St. Pete TRHT Co-Chair Judith Scully (middle) shares a laugh with Deneshia Smith and Danny White. Photos by Robbyn Hopewell
Deneshia Smith opened and closed her arms as she fanned the tassels of her “fancy shawl” in the Great Hall of Stetson University College of Law on Jan. 21.
The Native American dance she was immersed in was one of several cross-cultural presentations during the National Day of Racial Healing program hosted by the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center—an American Association of Colleges and Universities–certified TRHT Center maintained through a partnership between Stetson Law and Eckerd College.
Some of the 180 event attendees excitedly snapped photos of Smith while others sat in awe of her performance to Black Bear’s “Seneca.”
It set the tone for a night of performance, conversation and “breaking of bread” aimed at growing the dialogue of the community and promoting inclusion as “The Heart of Racial Equity.”
“This event could not come at a more critical time. In a world where we continue to witness division and inequity, we are reminded that the work of racial healing is not just urgent but indispensable,” said Eckerd’s Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Beverly Warren, Ed.D., in her greeting to the audience.
Rebel Poet opened the event with a poem about her family.
Blanca Catalina García ’03 (right foreground) talks to her table at the National Day of Racial Healing.
“The National Day of Racial Healing invites us to pause, reflect and connect. It challenges us to acknowledge the truths of our shared histories; to honor the pain and resilience of those who have been marginalized; and to embrace the transformative power of empathy, dialogue and understanding.”
Other performances included an opening poem by Rebel Poet, a medley of love songs by Siobahn Monique, an art presentation by Sharee’ Yveliz and community dance led by Latin-music group The 813 P.R.oject.
Performers served as punctuation to the community-healing conversation conducted by Eckerd College Associate Professor of Human Development Paige Dickinson, Ph.D. She asked attendees to sit next to a tablemate they’d never met before and to share their experiences in response to prompts designed to reveal our commonality across cultures.
The exercise was a hit, with Dickinson having to ring an alarm several times to bring the group back into focus.
“I know that you want to continue your conversations and that’s wonderful,” Dickinson mused. “This is only the beginning.”
The evening’s keynote was delivered by Davina Jones, Ph.D., campus provost of the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, who powerfully offered her prescription of healing and self-care in 2025.
Siobahn Monique sings “What the World Needs Now.”
Community groups reflected on the way forward in these divided times.
“Very simply, hurt people hurt people, and healing people heal people,” Jones explained. “So I need to love in a hierarchy. First God, next myself and then all of you. If I love myself, only then can I love my neighbor as myself. The self comes first.”
The St. Pete TRHT’s Racial Justice Student Fellows—members and alumni of a one-year program that takes Pinellas County college students through training, project building and local internships focused on racial equity—also made a presentation about the value of the Center.
“If it wasn’t for the TRHT, I would have never made the connections that helped me go home to Tennessee and help with a project that helped community members find lost cemeteries,” said Katherine Kirkeminde-Harris, a program alumna and current student at University of South Florida–St. Petersburg. “I want to thank everyone at the TRHT for giving me the opportunity.”
Audience members were asked to share a story from their childhood.
The evening was sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, Estrategia Group, RaceWithoutIsm, Embracing Our Differences, and The Woodson African American Museum of Florida. The City also provided an official proclamation to recognize the National Day of Racial Healing observed every year on the Tuesday immediately after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.
