Submitted by Lori J. Durante
BOCA RATON, FL. – – – The Bridgerton British nobility was the theme for the 56th annual Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club (FJBWC) Debutante Cotillion held at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton on April 27, 2025. The corporate sponsor was Stark Arrow Exterminators of Boca Raton. The cotillion is a time honored tradition of a formal ball that emerged in 18th-century France that then spread to Great Britain eventually crossing the pond to America and officially began appearing in the Black community in late 19th century.
Debutante alumna Alisson Sealy served as the cotillion chairwoman. The cotillion’s mistress of ceremony was debutante alumna Principal Sandra Edwards of Atlantic Community High School of Delray Beach. The guest speaker was FJBWC debutante alumna and millennial LeChara Pryor who is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and a Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. At the fun evening there were raffle items from Lilly Pulitzer and the Voracious published soul food cookbook The Rise: Black Cooks and Soul of American Food.
Ten aspiring 12th grade girls, all formally gowned in white, were presented to society as debutantes and each were awarded scholarships from the Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club Charitable Foundation. The students spent a year being mentored, introduced to etiquette, friendship bonding and they embarked on the Taste History Art & Culture Study Tour that led them on their first Brightline Train ride to Historic Overtown Miami and the Perez Art Museum (PAMM).
Realtor and marketing consultant Lori J. Durante was presented with a plaque of appreciation for her volunteer service for co-hosting a shopping fundraiser at the Lilly Pulitzer shop in Downtown Delray Beach. Plus, Durante coordinated the debutante’s study tour to Miami via Brightline Trains. Durante’s family has been supporting the debutante program since 1969 when her mother joined the FJBWC board and then chaired the debutante program for two years. Lori J Durante says of the honor: “I am grateful for the recognition as I make my best efforts to create positive educational experiences for our youth, the future leaders”.
The debutantes from Palm Beach County and Broward County Schools presented at the cotillion are Tramaia Bell, Tiffani Davis, Madison Greene, Phoenix Hart, Kaylee Isen, Maryse Jean-Baptiste, Ludine Lolo, Zana Maddox, Wisdom Pinkney and Nikia White.
The Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club (FJBWC) is a 100% volunteer organization and is named in honor of Frances J. Bright, a Black educator who came to Delray Beach, Florida in year 1899 to teach at ‘colored’ school #4 that was established in year 1895 located on historic NW 5th Avenue in Delray Beach. It was the first public school in Delray Beach. The first principal at Colored School #4 in year 1895 was Mr. B.F. James of Miami (Lemon City). Mrs. Bright was the first Black public school teacher in Delray Beach. The school was a part of the Dade County Public School System at that time because Palm Beach County was not incorporated as a separate county until year 1909. The leaders of this prestigious organization of the FJBWC who mentors the debutantes are also esteemed African American educators, professionals, and business owners which are the same composition type as those who established the FJBWC organization. The mission of FJBWC debutante program is to provide mentorship and help provide etiquette training and cultural experiences for high school girls who are invited into the program based on their academics and good character status. The debutante program also raises educational scholarship monies for young ladies to pursue career goals.
The mission of the non-profit Taste History Art & Culture Study Tours is to offer curriculum based multi-sensory educational experiences for students by providing historical information highlighting multi-cultures, ethnic cuisines, architectural designs, historical places, people, artifacts plus ways of life of the past of the area toured. The tour program is designed to be a school educational out-of-classroom experience, on the road, that infuses curriculum strands and benchmarks. The Study Tour creates an active, immersive, tangible experience and object-based learning for the students’ journey. Some of the ways in which the Study Tour helps and enhances the students’ educational learning: curriculum comprehension, memorization and observation skills. https://tastehistoryculinarytours.blogspot.com/
