The African Step Up Fashion Show, produced by Mi4 African Clothing and Accessories, was more than a celebration of culture and couture — it became a celebration of community, commitment, and a hometown son who never stopped serving.
That son is Jerry Hadley.
Born in Dania, Florida on September 4, 1949, Jerry’s roots run deep. He attended Attucks Elementary, Collins Elementary, and graduated from Attucks High School in 1967. From there, he earned a degree in Accounting from St. John’s University, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in New York State, and built a distinguished career working with nonprofit organizations conducting audits and preparing tax returns.
But it was not his professional accomplishments alone that earned him the Legacy Award that evening.
It was his life.
After retiring in 2020, Jerry returned home to Dania Beach in 2023 not to rest, but to reinvest. He serves as Treasurer of the Dania Beach Historical Society and Museum and Treasurer of the Friends of the Dania Beach Paul DeMaio Library. He remains active with the Liberia Civic Association, the Attucks High School Class of 1967, and the Hollywood Rotary Club.
Yet titles tell only part of the story.
Jerry hosts an Annual “Vegecue” a healthy day in the park designed especially for seniors. He organizes a Remembrance Service honoring classmates from Attucks High School who have passed on. He teaches gardening, sharing his passion for growing vegetables and fruit trees. He runs an exercise class for seniors on Hollywood Beach Monday through Friday mornings. Every Friday, he manages a Food Bank for the Liberia Civic Association at the Hollywood Rotary Club. And during tax season, he prepares free income tax returns for seniors through AARP.
In every season of life, Jerry Hadley has chosen service.
On stage at the African Step Up Fashion Show, surrounded by vibrant fabrics and cultural pride, Jerry stood alongside Jonathan Anderson and Bettye Coleman Johnson not simply as a recipient of an award, but as a reflection of what legacy truly means.
Legacy is not built in a single moment.
It is grown like the vegetables in Jerry’s garden patiently, faithfully, and for the nourishment of others.
And on that night, the community stood and applauded not just a man, but a life well lived and still actively giving.