Black History Shines All Year in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  – Black History roots run deep in Florida. Immerse yourself in culture as you visit notable sites around the state which recognize the history and achievements of African-Americans year-round (arranged north to south):

TALLAHASSEE  (www.visittallahassee.com) 
Florida's Highwaymen: Legendary Landscapes      
The Tallahassee Museum will host Florida's Highwaymen: Legendary Landscapes from Feb. 24-May 20 which offers an in-depth portrait of the original nine Highwaymen artists and will feature more than 60 paintings, 33 never before displayed in this region. The Highwaymen, all self-taught black artists, painted wind-bent palm trees, oceans and other Florida-inspired portraits as a release during a time when a secure life and a good education were hard to come by for Southern blacks. The group toured the Florida and Georgia coasts to sell their paintings from sidewalks, roadside stands and the trunks of their cars, and later became renowned for their work. The New York Times has credited the group with "…shaping Florida's popular image as much as oranges and alligators."
(850) 513-0700. www.thebrogan.org.  
 
John G. Riley Center/Museum for African American History & Culture
Delve into Tallahassee's black history roots in the 1890 home of a local black citizen, which now holds many interesting tidbits from the past. "Smoky Hollow," the historically black neighborhood it is situated in what was home to cookie-connoisseur "Famous (Wallace) Amos." (850) 681-7881. www.rileymuseum.org. 
 
JACKSONVILLE  (www.visitjacksonville.com) 
Kingsley Plantation
Built in 1798 by the slaves of John McQueen, the house is the oldest planter's residence still standing in Florida. The semi-circle of 25 tabby cabins just south of the house provides one of the most intact examples of slave life in the state. Former slave Anna Kingsley helped make it a self-sufficient plantation in the early 1800s. Visitors can explore the grounds, which  include the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, plantation house, kitchen house and interpretive garden, daily from 8 a.m. until sunset. Guided tours are offered Thursday through Monday.
(904) 251-3537. www.nps.gov/archive/timu/indepth/kingsley/kingsley_home.htm. 
 
ST. AUGUSTINE  (www.getaway4florida.com) 
Fort Mose
Established in 1738 by the governor of Spanish Florida, Fort Mose served as a haven for runaway slaves from the British Colonies and was the first legally-sanctioned black settlement in what is now the United States. The fort and the town's residents played a major role in the defense of St. Augustine until 1763 when Florida was acquired by Great Britain and Fort Mose was destroyed by the British. Visitors to the fort will find an interpretive site explaining the history and an elevated boardwalk providing access to the salt marsh where the settlement was once located. (800) 653-2489. http://fortmose.com. 
 
Lincolnville
This designated historic district was established at the end of the Civil War by newly-freed slaves. By 1885 it had become a thriving black community and today features the largest collection of 19th century architecture in the city of St. Augustine. (800) 653-2489. www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/geo-flor/28.htm. 
 
DAYTONA BEACH  (www.daytonabeachcvb.org) 
Jackie Robinson Memorial Ball Park
Visit the site where Baseball Hall-of-Famer Jackie Robinson played his first exhibition game on March 17, 1946 as a member of the Montreal Royals, the Brooklyn Dodgers Triple-A farm club. A commemorative statue by sculptor Jules LaSalle was dedicated here in September 1990. www.daytonacubs.com. 
 
Mary McLeod Bethune House
Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and powerful missionary for black rights. She worked closely with the government and President Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws and served as president of the National Association of Colored Women. She moved to Daytona Beach in 1904 and opened the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls the same year. The school has been run as Bethune-Cookman College for years, but on Feb. 14, 2007 it was officially changed to Bethune-Cookman University. Visit the home of Dr. Bethune, as well as the library and nearby university to recognize her achievements in promoting black advancement. (386) 255-1401. www.bethune.cookman.edu. 
 
ORLANDO  (www.orlandoinfo.com)  
Wells' Built Museum of African-American History & Culture
This quaint red-brick hotel in the Parramore District, built by Monroe Wells in the 1930s, hosted figures such as in Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and B.B. King after they performed at the prominent South Street Casino next door, also owned by Wells. The casino has since been destroyed, but the hotel has been transformed into a museum exhibiting memorabilia from its heyday. Visitors can even peek at a hotel room, designed just as it was in the 1930s. (407) 245-7535. www.pastinc.org. 
 
LAUDERHILL (near Fort Lauderdale)  (www.sunny.org) 
The Gospel Complex for Education and Preservation
Dr. Bobby Jones has revolutionized the gospel music industry. In Lauderhill, Jones' brainchild, The Gospel Complex for Education and Preservation is in development. Plans for the 90,000 square-foot complex include a 1,500-seat performing arts center, a production studio, a training room for recording artists and a display of gospel memorabilia. The center will also serve as a major research and education center. www.gospelcomplex.org. 
 
MIAMI  (www.gmcvb.com) 
Lyric Theater

The oldest legitimate theater in Miami, this masonry vaudeville and movie theater was built by prominent black entrepreneur Geder Walker in 1913. It was once the focal point of the social scene in Overtown, Miami's historic African-American community, and hosted performers like Count Basie, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, the Ink Spots, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Ella Fitzgerald, Redd Foxx and Mary Wells. The theater was a safe haven for performers who faced discrimination elsewhere. The theater stands today as a symbol of black economic influence and the community's performing arts center. (305) 374-2444. www.theblackarchives.org/lyric.htm

March 30, 2007   Posted in: United States SouthEast