Name: Talkback Tuesday | Ronnique Hawkins - Roots & Radiance: Learning Their History
Start: 2026-03-10T16:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-10T18:00:00-04:00
Location: 3501 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34239-6109, United States

Talkback Tuesday | Ronnique Hawkins - Roots & Radiance: Learning Their History

Ronnique “Ro” Hawkins is a dynamic artist, activist, and educator whose work bridges creativity, justice, and youth empowerment. Trained at top institutions including the New York Film Academy and Sanford Meisner Intensive, Ro’s career spans television, fashion, and documentary filmmaking. As producer of the Emmy-nominated The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, she became a trusted voice in civil rights advocacy.
Ro founded two nonprofits, The ALM Foundation, which supports multicultural assistance for historical cold cases, and Learn My History Foundation (LMH), which empower youth through genealogy, filmmaking, and mentorship. LMH’s programs have served over 200 youth and continue to grow through partnerships with leaders like Judge Charles E. Williams and Apple.
Inspired by her late mother and her own cancer journey, Ro’s work is deeply personal and fiercely inclusive. Her response to anti-Semitic backlash with love and resilience reflects her guiding principle: “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Ronnique will be in conversation with Arts Advocates member Nanette Crist. A retired lawyer, Nanette worked as a columnist for the Charlotte County edition of Florida Weekly while living in Punta Gorda. She quickly discovered how much fun it is to talk with people about their lives and experiences. In Sarasota, Nanette has interviewed nationally known playwrights, including Lauren Gunderson and Bess Wohl, in connection with Urbanite Theatre’s Modern Works Festival. Nanette also participated in Arts Advocates’ Art Talk series, interviewing artists Truman Adams, Patricia Anderson, and Chalk Festival founder Denise Kowal.
This event is in the Arts Advocates Gallery, located inside the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Enter the mall through the doors next to Connors Steak & Seafood and turn left.