WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — The Wakulla Senior Center wrapped up Black History Month in style, hosting its first-ever cultural fashion show where neighbors represented a variety of cultures from North, Central and Southern Africa, Jamaica, the USA, Cuba and Japan.
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Wakulla Senior Center celebrates Black History Month with first-ever cultural fashion show
The event gave seniors a chance to share their cultures with their community — and embrace those cultures for themselves.
One neighbor, Sonia Guerra Nicks, chose to honor her Cuban culture and Black History Month by representing the “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz.
“It was the time they introduced salsa and Latinness to the US, to us, and they just took over. She ran with it, became the queen up until her death, and even to this day, when you say salsa, Celia Cruz is the first one. Did you think of? She’s wonderful,” Guerra Nicks said.
Vicki Jenkins, Client Services Manager for the Wakulla Senior Center, said the fashion show was designed to give everyone a chance to explore and celebrate their backgrounds.
“So I wanted to do something different and bring on new things so everyone could explore their culture. And everyone had a great time dressing up and exploring their culture,” Jenkins said.
The neighbors walking the runway weren’t the only ones who got into the spirit. Zora Franklin wore a custom crocheted hat made by a friend she met at the senior center.
“Oh, my hat. I just love it. My friend she I met her at the senior citizen, and I noticed she was crocheting, so I asked her, I said, Oh, we having a fashion show today, Monday. And I say, I have a shirt that I would like to wear. Would you make me a hat? She said ‘of course,’ and she made it for me in a day to just start crocheting,” Franklin said.
Franklin said the event left her feeling overjoyed.
“Oh, it was so happy. I just kept thinking about it, thinking about it. My daughter and I talked about it. Even talked about it last night. I just was so excited about, because, you know, I know we’re gonna dress up in Africans attire. So I just was so happy about, and I’m so happy, happy today, and grateful to be here,” Franklin said.
The fashion show was also meant to highlight the diverse community Wakulla County has. I spoke with several attendees who said events like these make the Wakulla Senior Center a place of community.
“Any opportunity we have to exchange cultures, to exchange our differences, yet likeness, it’s fantastic,” Guerra Nicks said.
Jenkins encourages everyone to come visit the senior center, saying all are welcome. The center looks forward to hosting the event again in the future.
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