FAMU Harambee Festival Draws Large, Appreciative Crowd

Jay Williams and Total Praise joined Tallahassee Nights Live on stage for a grand finale at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) 2024 Harambee Festival at Cascades Park Saturday, February 24.

Singing Marvin Sapp’s popular gospel hit “Never Would Have Made it,” with a rendering Bishop Sylvester Robinson of Marianna and Star Swain, principal at FAMU DRS, the choir

brought the curtain down on what producer Vernon Bryant described as a successful event.

“This year’s festival was outstanding, from the weather to the fun and the interactions with the colleges and schools,” Bryant said.

 

At the start of the formal program, FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey, and Leon County Chair Carolyn Cummings and other local officials greeted the large gathering from the Adderley Amphitheater stage. 

Thousands of people were on hand to enjoy Tallahassee-bred musician and producer Darryl Tookes and Friends, the RAA Steel Band, A Few Good Fellas, Brownsville Preparatory Institute, and other acts.

 

The Harambee Festival is known for its food and merchandise vendors selling traditional African garb, jewelry, and other goods. This year was no exception as attendees flocked to vendors even as dusk approached. Earlier in the day, many festival goers left with food packages distributed by Project Goo.

Representatives from the University’s more than a dozen colleges and schools were also on hand to discuss recruitment opportunities with community college and high school students, and their parents. This year, the FAMU Office of Communications introduced a passport that encouraged and enabled more engagement between attendees and representatives of the colleges and schools.   

Office of Communications Director Keith Miles is excited by prospects for the Harambee Festival, a signature Black History Month event for his staff, the University, and the community.

“This year’s festival exemplified the ability for FAMU to bring people together.  We believe there’s lot of potential for Harambee to grow and get even bigger and better in the coming years. We can hardly wait for next year,” said Miles, who joined with staff to conduct an after-action review to explore ways of improving and expanding the 2025 festival.

The date has already been set- Feb. 22, 2025.