Black Heritage Festival's Founder Reflects on History of Celebration
The annual celebration of Tampa Bay's 'heart and soul' will be held from Jan. 17-26 this year.
Dr. Samuel Lamar Wright, Sr. is the student ombudsman at the University of South Florida, where he has worked since 1985. Wright is also the founder of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, which will be held this year from Jan. 17-26. We recently sat down for a chat with Wright to learn more about how the celebration of “the heart and soul of Tampa Bay” got off the ground, and what attendees can expect this year. Patch: How did you get involved with the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival? Wright: I was a member appointed to the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau. They were interested in the fact I worked for USF. They wanted someone who was involved in the community and not to be there by name. We went to meetings to hear the results …
