FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Jan. 18, the gentlemen of Alpha Phi Apha held the Martin Luther King Day virtual breakfast, a gathering to celebrate the day in Southwest Florida.
The men recognized five community members as " Keepers of the Dream."
Honorees include: Carlton Crabbe a community volunteer; Gwynetta Gittens the first minority Lee County School District Board member; Tracy Mcmillion Fort Myers City Chief; Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui a professor at FGCU and President of African Network of SWFL; and Attorney Joe North. These prominent community leaders have done an amazing job in keeping the community moving particularly at this time when we are faced by the devastating unprecedented pandemic.
In his acceptance speech, Dr .Peter Ndiang’ui noted the Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.as a great driving force in his diversity work. He pointed out that though his entire life, like that of many other minority people, has been characterized by several moments of despair, there have been many uplifting stones of hope.
He talked about how his parents and community of Mathakwaini Village in Kenya where he was born and brought up inspired him in his youth. His family, and particularly his wife Priscilla Ndiang’ui, has been the source of the greatest inspiration. He also singled out some of his current colleagues in Florida Gulf Coast University like Dr. Hasan Aydin, Dr. Ally Zhou, Precious Gunter, President Mike Martin and many more as some of the people who continue to inspire him today.
Dr .Peter Ndiang’ui in turn lives to inspire hope to his students, his colleagues and community members. Through his work with the African Network of SWFL, Kenyan Diaspora One Voice Consortium, chairing the Fort Myers Mayor’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and being a member of the Lee County School District Advisory Committee.
