Born in Tampa and raised in what was then a very rural Brandon/Valrico, Sky U. White grew up in a very strict, yet loving household alongside her two siblings. With the examples set by her father, a blue-collar worker and Jamaican immigrant, and her entrepreneurial mother, a medical professional who once owned the only black-owned nursing school in Tampa, Sky witnessed how hard work and diligence paved the way for success. Her exposure to homegrown, triumphant professionals contributes to her appreciation for community-based leadership and her drive to see community-based businesses and organizations thrive.
Sky U. White received her education in the Hillsborough County Public School system; while excelling in academics, sports and participating in the marching band as a tuba player, White recognizes that although it is not perfect, the public school system has a lot to offer our youth. White was a part of the first class at Colson Elementary in 1992 and a graduate of Brandon High School in 2001. After the birth of her son, England, in 2004, White went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse and graduated from D.G. Erwin Technical School in 2006 right here in Tampa.
In addition to being a nurse and a mother, Sky U. White is also the Editor-In-Chief of REVIVED: Tampa’s Most Influential Black-Owned Magazine and the founder and Program Developer of REBORN Tampa, a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged youth. REBORN has facilitated a free reading program for underperforming youth, Civil Rights courses, and annual back-to-school community rallies. REBORN Tampa’s programming is offered to the community at no cost, a decision directly in line with our mission to rehabilitate struggling communities affected by the lack of resources and opportunities. Most recently, White worked alongside other local activists in the removal of the Confederate monument that once sat at the Courthouse Annex Downtown. White believes her biggest accomplishment was her most recent political run for Hillsborough County Commission and plans to run again in the near future.