Summer 2024
R.A.W. Academy Reception 2024, June 15, 2024 SHAW IS R.A.W. Academy stemmed from Kenny Shaw's passion for his community, giving back and teaching young athletes how to succeed both on and off the field. These camps are about teaching not only skills and techniques on the field, but also the importance of teamwork, community and dedication.
Spring 2024
Author Jeffrey Blount January 30, 2024 11:30am to 2:00pm. Jeffrey is the award-winning author of three novels — Almost Snow White, winner of the 2013 USA Best Book Awards; Hating Heidi Foster, winner of the 2013 Readers Favorite Book Award for young adult literature; and The Emancipation of Evan Walls, winner of the 2020 National Indie Excellence Award for African American fiction and other awards. An Emmy award-winning television director and a 2016 inductee to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame, Jeffrey directed Meet The Press, The Today Show, and NBC Nightly. He is also an award-winning documentary scriptwriter for films and interactives that are now on display in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. Jeffrey is a former contributor for HuffPost and has been published in The Washington Post and The Grio.com. Flyer
Avoiding Fraud and Scams: Tips for Seniors January 31, 2024 10:00 am to 1:00 pm St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall and on Zoom: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94201414233
The event is free. Lunch will be provided to registered participants.
Older adults lose billions of dollars each year to scams and fraud. Get tips to protect yourself and your money. Learn how to spot common scams, keep your money secure, and report financial fraud if you suspect you’re a victim.
Guest speakers: Attorney Russell Kent, Senior Corporate Counsel, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Tasha Carter, Insurance Consumer Advocate, State of Florida FLYER (pdf)
Black History Month, February 21 or 28, 2024 10am to 1pm. Dr. Alma Littles is the Interim Dean of FSU College of Medicine. Littles served as senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs at the medical school for nearly 20 years. After graduating from the UF College of Medicine, Littles completed her family medicine residency at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. In 2000, not long after FSU College of Medicine was created, she became the acting and then founding chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health not long after the legislative session. She grew up in Quincy and returned there following medical school to provide primary care in an area where such medical providers were scarce. Dr. Littles' presentation topic is “Impact Tomorrow: Becoming a Champion of Change.” FLYER
Native Pride Productions March 18, 2024 6pm - Feel the Beat of the Drum, Experience the Hypnotizing Power of Dance, and Enjoy the Rhythm of the Music as Larry Yazzie and the Native Pride Dancers Share the Cultural History, Traditions, Ways, Beliefs, and Spiritual Importance of Indigenous Peoples. NATIVEPRIDEPRODUCTIONS.COM - FLYER
Fall 2023
Artist Coy Pilson, September 19, 2023 Coy Pilson, began his journey as an artist in high school where he explored painting and sketching. The self-described “painting principal” stopped after college but picked up the brushes, after 20 years, during his leisure time. Since then, people in the community have embraced Coy’s work. He has been featured in the News Herald and his work has been displayed at the Panama City Center of the Arts. Mr. Pilson has also served as a consultant on an exhibit featuring the work of several local black artists. As an artist, he strives to encourage attendees to be creative. His event will include a presentation and a showcase of his artwork. MORE
Latinx Luncheon, Monday, September 25 celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. Join us in the Digital Design Studio (DDS) at 11:30 a.m. A series of videos discussing the history of Hispanic heritage played on the main screen in the DDS while students enjoyed a free meal from Barbaritos Southwestern Grille and Cantina.
Suicide Awareness Summit, September 29, 2023 The annual Suicide Prevention Conference is hosted in partnership with many community organizations to learn about suicide awareness and prevention. MORE
National Coffee Day, Thursday, September 28 The Division of Student Affairs will supply breakfast churros to go with the coffee available at the Holley Building. MORE
Rebuild Bay – Post Hurricane Michael Event, October 7, 2023 This event is an opportunity to 1) remember the day in Bay County when our lives changed forever; 2) highlight the incredible ways our community came together in the immediate aftermath of the storm; 3) recognize the amazing volunteers from near and far that helped accelerate the recovery of our most vulnerable communities; 4) recognize the partnerships that have formed to aid Michael recovery and subsequent community resilience across the Bay County community; and 5) recognize organizations, institutions, and agencies that have made tremendous impacts in the recovery of the community through community service, application of resources, and new partnerships. The event will be from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Holley Center Lecture Hall. Attire is semi-formal. Tickets are $75, and sponsorships are still available. Cost includes dinner, entertainment and exhibits; cash bar available. Call 850-215-8702 or email information@rebuildbaycount.org for more information. FaceBook
Latinx Luncheon, Monday, October 9 Another informal Latinx Luncheon in the DDS, this time focusing on discussions of identity.
‘Las Ofrendas’ alter—for Dia de los Muertos, Monday, October 16, Traditional placement of offerings like pan dulce (sweet bread) or photos of your deceased loved ones. There will be painted sugar skulls and offerings of prepackaged things like bottled soda or candy.
Day of the Dead observed Thursday, November 2, The event will include arts and crafts activities and food.
Veterans Day Observance, November 8, 2023, 11am Evangelo "Vann" Morris is a former nuclear powered ballistic missile Submariner, Afghanistan-deployed combat Veteran, and retired U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (SWO). This decorated and educated Vet has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey, CA), a Bachelors of Science degree in Engineering Technology from the University of Memphis (TN), and an array of military achievements, of which I will provide just one of them. In 2001, his team seized 14 tons of pure cocaine during a Colombian drug raid. It was the largest drug bust in U.S. maritime history. During his 30 years with the U.S. government, he travelled to 45 countries and has conducted major operations with personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Special Operations Forces. During his last two tours of duty, he proudly served at the U.S. Pentagon in Washington D.C. and United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida. Parallel with his military career, Vann has been public speaking and acting for well over 20 years.
Mental Health/Positivity Workshop, November 13, 2023, 12-5pm Please join us for an uplifting and transformative workshop that will empower you to reshape your mindset and unleash the power of positivity in your life! In today's fast-paced world, it's crucial to prioritize self-care, mental health, and positive thinking. This workshop, led by motivational speaker Cool To Be Kind Tay, is specifically designed to help you embrace positivity, cultivate self-care practices, and achieve a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling personal and professional life.
FSU PC Students may attend the workshop for $9 with promo code FSUPanamaCity. Registration is limited and RSVP is required to attend.
Panama City Ballet Presents, Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, December 2, 2023, Noon to 2pm Meet the dancers from the all-local cast of the Nutcracker presented by Panama City Ballet! Adults $20 and children $15. Performance excerpt, Sugar Plum Fairy meet & greet, live painting and auction with Matt Miller, photo booth and goodies to eat.
FSU Students may receive a discount for the Nutcracker Ballet performance on Dec 8, 9 & 10 using code "FSUStudent." Anyone using the code must also show student ID at the door. Tickets to the ballet can be purchased at https://www.panamacityballet.com/
Spring 2023
PANEL DISCUSSION ON RELIGION, 5:30 P.M., Jan. 19, 2023 The FSU PC Illumination Lectureship Series presents a panel discussion on religion featuring speakers representing the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths in the St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall. The speakers include Rabbi Mitchell Delcau, Temple Beth Shalom, Ft. Walton Beach, Lynn Haven Mayor and Senior Pastor, Jesse Nelson, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Panama City and Hiba Rahim, American-Muslim activist and community organizer with the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
United Hands Project's (UHP) Mental Health Summit, July 15, 2023 8 a.m – 4 p.m. in the FSU Panama City Holley Academic Center. The use of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to cope with mental health stressors has long been an untapped opportunity for growth and development for both the individual and the innovation domain. When people are afforded the opportunity to be the best version of themselves, innovation takes form and becomes a change agent in reducing anxiety and depression. Managing this can aid in people finding ways to cope with mental health diagnoses and overcome their challenges.
During The United Hands Project Summit 2023, we seek to provide ways for people to utilize STEM platforms to grow and build on the basic STEM concepts to better cope with various mental conditions they may face. Using current programs such as "STEM in a Box," offered by Florida State University, Panama City Campus, we seek to display how STEM is in all we do. In hopes of showing others how it can be fun, relaxing, and mentally worthwhile in reducing common diagnoses such as ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and other chronic mental health conditions. Lunch will be provided! FLYER
GENTRACON23, APR. 4 – 5, 2023 Child welfare workers and other mental healthcare professionals will obtain tools that will help them effectively provide their clients with healthy coping mechanisms and other methods that can enhance the healing process that is associated with generational trauma. Attendees will also obtain additional tools and will learn ways to better serve the community’s diverse population through building equity and increasing inclusion in their daily interactions and treatment modalities.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH HEALTH FAIR: “HONORING NURSE FLOSSIE LEWIS” 10:00 A.M. – 2 P.M. FEB. 11, 2023 FSU PC and the City of Panama City celebrate the legacy of Nurse Flossie Lewis through a Community Health Fair at FSU PC. Nurse Lewis trained at Whittaker Memorial Hospital and completed advance training at the Medical College of Virginia and Tuskegee Institute. She served in the New Deal’s Federal Emergency Relief Administration and participated in Cadet Nursing Corps during World War II. As a public health nurse in Bay County, she led a campaign to eradicate tuberculosis and other communicable diseases that disproportionally impacted the black community. She made it her mission to focus on disease prevention. In the spirit of Nurse Lewis, a panel of local physicians will enlighten attendees on the importance of patient advocacy and address other health concerns that are prevalent in the community. Local community centers will provide attendees with information on how to access available local health services.
Fall 2022
VETERANS DAY, 1 P.M. Nov. 9 2022: Florida State University Panama City will host guest speaker retired Major General Robert N. Polumbo of the United States Air Force at 1 p.m. November 9 in the Holley Academic Center, as part of the Illumination series honoring Veterans Day.
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OUT IN THE SOUTH, 1 P.M. OCT. 8, 2022: Out in the South aims to educate and affirm the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities. This year's speakers include, Nadine Smith, co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida; Rian Adams, poet, priest, advocate and retired military officer; Dr. Appelbaum, FSU education director and professor of internal medicine; and Robert Cvornyek, FSU Panama City assistant teaching professor for social science interdisciplinary.
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PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN ACTIVIST & RUTGERS PROFESSOR NOURA ERAKAT, 6 P.M. SEPT. 23, 2022: Noura Erakat is a human rights attorney and associate professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick in the Department of Africana Studies and the Program in Criminal Justice. She is an award-winning author and co-founding editor of “Jadaliyya” an electronic magazine on the Middle East. Erakat serves on the boards of the Institute for Policy Studies, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, and Arab Studies Institute; and she is a policy advisor to Al Shabaka. She also serves on the Editorial Committee of the Journal for Palestine Studies and is a founding board member of the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival.
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ARTIST RICKY STEELE, 5 P.M. AUG. 30, 2022: Tri-state legend Ricky Steele will talk about the challenges he’s overcome during his career spanning more than 40 years. He has had tremendous success painting Black historical figures, including portraits of the former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, which is displayed at the Panama City City Hall. Steele will debut his new artwork at this premier viewing at the Holley Academic Center. Admission is free.
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RESEARCHER IEVA BIRKA: ‘HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THE DIASPORAS’, 6 P.M. MAY 31: Dr. Ieva Birka, who is completing a project at the University of Latvia titled “Harnessing the Economic Potential of the Diaspora,” returns to her hometown of Panama City to take part in the series. Her talk, focused on her five-year long research project into developed country relations with their expatriate populations, or diasporas, will be multidisciplinary, offering insights into the fields of migration studies, political science, economics, geography, policy planning and psychology. As the global competition for a workforce increases and individuals become more globally mobile, the governments of not only developing but also developed countries have taken notice and are eager to harness the knowledge, skills, networks, investments, and political influence of the diaspora. Further, the diffusion of western values through diaspora circular or return migration can do much to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in countries coming to grips with such issues.
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THE KINSEY AFRICAN AMERICAN ART & HISTORY COLLECTION, APRIL 22-JULY 28: The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, organized by The Bernard & Shirley Kinsey Foundation for Arts & Education and KBK Enterprises Inc., will be exhibited in the Allan Bense Atrium at the Holley Academic Center from April 22 through July 28. Shirley and Bernard Kinsey have cultivated the collection over more than 40 years. Their son, Khalil Kinsey, now serves as chief operating officer and curator. The collection conveys a significant part of the American story through African American paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, rare books, and documents — from a bronze bust of Frederick Douglass to letters by Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary source historical objects and artifacts date from 1595 to the present day, and artwork dates to 1865.
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AUTHOR & HISTORIAN DALE COX, 6 P.M. APRIL 12: Award-winning author and historian Dale Cox’s presentation covers “The Fort at Prospect Bluff,” the title of his latest book. Cox re-examines the history of the British Post at Prospect Bluff on the lower Apalachicola River during and following the War of 1812. This outpost was built by the British and offered protection, security, and freedom to hundreds of Black and Native American refugees until U.S. forces destroyed the community. Cox will discuss new research into those who lived there and present details about the survivors and their descendants. He will also discuss how the terrible destruction of the fort and the return of many of its occupants to slavery helped ignite the abolition movement that led to the end of slavery in the United States. The site of the fort is a National Landmark and recently was added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
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AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR IMAN ZAWAHRY, 6 P.M. MARCH 30: FSU PC will screen the romantic comedy, "Americanish," made by diverse American Muslim women about Muslim women, followed by a Q&A with award-winning director Iman Zawahry. "As a filmmaker, I embrace my truth in an unwavering compulsion to share my authentic story as an American Muslim woman,” said Zawahry, a Panama City native and FSU Film alumna.
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AUTHOR & SPEAKER DUMISANI WASHINGTON, 6 P.M. MARCH 22: Dumisani Washington, founder and CEO of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) and the former Diversity Outreach Coordinator for Christians United for Israel (CUFI), is the author of “Zionism & the Black Church.” His presentation will explore the history of collaboration between the Black and Jewish American communities.
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PBS-POV: ‘MAYOR,’ 2 P.M. FEB. 8: The Northwest Florida Regional Library System is partnering with FSU Panama City for the PBS-POV viewing of “Mayor” from David Osit, an Emmy Award-winning documentary film director. The film follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority. Following the film, a two-person panel of local Palestinian individuals will engage in discussion.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 10 A.M.-1 P.M. FEB. 1: The Black History Month event rolls out FSU Panama City’s Illumination series. Bernard, Shirley and Khalil Kinsey of the nationally recognized Kinsey Collection of African American Art & History are the keynote speakers during the cultural celebration. The event also includes performances from NuGulf Coast Choir and selected readings from Gulf Coast State College students.
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