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Dr. V. Brooks Dunbar (Dr. V.) is the CEO & Founder of The Center for Confidence (TCFC), an organizational leadership and professional coaching firm in Jacksonville, Fl. She is a member of the MBA advisory committee at the Forbes School of Business & Technology, University of Arizona Global Campus, and is the Senior Research Facilitator for the Walker’s Legacy Foundation, Washington, D.C. In this role, Dr. Dunbar supports the COVID-19 Impact Study, an initiative of the Gates Foundation to study the effects of COVID-19 on multicultural businesswomen. Serving as a motivational author, confidence coach and executive leadership coach, Dr. V. is on a mission to develop effective leaders into change makers who propel positive change in the workplace and society. She is a fearless advocate for small businesses, entrepreneurship, and creating economic equity for women. Business consulting and advising roles include serving as program manager and consultant for small business and COVID-19 minority business recovery initiates including a program with the U.S. Department of Commerce MBDA COVID-19 Business Recovery Program, a Business Advisor to Goldman Sachs’ Black in Business initiative, and a Certified Business Technical Assistance provider for the state of Florida. In January 2020, Dr. Dunbar opened CenCon Cowork, a 4000 sf coworking space designed to meet the needs of multicultural female entrepreneurs and their allies.
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Founder and CEO of It’$ My Money, is a personal finance coach, international speaker and an Award Winning author of the #1 Best Seller Book “It’$ My money”
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Rodney Lawrence Hurst, Sr., is a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a widower, a cancer survivor, a civil rights activist, a Black historian, a military veteran, and the award-winning author of four books.
His first book, "It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke®!" is a personal account of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations in Jacksonville, Florida, and Ax Handle Saturday. It recounts the segregated civic, political, and educational climate of Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1950s and the 1960s, the 1960 Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP sit-ins, and the violent event, Ax Handle Saturday. Due to the black-out of local news about these important civil rights events in Jacksonville, Hurst’s book is the only historically accurate description of those sit-ins and the violence of Ax Handle Saturday. “It was never about a hot dog and a Coke!” is the winner of over a dozen awards, including the 2008 USA National Best Books Awards national book competition First Place Gold Medal Award for Multicultural Nonfiction and the Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal for Nonfiction.
"Unless WE Tell It…It Never Gets Told!" Hurst's second book relates stories about Jacksonville's Black History and Civil Rights History. It was one of five finalists for the Multicultural Non-Fiction Award by the National Best Books Awards national book competition. It was also honored with the 2017 City of Jacksonville's Historic Preservation Commission Award.
His third book, "Never Forget Who You Are: Conversations about Racism and Identity Development," which he co-authored with Dr. Rudy F. Jamison Jr., discusses Racism and identity development as seen through Mr. Hurst's and Dr. Jamison's eyes. The book review site Readers View awarded the book its 2021 Nonfiction "Book of the Year" and its 2021 Grand Prize Winner in its national book competition.
Hurst’s fourth book, “Black and Brilliant,” written for 12-18-year-olds, reflects on the legacy of Black America with Hurst’s remembrances as a pre-teen and a young teenager and the influences on his life to make him proud of his Blackness and piquing his interest in Black History. “Black and Brilliant” is the recipient of four awards in the “Reader Views National Literary Awards.” - Gold medal regional winner, Young Adult Nonfiction, Teen Non-Fiction, and Regional Book of the Year. Black and Brilliant also receives the Gold Medal First Place for “Multicultural Non-Fiction, Juvenile-Young Adult, ages 12-18 and Regional Book of the Year by the Independent Publishers Book Awards.
Hurst is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and a 1960 high school graduate of segregated Northwestern Junior-Senior High School in Jacksonville. He was the sixteen-year-old President of the Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP and was one of the leaders of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations.
Hurst served two four-year terms on the Jacksonville City Council and is responsible for numerous "firsts" in the Jacksonville Community. Hurst was one of the thirteen original national recipients of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Television Fellowships. He was the first Black to co-host a television talk show on PBS Channel WJCT and was the first Black male hired at the Prudential South Central Home Office in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition, Hurst was the first Black to serve as the Executive Director of the State of Florida's Construction Industry Licensing Board.
He is a life member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and is a Silver Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hurst is a veteran of the United States Air Force. Hurst speaks extensively on Civil Rights, Black History, and Racism. Hurst was the keynote speaker at the Induction Ceremony of Harriette and Harry T. Moore in the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Hurst nominated his mentor, civil rights icon Rutledge H. Pearson, and his longtime friend and civil rights icon Dr. Arnett Girardeau to the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Mr. Pearson was inducted posthumously in 2016, and Dr. Girardeau was inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame in June 2017. Unfortunately, Dr. Girardeau died four months later. Hurst is also the Historian of the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches.
Hurst is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Visionary Award, presented by the National Alumni Association of Bethune-Cookman University; The Clanzel T. Brown Award, presented by the Jacksonville Urban League; the Outstanding Alumnus Award, presented by the National Alumni Association of Edward Waters College; and the “Living Legacy” award given by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Hurst’s image appears on two public art murals in Jacksonville.
Hurst is the father of two sons, Rodney II (Vandlyn) and Todd. He is the grandfather of Marquiette, and Jasmine, Rodney II's daughters. Hurst's eldest granddaughter, Marquiette, and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of Everly Ann, Hurst's first great-grandchild. Hurst worships at the First Baptist Church of Oakland where Rev. Dr. Christopher McKee is the pastor.
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I am a first generation Trinidadian Texan. I was raised in a home that lived and loved; yet, outside of that Caribbean home was a Texas landscape steeped in tradition for better and for worse. My organizing began with an awakening educationally. I experienced all the ism's growing up just south of Houston Texas but I was normalized to it. Once I realized that actions reshape norms, I got to organizing!
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My name is Grace Mae Flaven and I am a 17-year-old Filipino American from Jacksonville, Florida. I am an 11th-grade International Baccalaureate student at Paxon School for Advanced Studies. From the age of five, I’ve been deeply involved in community activism tackling critical issues such as police brutality, symbols of white supremacy, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the genocide in Palestine, and other forms of social injustice affecting our communities.
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Maliyah Glover is an 8th-grade student at Jean Ribault Middle School, where she excels academically and athletically. She is a proud member of the National Junior Honor Society, Pearls of Perfection, the cheer team, and the track team.
Beyond the classroom, Maliyah is deeply committed to community service and civic engagement. As a Youth Ambassador for the SisterHermana Foundation, she plays a vital role in supporting families affected by cancer. She has gained hands-on experience in political organizing, including door-to-door canvassing, making campaign phone calls, and registering voters. Remarkably, at just six years old, she registered her first voter while tabling with her grandmother at Florida Community College of Jacksonville.
Maliyah’s dedication to service extends beyond politics. She has volunteered with Feeding Northeast Florida and Agape Family Health Center, reinforcing her strong belief that giving back to others and uplifting the community is essential.
In addition to her academic and community efforts, Maliyah is also a budding entrepreneur. She is actively growing her hair braiding and nail business as a way to help fund her college education and future medical school journey. With a passion for helping others, she aspires to become a pediatrician, ensuring that children receive the care and support they need to thrive.
Maliyah’s drive, ambition, and commitment to service make her a true inspiration, proving that age is no barrier to making a meaningful impact.
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Jordan Weeks is a senior Communications scholar from New Orleans, Louisiana, currently serving as the 5th Miss Edward Waters University. A dedicated leader and advocate, she also holds the role of Democracy Fellow for the state of Florida with NAACP Youth & College, where she actively works on civic engagement initiatives, voter registration, and community organizing.
With a passion for empowerment and unity, Jordan has successfully hosted impactful events such as “Once Upon a Sleepover,” fostering mentorship among young girls, and the EWU Royal Cookout, promoting campus togetherness. She has also led voter registration drives in underserved communities, contributed to EWU’s Souls to the Polls initiative, and engaged in discussions on HBCU leadership, including an interview with Roland Martin.
Jordan’s leadership extends beyond campus through her participation in the President’s Stay Woke Speaker Series, where she interviewed industry professionals on navigating spaces as an African American. She is deeply committed to service, faith, and leaving a legacy of excellence at Edward Waters University and beyond.
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The Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program mission is to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment. At Jean Ribault High School, we are teaching leadership and instilling discipline in our cadets through classroom instruction, military drill, uniform inspections and physical training. Marine Corps Junior ROTC was chartered at Ribault Senior High School on September 1, 1972. Since then, two retired Marines have been the instructors for between sixty and two hundred cadets each year who range in ages from 14 to 19 and span all four years of high school.
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My name is Mason Shoemaker, a young political professional and college student here in Jacksonville. I worked on Mayor Donna Deegan's successful campaign and I led the campaign's youth/Gen-Z program. Currently, I am the president of the UNF College Democrats and remain active in politics. I am passionate about politics on all levels of government and I'm happy to talk about my experience!
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Multi-faceted artist Barbara Colaciello began her career as the Advertising Director of Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine in New York City. For over two decades, Barbara has written, directed, produced, and performed socially engaged theater that contributes to vital conversations in the Jacksonville community. Her studio, BABS'LAB is a place for experimentation, training, and performance, a place where the community comes together to witness work that uplifts, breaks barriers, and crosses lines. Monthly STORY SLAMS oral storytelling. Barbara’s company Improv to the Rescue specializes in experiential and creative learning to enhance communication skills, develop storytellers through workshops, classes and coaching. A 2013 TEDxJacksonville Speaker, she has been a recipient of 2020 Art Ventures Individual Artist Grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida to write a site-specific solo performance. In 2018, she received a 15k PNC ARTS ALIVE GRANT to produce/direct anti-bullying play as a free field trip for Duval County Title One Schools at the Florida Theatre. Most recently she was awarded an Individual Artist Grant Pilot Program funded by the City of Jacksonville and administered by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
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Diallo-Sekou Seabrooks Diallo-Sekou Seabrooks was born in Jacksonville, Florida on November 19, 1971 to the parents of Shelia Williams & Malachi Bo Beyah. Whom both are active Edward Waters College Alum. He’s attended Raines, Terry Parker and graduate from Englewood High School in 1989. He attended FCCJ when it was FJC. Diallo-Sekou moved to Tampa, Florida to attended Tampa Tech Institute at the age of 20. During his stint in Tampa Diallo-Sekou developed his entrepreneurial skills by designing t-shirts and posters which were being placed in different storefronts through Florida. This helped in his development of a stronger love for his culture; self and awareness to the injustice that played out daily in his community. After Graduating in 1993 from Tampa Tech Institute with a degree in commercial Arts , Diallo-Sekou moved to Atlanta to become a famous artist, but became a 3rd shift stocker at Winn Dixie. On the bright side that same year he met his wife who is the mother of 2 of his 3 sons and remain together happily today since 1993. Not being defeated Diallo-Sekou felt a deeper calling and moved to New Orleans and joined The Holy Tabernacle Ministries. It was in New Orleans where Diallo-Sekou taught a Q&A class every Sunday After 5 years with The Holy Tabernacle Community , extensive travel and opening bookstores throughout the country while being schooled in Semitic languages and comparative religions he received a Honorary Doctoral of Divinity. Diallo-Sekou wrote his first book titled What is this State Mind? in 2000 . He continued public speaking, working with Project Open hand & feeding the homeless throughout Atlanta, Ga. In 2002 Diallo-Sekou moved back to Jacksonville, Florida to working the family business and reconnect. In the last 12 years in Jacksonville, Florida Diallo-Sekou has owned an Art gallery /Studio, where he ran programs for urban children partnered with Credi . He started a social group called The Kemetic Empire whose mission statement is The Upliftment of Mankind. Under The Kemetic Empire he has traveled the country lecturing and motivational speaking. Written his his 2nd Book Understanding Jurisdiction for Moors in North America. Diallo-Sekou is the CEO of Private Side Media which deals with all forms of media , the most recent film We Remember Raines Diallo-Sekou is also CEO of Urban-GeoPonics a non profit that deals with executing sustainable concepts around owning natural resources and creating inheritable wealth for our children. He has sat and serves on several boards and remains entrenched as an Organizer and Activist in the community today. The Kuumba Festival, The Cater G. Woodson, Hurting Families with Children in Crime, Million More Movement as the Minister of Education, Diallo-Sekou holds an Annual Summit based on Agriculture and Co-Operative Economics (FREE) ,Vice President of SCLC. He created Duval Entertainment Commission to end violence in the clubs. A member of No-FLAC The Chair of SNNC a member of SCLC local Chapter, A CPAC member, The Advisory Committee for Duval County Public Schools (Eugene Butler) Diallo-Sekou believes in a self -governing, pro-active approach.
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