Friends of AARLCC to Celebrate 24 Years of Honoring Community Changemakers at the Masquerade Honoree Luncheon

The “Rooted in Community” celebration will honor five South Florida leaders and support efforts to preserve African American history and culture, and to expand access to knowledge.

     FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — For more than two decades, the Friends of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (Friends of AARLCC) has worked to preserve and elevate African American history and culture while advocating for one of Broward County’s most important cultural institutions. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 1 p.m., the organization will continue that legacy by hosting its 24th Annual Honoree Luncheon, a masquerade celebration at Signature Sunrise, 10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Sunrise, FL 33351. Tickets: https://bit.ly/4zwyHCA

Under the theme “Rooted in Community: Honoring Those Who Brought Change,” the luncheon will honor five distinguished South Florida leaders whose service and leadership have left a lasting impact on the community.

This year’s honorees are:

 Andra Mentore – Community Service and Distinguished Achievement

Dr. Sharetta Remikie – Lifetime Achievement

Jarrod Mills – Heritage and Distinguished Community Service

Michael Hylton – Community Service and Distinguished Achievement

Dr. Sylvia Sloane Jones – Heritage and Distinguished Community Service

     For 24 years, the annual celebration has honored leaders, visionaries, and changemakers and has generated critical support for the Friends of AARLCC and its mission. This year’s luncheon arrives at a particularly consequential moment.

Across the country, ongoing debates about how African American history is taught, interpreted, and preserved have underscored the importance of institutions dedicated to documenting the full breadth of the African American experience. Libraries, archives, and cultural institutions play a critical role in safeguarding books, documents, photographs, artifacts, oral histories, and other primary sources, ensuring their accessibility for current and future generations.

   “Preserving history is not simply about protecting the past. It is about ensuring that future generations have access to the knowledge, stories, and experiences that help them understand who they are and the communities that came before them,” said Luwando Wright, President of Friends of AARLCC. “At a time when efforts to restrict, reinterpret or diminish parts of African American history are on the rise, supporting institutions like AARLCC is more important than ever. Our community has a role in ensuring these stories remain accessible, documented, and protected.”

The Friends of AARLCC is a support and advocacy organization for the African American Research Library and Cultural Center, collaborating with library leadership to strengthen its programs, collections, services, and community engagement.

Through fundraising, advocacy, and partnerships, the Friends supports programs, events, exhibits, archives, special collections, research materials, historically significant artifacts, staff development, and other initiatives that advance the library’s mission. Members also serve as ambassadors for AARLCC, raising awareness of its resources, strengthening community connections, and advocating for sustained investment in the institution.

These efforts help ensure that AARLCC remains a vital place for researching and preserving history; for young people to discover stories that reflect their heritage; for scholars, families, and community members to access significant collections; and for the broader public to deepen its understanding of the African American experience locally, nationally, and globally.

The 24th Annual Honoree Luncheon reflects that commitment by celebrating individuals who demonstrate that meaningful change is driven by people dedicating their careers, talents, and service to strengthening their communities.

The masquerade celebration will bring together community leaders, elected officials, professionals, educators, advocates, library supporters, and residents for an afternoon of recognition and celebration, while raising support for the Friends’ ongoing advocacy, programming, and preservation efforts.

“For 24 years, this event has enabled us to recognize extraordinary people and bring the community together around a shared purpose: protecting our history and investing in the future,” Wright said. “When someone purchases a ticket, becomes a Friend, or makes a donation, they help sustain the advocacy, programming, and preservation work that keeps this institution strong for generations to come.”

Community members unable to attend the luncheon are encouraged to support the Friends by donating or by becoming a member.

About the Friends of AARLCC

The Friends of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center is a community-based support and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the African American Research Library and Cultural Center’s mission. Its members advocate for African American life, history, and culture and serve as liaisons between AARLCC and the community. Through fundraising, advocacy, partnerships, and public awareness, the Friends support programs, exhibits, archives, special collections, and other resources, and advocate for the financial support needed to sustain the library and its services for future generations. For more information, visit https://www.friendsofaarlcc.org/.