A “Night of Stars” honors community advocates and educators
The 2025 Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards Gala included the induction of two into the Black History Archives.
The 2025 Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards recipients are, from left, Clinton Hart, Unsung Hero Award; TiAnna Greene-Harris, 2025 Inductee into the Black History Archives of Marion County; Rosemary Roberts, Beacon of Light Award; and Daniel Banks, archives inductee. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
The third annual Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards Gala was held the evening of Feb. 28 at the College of Central Florida’s Harvey R. Klein Conference Center.
The “A Night of Stars” saw upwards of 300 guests enjoy dinner, music and an awards ceremony that included the induction into the Black History Archives of Daniel Banks and TiAnna Greene-Harris. Clint Hart received the Unsung Hero Award and Rosemary Roberts was recognized as a Beacon of Light.
Members of the Dare2B Great mentoring team at the event, were, from left Theresa Brooks, Lameshia Jenkins, Erica Tuggerson and Shayna Colyer. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
Davida Randolph, HACC program manager, introduced Greene-Harris and Banks. Their names will be placed on a plaque in the Black History Museum of Marion County, which is located inside the Howard Academy Community Center. The center, at 306 NW 7th Ave., Ocala, is a program of Marion County Public Schools and is the home of the Black History Archives.
Greene-Harris served as 2018-2020 president of the NAACP of Marion County. She is the founder and CEO of Emerge2Solutions and has worked with youth and families for more than 25 years. She has been involved in aiding small businesses and founded the Marion County Black Business Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from Bethune-Cookman College and has served as a juvenile probationary officer supervisor for over 10 years, the program detailed.
The program hailed Harris as serving the NAACP of Marion County with “pride, faith and commitment to the community as the third female president,” where her principles included education about African American history and “bridging the gap” in communication among parties concerned about youth, the program stated.
Black History Archives inductee Daniel Banks poses with Luzonia Waters for Cynthia Wilson-Graham during the awards gala, held Feb. 28 at the College of Central Florida. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
“It’s an honor,” she said about the induction. She noted positive changes in the community over the last number of years, such as increased involvement by residents.
Banks, born in 1957 in Pompano Beach, is the son of educators Doyle Banks and Alice Marie Davis Banks, according to the program.
He is a 1975 graduate of Forest High School in Ocala and holds an associate of arts from the College of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is an elder with Fort King Presbyterian Church and served as a commissioner to the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA in 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Banks worked with Head Start, Early Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten for 29 years. He retired in 2019 but continues to train preschool teachers on a part-time basis. He is a world traveler and historian and has been a news reporter and columnist. He is a musician and “national gospel recording artist” who has recorded a gospel music CD, according to the program.
He is the author of 11 books, including “Letters to Mr. Davis from Thurgood Marshall, Mary McLeod Bethune, Matin Luther King Jr. and More.”
His grandfather, Edward Daniel Davis, referred to in the book, passed away in 1989. Davis is an inductee in the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. His induction biography at flcivilrightshalloffame.org states that he “helped desegregate the University of Florida, raise the salary of Black teachers to the level of whites and increase Black voter registration.”
“I’m elated,” Banks said of his induction into the Black History Archives. He commented during his acceptance remarks that he appreciates the work by HACC and the Black History Museum of Marion County to preserve Black history in light of recent “federal and state efforts to erase Black history.”
Hart, who formerly played strong safety with several NFL teams, including the Saint Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, is known for being a mentor and encourager. He operates Healthy Harts Fitness in Ocala. The Hart Neal Foundation, through the Feed 42 outreach, has “impacted over a 1,000 families, beginning with the 42 families we feed and bless the second week of December,” according to an online post.
Hart said it felt “really good” and “I’m honored” to receive the award, although “others deserve it as well.”
Roberts, a veteran of 17 years of service in the U.S. Army retired in 1995. In 1996 she began working for the U.S. Postal Service, where she got to know and help families on her route by finding resources to aid them or by covering their needs out of her own pocket, the program indicated.
Roberts began an outreach about 20 years ago giving out Thanksgiving baskets in the community and reached 200 baskets and 200 hot lunches at her own expense. She originally distributed the baskets from her home but eventually partnered with her church, Kingdom Revival Church. Since 2023, she has switched to providing the baskets at Christmas, according to the program
Roberts’ community involvement includes starting a clothes and food pantry at her church, volunteer work with the Marion County Children’s Alliance’s Family Violence Prevention Workshop, reaching out to the homeless and volunteer work with St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church.
Roberts, who said the honor was “unexpected,” was introduced as a “born servant…who never says no to helping someone.”
During the event, honors also were accorded to Black school principals Victoria Thomas, Dion Gary, Wade Martin, Shameka Murphy, Stacie Newmones, Bernard Rembert, Tracy Crawford, Jason Jacobs, Melicia Cooper, Ronald Jones, Anna Streater-McAllister and Diana Elysee, and assistant principals Charnee Bryant, Lisa Coleman, Samuel Bullock, Tara Willis, Bashannon Hinson, Kelley James, Karen Hall, Steven Powell, Carmen Smiley, Aisha Pete, Cynthia Jones, Jonathan Cannon, Tiffany Drummond and Antonio Maldonado.
Diane Gullet, superintendent of Marion County Schools, hailed the “legacy of leaders” honored and thanked the principals and assistant principals represented at the gala.
“I’m so honored and grateful to be your colleague,” she said.
To learn more, go to marionschools.net/departments/grants_federal_programs/howard_academy_community_center
The KDC Line Dancers were joined by members of the audience at the 2025 Black History Awards Gala. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
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