A trio of elected officials on Tuesday visited the Barack Obama Library in St. Petersburg to share their stories for Black History Month.

Mayor Kenneth Welch, Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, and St. Petersburg City Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders talked about their experiences as Black leaders and how they grew up and came to serve in the important roles they have.

Flowers is currently the president of the Florida Association of Counties Board of Directors and went to Capella University, Eckerd College and Tallahassee Community College. Figgs-Sanders does a lot of volunteering and community service in her free time, while Welch is the 54^th mayor of St. Petersburg and the first African American one.

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Myles Paz

Councilmember Figgs-Sanders addresses the audience.

Figgs-Sanders stated that Black History Month is more than just a month of celebrating Black people and that Black people deserve to be recognized throughout the whole year, rather than just a month.

“Black History Month is just a small fraction of what the major impact of Black History really is,” Figgs-Sanders said. “It’s a time where we’re actually designating people to celebrate some of the richest of our cultural day.”

Celebrating Black History is important because it shows how everyone should be treated equally and how much Black people have done to make society equal and fair, Welch said.

“I think it’s important that we understand history, understand what we have in common and how we came to be the society we are,” he said. “Once we all have the same understanding of our history, we can build a brighter future together.”

At the Foot of the Elders for Black History Month is an event that shows how important Black history and equality are and how we can continue to keep equality going for everyone, Figgs-Sanders said.

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something, and if they tell you that allow that to fuel you to be able to achieve whatever it is you want to do,” Figgs-Sanders said.

Adrida Hosey said she learned something important at the event

“I learned the strength of resilience, and being a voice for the voiceless,” she said.