Real Food - Virtual Speakers
8th Annual Fundraiser
In light of COVID-19 concerns,
our FUNDRAISER will be VIRTUAL,
but the FOOD will be REAL!
Delicious food and great speakers & entertainment as always!
Real FOOD will be provided by Big D’s House of Barbeque.
Food can be picked up on Saturday afternoon between 3 & 5 pm
at OCDP HQ, 110 S College St, Walhalla
Our Virtual Speakers
Earnestine Williams
Candidate - Oconee County School Board
Earnestine Williams is a retired administrator with 32 years of experience in education. Her career as an educator includes serving as first-grade teacher, elementary school principal, and former Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the School District of Oconee County. Earnestine received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Administrative Supervision from Clemson University. She lives in Seneca, SC, and is married to Gene Williams. They have two daughters, Leah and Anna, and a granddaughter, Sophia. Mrs. Williams grew up on a small tobacco farm in Mullins, SC. She believes that education is the key to thriving communities and promotes excellence in education for all students. She believes in maintaining high expectations for student learning by supporting teachers and building partnerships with families and community leaders.
Alexis Shepard
The Afro Educator
Alexis Shepard is a 9th year educator in Upstate, South Carolina with both middle level and elementary experience. After multiple encounters with burn-out, a desire to take steps towards self-care led to the creation of her brand, The AfroEducator. Originally intended to facilitate connections with like-minded educators, a passion was ignited in Alexis to empower teachers towards wellness. In her work, Alexis seeks to create pervasive perceptions of wellness that will improve teacher outlook and sustainability. She champions teacher self-care through education, reflection, and dialogue. As The AfroEducator, Alexis also strives to illuminate the roles of inclusive education and social justice within wellness. She believes that by sharing stories, she can inspire and empower teachers to take control of their own narratives while developing empathy for others.
Traci Fant
CEO, Freedom Fighters of the Upstate
Traci Fant, Organizer Freedom Fighters Upstate SC, was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. Traci believes in building a strong community through actions—not just talking about it, being about it! As a child and throughout her teen years, she attended Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church led under the leadership of Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks who was at the time President of the National NAACP. Under his leadership, Traci learned early the importance of community outreach, helping those in need, civil rights and the civil rights movement. Traci started the organization Freedom Fighters Upstate SC in 2015 which is a volunteer-based social justice organization in Greenville, SC, which consists of dedicated individuals who have joined together to promote peace, unity, accountability and justice for all on both a local and national level. The organization’s name "Freedom Fighters" was chosen due to the fact that Traci was given the nickname Freedom Fighter by nationally known civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. She is married and has a very loving and supportive husband Jeff, 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Traci is very passionate about her mission to help people fulfill a normal, healthy, productive life and feels that together we can make a difference.
W C Honeycutt
Seneca City Council
Congressman Tim Ryan
U.S. Representative from Ohio
Tim Ryan is the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district, elected in 2002. Ryan's primary focus is on the economy and quality-of-life in Northeast Ohio. He currently serves as a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee which controls the expenditure of money by the federal government. In 2019, Ryan threw his hat in the ring as a Presidential candidate. When he dropped out of the race on October of 2019, he said, "this voice will not be stifled…I will continue to advocate and fight for the working people of this country —white, black, brown, men, women.” Ryan has published a book on healthy eating titled The Real Food Revolution: Healthy Eating, Green Groceries, and the Return of the American Family Farm and another on the topic of mindfulness called A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit.