SPC president Dr. Tonjua Williams with Board of Trustee, Jason Butts St. Petersburg College is commemorating its 99th year, celebrating community and heritage with a community-focused block party. On Saturday, Sept. 12, SPC will host its annual SPC Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Midtown Center in South St. Petersburg's historic Deuces Corridor. The free block party will commemorate the 99th anniversary of the college. Presented by Suncoast Credit Union, the celebration will bring together...

Caption: Tahisia Scantling, MSA, Broker, SFR & Instructor, Managing Broker of Right Turn Realty, LLC When Tahisia Scantling left her six-figure corporate career to become an entrepreneur, she had experience and a vision. What she did not have was a plan for making it happen. “When I left corporate America, I knew what I was going to be doing, but I just didn’t have a clear direction or purpose,” Scantling said. Early hard lessons During her first year in business, Scantling earned a profit...

Kymbriell Finch, founder and creative director of Courageous Leap Inc. helps one of her students float in the pool. ( Photo courtesy of Kymbriell Finch) A recent study shows that drowning deaths among Black children in Florida were among the highest in the nation. According to a new 50-state analysis by Schiller Kessler Group, Florida recorded 105 drowning deaths, the highest number of any state. The report found that across all ages, Black Americans drowned at 1.5 times the rate of white...

Trailblazers of the 21st Century and their economic & cultural imprint

Lakendria Robinson, founder of Orenda Collective LaKendria Robinson shares with Power Broker News that the political landscape regarding DEI in Florida has made it more challenging to navigate as a business owner whose company thrives on diversity. Robinson is the founder of The Orenda Collective, a Black-owned project and management consulting firm based in Tampa, focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), supplier diversity and community investment. The core of her business has...

Target’s latest controversy is raising a larger question beyond how an offensive children’s costume reached its website: What happens when companies remove diverse voices from the rooms where critical decisions are made? The retailer is facing backlash after a children’s Halloween costume sold on its website drew comparisons to racist blackface and minstrel imagery. Target listed the $25 costume as the “Kids’ Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit” from its Hyde and...

Camille Adrienne-Washington is founder of Camille-Adrienne Foundation, founder and CEO of the Indie Noir Market Experience and organizer of BIGFest. The free festival will spotlight over 150 Black-owned businesses in Tampa Black Tampa Bay entrepreneurs, artists, and community organizations will take center stage on Aug. 29-30 during B.I.G. Fest, a free celebration designed to promote Black-owned businesses and strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial community. Hosted by entrepreneur Camille...

Moms for Liberty leadership presented Gov. Ron DeSantis (second from left), a staunch supporter, with “The Liberty Sword” in July 2022 at their inaugural national summit in Tampa. The organization is now struggling to maintain its short-lived power. (Photo courtesy of Moms for Liberty, Facebook) Sarasota County voters have reversed the conservative stranglehold on their school board by formally rejecting a coalition established by Gov. Ron DeSantis and activist group Moms for Liberty....

Emely Thompson, founder of Emely Rachael Consulting, recently brought her AI governance and personal development expertise to Tampa Bay. (Photo submitted by Emely Thompson) Most attorneys follow a straight line toward partnership. Emely Thompson took the scenic route - one that led her from the trenches of social justice to the complex frontier of AI governance. ​ Thompson, founder of Emely Rachael Consulting, recently brought her hard-earned perspective to Tampa. She is also proving the best...

Former Congressman Charlie Crist (left), who said he was surprised and humbled by his15-point margin of victory, held his watch party at Cassis restaurant on Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of Charlie Crist’s campaign, Facebook). Mayor Ken Welch (right) greets joyous supporters on Tuesday night at his campaign’s watch party, held at the St. Petersburg Fire Fighters Association headquarters. (Photo by Mark Parker) St. Petersburg voters have narrowed the mayor’s race to a two-candidate...

St. Petersburg mayoral candidates, from left: Kevin Batdorf, Jim Large, Maria Scruggs, Charlie Crist, City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, and Mayor Ken Welch participate in a forum in June. (Photo by Mark Parker / Power Broker Magazine) For many voters, St. Petersburg’s hotly contested mayoral race is a referendum on the city’s direction. Today, that debate moves away from the stage and social media to the ballot box. ​ Residents, regardless of registered party, have until 7 p.m. to make...

For Dr. Vikki, launching the organization is an invitation for women to redefine success by making space for themselves without guilt. (Photo: Rest and Re-create) For generations, many women, particularly Black women, have carried the weight of family, careers, caregiving, and community while placing their own well-being at the bottom of the priority list. A new wellness organization founded by St. Petersburg native Dr. Vikki T. Gaskin-Butler is working to change that by creating intentional...

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor is warning that privatizing the passenger screening process at Tampa International Airport will jeopardize hundreds of federal jobs and associated benefits. (Photo courtesy of TPA) Tampa International Airport (TPA) finds itself at the center of a deepening controversy over its voluntary participation in a federal program that outsources passenger screening. ​ Privatizing the airport’s passenger-screening workforce through the Transportation Security Administration’s...

A Duke Energy truck in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The company no longer has a franchise agreement in St. Petersburg, and is warning city officials of the potential fallout. (Photo courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg) St. Petersburg is entering uncharted territory as its 30-year franchise agreement with Duke Energy Florida has officially expired, triggering a high-stakes standoff between city leadership and the utility giant. ​ Duke, in an Aug. 7 letter addressed to Mayor Ken Welch,...

One of Troy’s most notable international achievements occurred at the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario. (Photo via Troy Alston) In the world of endurance sports, few athletes possess the sheer vertical tenacity of Troy R. Alston. Recently, the Tampa Bay region celebrated a milestone as Alston was officially certified by Atlas World Records for his latest feat: achieving the most documented stair-climbing race victories within a single state or province. Between 2010 and 2026, Alston...

Caption: An African American couple holding hands. (Stock image) A quiet demographic shift has been unfolding in Pinellas County for more than two decades, one that mirrors a national pattern but now sets the county apart from other parts of the Tampa Bay region. Census data, released in early 2026, shows for the first time in measured history, a majority of Black adults in Pinellas have never walked down the aisle. According to data spanning 2000 to 2024, the share of ‘never married’ Black...

A regional lifeline for transportation-disadvantaged residents in Pinellas County has ended due to an unexpected lapse in state funding. (Photo courtesy of Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority) The road to life-saving medical care has hit a dead end for hundreds of low-income Pinellas County residents who lack reliable, affordable transportation. ​ A stroke-of-the-pen veto by Gov. Ron DeSantis has dismantled the Pinellas County Transit Authority’s (PSTA) lifeline for...

The Links Inc. was founded in 1946, is one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations. Last year, the organization partnered with Miles College and donated essential items and food supplies to the campus student food pantry. The check was presented by Vanessa Falls, Southern Regional Director. ( Photos courtesy of Crystal Pruitt) Tampa will take center stage in 2027 as it welcomes one of the nation's premier gatherings of Black and brown professional women leaders. The...

This year's winners include Ashley Reed and Dr. Lara & Memi of The Marriage Pinnacle (Photo: Famous Amos) The local culinary scene in St. Petersburg is buzzing with pride as Ashley Reed, the visionary founder of the popular food truck "The Brunch Munch," has been officially named a winner of the 2026 Famous Amos "Ingredients for Success" (IFS) Entrepreneurs Initiative. This prestigious national recognition places Reed among a select group of trailblazing Black business owners who are showing...

Members of NAAIA at a networking event. (LinkedIn). As Tampa Bay continues to experience unprecedented growth, local Black insurance professionals are working to ensure the industry's leadership reflects the communities it serves. Earlier this year, the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) created a Tampa Bay Chapter. Chartered on Feb. 26, the chapter joins the national organization founded to increase representation and provide professional development, mentorship and...