Five “celebrated” local African-American women were honored at a ceremony on March 15th sponsored by the Black Educators Caucus (BEC).
The Christene Yant Women’s History Month Breakfast was held at Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church of Twin Lakes with a packed house of educators, pastors, local business people, along with friends and families of the honorees. The event is named for Christene Yant, a retired Hernando County school guidance counselor and chair of the BEC for more than thirty years.
Prior to the actual award ceremony, the audience was blessed with two performances. One was a poetic recitation by Tommya Hill of Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman,” and the other was a Gospel song entitled “Trust in God” by Elevation Worship sung by The Rivers of Life Praise and Worship Team.
In discussing their background and experiences, all five of the honorees emphasized the importance of God, a strong family support system, education, a work ethic, mentors who helped them along the way, and giving back to the community.
The moderator of the ceremony was Chiquita Henderson. As a first-generation college graduate, she attained a Bachelor’s degree and went on to attain two Master’s degrees. She is currently working on her PhD. Ms. Henderson serves as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC).
The first honoree was Leechele (pronounced Luh-SHELL) Clark Booker. As principal of Hernando High School for ten years, she was named Principal of the Year in 2020. One of her stellar achievements is raising the graduation rate at her school from 55 percent to 89 percent. She has had more than thirty years’ experience in the school system.
Ms. Booker came from humble beginnings and was raised in Bealsville, Florida, which was founded by formerly enslaved people just after the Civil War. She earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree.
In describing her, Ms. Henderson said, “She’s always encouraging our youth and everyone throughout the community that ‘you can be more.’ ” Despite her busy career as a high school principal, Ms. Booker is one of the organizers of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. parade and the owner of Booker’s Party Shop.
“I believe in the power of Jesus Christ and the power of a good education. I believe that if we’re ever going to make a difference in this world, people have to see a difference in us,” Ms. Booker stated.
The next amazing woman was Yvonne Taylor, who grew up in the close-knit rural community of Twin Lakes, about fifteen miles southeast of Brooksville. From an early age, she loved to read−everything from Dr. Seuss to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Ms. Taylor and her siblings spent hours watching Public Broadcasting System (PBS) programs such as “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company.” However, she wasn’t just a bookworm. She enjoyed playing outdoors, as well as biking and competitive running.
In the years following her graduation from Hernando High, she earned an Associate of Arts, a Bachelor’s degree, and a Master of Business Administration.
She has served in a human resources capacity at the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners and United Parcel Services in Brooksville and other companies. As Vice President of Human Resources at Goodwill Industries Suncoast, Inc., her job includes overseeing 22 stores in ten counties and several other facilities, which equates to a workforce of more than 1,000 employees.
Despite all her responsibilities, she has managed to travel to numerous countries, including Ghana, England, and Germany.
In accepting this honor, Ms. Taylor said, “The remarkable people who shaped my life were my parents. They instilled in me lessons that have been the compass for me navigating in this sometimes chaotic world and they told me, ‘Don’t ever start anything you’re not going to finish.’”
Madlyn Bradwell Holmes, the next honoree, graduated from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. After moving to this area, she worked for the welfare office in Hernando County, eventually working her way up to supervisor at the Department of Children and Families. After a career that spanned 35 years, she has been a substitute teacher and now teaches at a Christian school. Ms. Holmes is also active in youth basketball and the American Heart Association.
Ms. Holmes stated. “Everything I do or say or have become is because of my Christian upbringing and loving parents. My mother and father used to say, ‘If the task is worth doing, do it well or not at all.’”
The fourth woman of achievement was Shauna Hill Kincade. She attained a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, a Master’s degree in Adult Education, and an Educational Specialist degree, and she will soon finish her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership.
Ms. Kincade is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Retention Services at PHSC and is serving as Interim Provost there, as well. Her skills that have been critical to the success of community and state colleges include recruiting, mentoring and community engagement. Ms. Kincade also mentors local middle and high school students.
She credits her passion for learning and teaching to her parents, who told her, “Education is the one thing that no one can ever take from you, and it has the immense power to transform lives and change circumstances.”
She also credits the significant impact that a community of people has on an individual’s life to positively influence behavior and development, to shape values and character, and to encourage success.
Ms. Kincade listed some key values that have been important to her. First, lead with love, which builds trust in the people, as well as strong relationships. Second, know your self-worth and don’t allow it to be defined by fleeting things, but allow it to be defined by your character, values, integrity and authenticity. When we do this, it lessens the power of others to misshape our opinions of ourselves.
“Third, lead by example. It’s important that we exemplify the behaviors that we hope to see in others. It helps to establish credibility and inspires others to be the best version of themselves.”
The fourth principle is to value people, not things. This allows us to find purpose in our lives by focusing on the impact we have on others. The fifth lesson is don’t be afraid to “take the road less traveled.” While it might be more challenging, victory off the beaten path forces us to confront unfamiliar situations and push our limits, which leads to personal growth.
The sixth lesson is give back. Those who receive abundant blessings and opportunities have a greater responsibility to use them wisely and for the benefit of others.
In conclusion, Ms. Kincade stated, “The seventh and probably most important lesson is to trust God in all things. It brings profound peace but also helps to give our lives direction and purpose.”
Jenna Davis, a first-generation high school and college graduate, was the fifth honoree. She earned her Associate of Arts and Associate of Science in Business Administration at PHSC and two Master’s of Business Administration degrees, one in Healthcare Management and the other in Critical Management.
She has worked as a BayCare behavioral healthcare community worker and life skills facilitator for 24 years. Ms. Davis teaches public school students about alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention and teaches part-time at PHSC.
For more than a decade, she has educated the South Brooksville community on the dangers of substance abuse, especially fentanyl and opioids, and has set up Narcan dispensers. Narcan is a nasal spray that can be administered by just about anyone as an emergency treatment of a suspected opioid overdose prior to the arrival of EMTs.
In 2013, she was accepted into the Leadership Hernando program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Only 25 people are chosen each year to participate in 12 day-long sessions in which they observe and learn from professionals in the public, private and civic sectors.
Ms. Davis was raised in the country by her grandparents, while her mother was incarcerated and her father was “in his own world.” At an early age, she and her siblings learned how to work for what they wanted in life.
“Being raised in the country was a blessing because we learned to appreciate every little thing. We had to feed the chickens and the hogs. We had to go pick peas, and after picking them, we had to shell them.”
Spring break for them meant picking oranges or watching the younger children while the adults worked. But it wasn’t all work. They enjoyed the usual fun activities like playing hide-and-go-seek or playing softball in the cow pasture. Now, that must have posed a challenging obstacle course! They used branches from the trees as bats.
After her daughter, Miracle, was born in 2008, Ms. Davis knew that she wanted to teach her the same things that her grandparents had taught her. “I wanted to show my ‘baby’ that, regardless of where I came from, you can still be who you want to be.”
In 2021, she lost her grandfather and two aunts to COVID-19. It devastated her and brought her down emotionally to a low level. Despite this, she continued working and got through this with God’s help. “I’m still here and in my right mind,” she quipped. “Doing the best I can. God put me here for a purpose, and that purpose is to motivate and inspire others, no matter what I go through.”
These five women, as well as Ms. Henderson, along with many of the individuals in the audience, are truly an inspiration and motivation for everyone to achieve their potential despite the odds.
The Black Educators Caucus is affiliated with the Hernando County Classroom Teachers Association. Among its goals is to advance the interest of the teaching profession, promote the welfare of Black educators throughout the county, ensure that the educational needs of the local minority community are met, and serve as a think tank and black educators research center. The BEC is open to anyone, whether or not they are an educator, regardless of gender or race. For more information, contact Christene Yant at 352-232-6362.
