The “Youth Innovation Night: Unleash your Super Powers” event in Fort Myers was a huge success, with nearly 300 attendees coming together to celebrate Black innovation and technology. Held at Clemente Park, located in front of the Williams Academy Black History Museum, the event featured inspiring panelists from the Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program.
The national fellowship program aims to provide access and mentorship to exceptional Black innovators, and on this night, the panelists included the voice behind Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse. The event also attracted a diverse crowd, including a robotics CEO and an astronaut. Some students even showed up in superhero costumes to match the theme of the event.
One of the highlights of the night was when students from Dunbar High School showcased their work, including a robot that was featured at the event. The Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program pays tribute to Lewis Latimer, one of Thomas Edison’s collaborators who played a key role in refining Edison’s vision of the lightbulb.
The event was organized by the Lee County Black History Society in collaboration with the Edison Awards and the fellowship program. Overall, it was a night filled with inspiration, innovation, and celebration of Black excellence in the field of technology and innovation.