Larry Rasberry and Wendell Span are the co-chairs of The Original Sundresses & Seersuckers event. They are also members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Delta Mu Mu Chapter.
The event derives its name from the attire: women are encouraged to wear their prettiest sundresses; men their snazziest seersucker suits.
The co-chairs explained how the event combines fashion, music, Black-owned businesses and community.
What was the inspiration for The Original Sundresses & Seersuckers?
Larry Rasberry: Originally … we wanted something sophisticated and you don’t find too many events where the men dress really nice for an outdoor concert. Typically they will have on shorts, T-shirts, or a Polo, but this is one of those events where the men actually outdress the women. The ladies come to see what the men have on. As Wendell mentioned, it’s growing each year, and it becomes almost like a fashion show. It’s one of those events that if you are not sure, such as putting stripes and polka dots together, paisley or whatever it is, this is the event where you push the limit of fashion. It’s always very exciting just to see what the men and women have on. Relating to the women, what lady doesn’t look nice in a classy sundress? It originally started off as Seersucker just to kind of set the stage but it expanded into an upscale outdoor event.
How does this event support the community?
Wendell Span: [Through the Delta Mu Mu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.], the proceeds go to scholarships. I think we’ve given out close to $500,000 or $600,000 in scholarships over the years, then we have a program called Black Rhinos for Black males. Black rhinos are almost extinct animals, so we want to make sure we preserve those men. We take [the men in the program] on field trips and various college trips. We teach them how to write resumes, we teach them how to interview, and how to dress professionally. Those are where our funds are going. How can the public get in? They can be a sponsor. We have a large number of corporate sponsors, they are donating not to the party, they’re donating to the cause to support our scholarship.
LR: In this case, yeah, we had over 70 corporate sponsors, and that number continues to grow each year. We’ve been fortunate, because the community and other large businesses in the area and throughout the country, have definitely taken an interest in participating in the event. It’s gone over very well.
