Ninth Judicial Circuit Judges Roger McDonald and Daniel Dawson, Public Defender Bob Wesley and Marine Officer and Assistant to University of Florida President Jamal Sowell will speak to hundreds of youth on June 17 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Valencia College West Campus to help them steer clear of missteps and set a path to success. The presentations will be part of The Urban Youth Leadership Summit coordinated by Rep. Geraldine F. Thompson and partners such as the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and other community organizations.
Participants will come from Boys and Girls Clubs, Guardian Ad Litem, Good Will, area churches and other youth groups. The Urban Youth Leadership Summit is one of several events organized to observe Juneteenth which began in 1865 and commemorates the end of slavery in America. The summit will focus on the Journey from Emancipation to Excellence.
The June 17th day of free events for youth will culminate from 5 to 7 pm at the Wells’Built Museum of African American History with a Youth Recognition Ceremony which will bring youth together with elected leaders including Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell, Commissioner Phil Diamond and Commissioner Patty Sheehan. The Youth Recognition Ceremony at the Wells’Built will be followed by a Youth Musical Review also at the Wells’Built. A major Juneteenth Music Festival will be held on Saturday June 18 from 11 am to 11 pm at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. Festival activities will include a health and opportunities fair and concerts featuring local talent and national recording artists Tank and Atlantic Starr. For further information contact the office of Rep. Geraldine F. Thompson at 407-245-1511.
