Congresswoman Alma Adams Advocacy Award

The Congresswoman Alma Adams Advocacy Award is dedicated to honoring a legislator or policymaker who has demonstrated exceptional support for the arts and arts education. Their legislative actions and advocacy efforts have made a profound difference in promoting the arts. 

Recently, Congresswoman Alma Adams introduced the HBCU Arts Act with support from Quanice Floyd, the Executive Director of the National Guild for Community Arts Education.

2024 Awardee

LaVon Bracy Davis, State Representative, Florida's 40th House District, oversees Ocoee, Pine Hills, Rosemont, College Park, and unincorporated communities in Orange County. Before her legislative role, she served as an influential arts executive in Orlando and Central Florida, leading initiatives to diversify community programming and engagement in the local arts scene. Collaborating with over 200 arts groups and nonprofits, she played a key role in injecting millions of dollars into economic activation in Orlando and its surroundings. As Former Chair of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Bracy Davis made significant contributions to cultural grant funding decisions and matters related to statewide cultural affairs. Notably, she played a pivotal role in selecting the sculptor responsible for creating the statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, now displayed in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, DC. Beyond her legislative duties, she actively engages in the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, supports the Pace Center for Girls – Orange County, FL, and volunteers for Valencia College’s Take Stock in Children/Horizons mentorship program. Her legislative accomplishments include spearheading critical bills aimed at reforming the criminal justice system, advocating for fair sentencing, and improving conditions for incarcerated individuals. Her commitment to education is evident through her efforts to increase funding for public schools, expand access to quality education, and support initiatives that bridge the achievement gap. This year, Representative Bracy Davis championed a bill which would add Youth Conflict Resolution programs in schools with high levels of juvenile violence. Bracy Davis’ passion for arts and culture continues to influence her legislative agenda, emphasizing the importance of integrating arts into educational curricula and community programs. Bracy Davis holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts from Howard University and a Juris Doctor degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, College of Law. As a licensed attorney, she previously served as a Senior Attorney for the Department of Children and Families, showcasing her dedication to both the legal and arts communities. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She lives by the mantra that service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy. She is blissfully married to Pastor Adrian R. Davis.