Black Heritage Festival celebrates culture, legacy of MLK

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Tampa's Black Heritage Festival is in its final weekend at Curtis Hixon Park. 

"We're celebrating the black culture and we're celebrating the legacy of M.L.K., Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.," said Ivy Box, who does marketing for the festival. "It's for everyone. It's to teach everyone [about] Black culture and not just African-American."

The Black Heritage Festival is broken up into several different villages, and focuses on areas like technology, relief and health. 

The health village offers on-site health screenings with medical students studying at the University of South Florida. 

Vendors include a large percentage of local talent, including local artists such as first-time vendor Tiffany Cooper. 

"I have original paintings, prints and also earrings," Cooper told FOX 13. 

The young artist says she welcomes the chance to educate and talk to the diverse group of festival visitors. 

"If you're proud of your culture you should want other people to participate in it," she said.

The 10-day event wraps with a weekend-long music festival featuring guests Midnight Star, Cece Peniston and the R&B group RnR. 

The music festival runs through Jan. 20.

For more information on the Black Heritage Festival, visit their website.