The Henry T. Latimer Diversity & Inclusion Award is presented annually to individuals who have worked to encourage participation and opportunities to all individuals within the legal profession, including those who are racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and those with disabilities. Award recipients are nominated and selected cooperatively by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association, and The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Diversity & Inclusion.
Henry T. Latimer served as one of the first African-American judges in Florida. He had a 30-year career as a lawyer and judge, which was exemplified by passion, excellence, wisdom and diplomacy. Henry Latimer served as a mentor to thousands, instilling in them his passion for equality, excellence, respect and professionalism. He died in a 2005 automobile accident, just six months before he was to become the first African-American president of The Florida Bar. In his honor, the Center for Professionalism, created by Administrative Order of the Florida Supreme Court in 1996 as a joint project of the Supreme Court and The Florida Bar, was renamed the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism.
Notable previous recipients of the Henry T. Latimer Diversity & Inclusion Award include H. T Smith (2005-2006), Chief Justice Peggy A. Quince (2008-2009), Justice James E.C. Perry (2015-2016), and Eugene K. Pettis (2017-2018).
Representative Gantt remarked, “Quite candidly, I’m still in shock that I am the recipient of the 2023 Henry T. Latimer Diversity & Inclusion Award. To be included amongst legal giants who continue to advocate for inclusive spaces within and outside the legal community is humbling. I have been and will continue to be committed to working towards equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion in my capacity as a State Representative and as an attorney.”
