6 Tampa Bay Black-owned businesses you should know about

LARGO — Happy visitors in T-shirts touting Black excellence moved in throngs through Pinewood Cultural Park on Saturday for the Pinellas African American Heritage Celebration. The event sprawled throughout the campus that’s home to the Florida Botanical Gardens, Heritage Village and Creative Pinellas. People stroll through the gardens during the Pinellas African American Heritage Celebration at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ] In 2022, the festival returned after a ten-year hiatus. Shauné Ferguson, the senior coordinator of strategic partnerships with Pinellas County Schools, was tapped to take charge. Pinellas County student artwork based on Black history and culture was on display in the Gallery at Creative Pinellas. Performances from poets, a gospel chorus, the Melrose Elementary dance team and the Gibbs High School marching band permeated the air on the sunny day. Kindel Potts, 8, with the Melrose Elementary Petals, performs a dance solo during the Pinellas African American Heritage Celebration at Pinewood Cultural Park in Largo. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ] African fabrics seen at the Pinellas African American Heritage Celebration in Largo. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ] Ferguson said the main goal of the celebration is to give exposure to...