn and grow with one another as we celebrate the diversity of our campus and honor the legacy of a global movement.

Educational Sessions:  Vaughn Center, 2nd Floor

  • Session 1 (9:15-10 a.m.)
  • Session 2 (10:15-11 a.m.)

Vincent Lucas, Brother 2 Brother: A Safe and Supportive Space for Men of Color at ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å
M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology '24

In Fall 2022 the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion launched Brother 2 Brother, which is a support space for men of color. The presentation will discuss the importance of a sense of belonging for men of color at ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å. Participants will learn about the events developed for Brother 2 Brother, the partnerships needed to reach men of color and the impact this support space has had on participants.

MLK Commemorative Lunch:  Vaughn Center, 9th Floor
  • Doors open at 11 a.m.
  • Welcome and Intention Setting 11:10 a.m.
  • Spoken Word Performance 11:30 a.m.
  • Panel Discussion 11:45 a.m.
  • Closing Remarks 12:45 a.m.

Presenter Bios

Ismael Lebrón-Bravo attended The University of Central Florida. He started working for Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2002 and started as an elementary classroom teacher. Lebrón-Bravo completed his master’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Upon completion, he was an assistant principal for six years and transitioned into an elementary principal for 11 years. Lebrón-Bravo has been in the role of HR Partner for a year. He has been employed by Hillsborough County Public School for 22 years.

Jauna Royal serves as practicum/preceptor liaison and assistant teaching professor of nursing at ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å. Royal specializes in family practice with a focus on women’s health and cardiovascular disease prevention.

Royal enjoys medical mission trips and community service. Her most recent medical mission trip was to the mountains of the Dominican Republic in 2018. Over the years, she has worked in Kenya and an AIDS orphanage in Tanzania. She was afforded the opportunity to teach in a women’s health nursing school in Uganda.

Giving back to the community in service to all mankind is what Royal does as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She has logged 1,000 hours of community service in partnership with the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, NAMI and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Royal created a community cardiac screening and education program. The impact of that program was published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing .

Sartura Shuman Smith, a native of Tampa, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and went on to attend Hampton University in Hampton, VA, where she graduated with a bachelor's in early childhood education and received a master's in educational leadership.

After graduation, Smith went on to teach middle school for a few years. After leaving the school system, she took her classroom experience to WEDU/PBS television, where she worked for 23 years as the director of education and outreach.

In 2008, while still working for PBS, Smith launched her own consulting and training service business where she traveled the country conducting workshops and trainings on parent advocacy, early literacy, leadership development and other topics.

Smith has served in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years - including seven years as director of the Centre for Women’s Centre for Girls afterschool enrichment program.

Currently, she is the project manager for the Corporation to Develop Communities, Empowering Black Futures initiative.

Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, an Afro-Dominican and Taino trans interdisciplinary artist, educator and diversity consultant, brings 14 years of expertise in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within higher education.

With a distinguished career, including serving as the former chief diversity officer at New College of Florida and pivotal roles at institutions like Ringling College of Art and Design, University of Arizona and Rutgers University-Newark, ze founded Mosaic Justice—a forward-thinking diversity consultant firm.

Specializing in crafting inclusive, culturally responsive environments for organizations through assessments, training, policy development, recruitment strategies and ongoing measurement, Mosaic Justice embodies ze's commitment to transformative change. In parallel, ze established Mosaic Movements, a nonprofit interdisciplinary arts organization that champions diasporic narratives rooted in transformative justice.

Zir leadership reflects a deep commitment to creating diverse, empowering academic and artistic spaces.

PEACE Day of Service

Join the PEACE Volunteer Center on Saturday, Jan. 20 , for our annual MLK Day of Service! A guest speaker, catered food and volunteer opportunities will be available with local nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area!

8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Grand Salon