Name: Florida's Historic African American Homes
Brand: Jada Wright-Greene
SKU: 9781467106559
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Florida's Historic African American Homes

9781467106559

$24.99

African Americans have made rich contributions to Florida throughout its history in all avenues of public and private life, from education, to business, to politics, a keystone of which was the ability to own and sell property. Author Jada Wright-Greene showcases this legacy through historic photographs of black American's homes, detailing the lives of the people who lived in them through engaging narrative.

The state of Florida has a rich history of African Americans who have contributed to the advancement and growth of today. From slaves to millionaires, African Americans from all walks of life resided in cabins, homes, and stately mansions. The lives of millionaires, educators, businessmen, community leaders, and innovators in Florida's history are explored in each residence. Mary McLeod Bethune, A.L. Lewis, and D.A. Dorsey are a few of the prominent African Americans who not only resided in the state of Florida but also created opportunities for other blacks to further their lives in education and ownership of property and to have a better quality of life. One of the most humanistic traits found in history is the home of someone who has added something of value to society. Today, some of these residences serve as house museums, community art galleries, cultural institutions, and monuments that interpret and share the legacy of their owners. Jada Wright-Greene has selected images from archives, libraries, and universities throughout Florida and the nation that tell the story and give a glimpse into the intimate lives of African American Floridians who changed history.

Florida's Historic African American Homes cover showing a sepia photo of an elderly woman outside a house with a black plaque title framed in red

Alachua County, Florida

9780738543741

$24.99

Alachua County's African American ancestry contributed significantly to the area's history. Onceenslaved pioneers Richard and Juliann Sams settled in Archer as early as 1839. They were former slaves of James M. Parchman, who journeyed through the wilderness from Parchman, Mississippi. They and others shaped the county's history through inventions, education, and work ethics based on spirituality. This book shows people working together, from the early1800s rural farm life, when racial violence was routine, until African Americans broke the chains of injustice and started organizing and controlling civic affairs.

Group portrait of four men in suits on the Alachua County Florida Images of America cover

Jackson County, Florida

9780738500980

$24.99

Documenting the lives of African-American citizens in the days of slavery through the difficult and often violent Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras to the increasing tolerance of the last century, Jackson County, Florida tells the singular story of this proud community's struggles and successes.

Black and white group portrait of African Americans in front of a wooden building on a Jackson County Florida history book cover

Key West

9780738506845

$24.99

This book captures the historical impacts of the African American community of Key West, Florida.

Known best as a vacation destination and home to artists, beach bums, and celebrities, Key West also boasts a proud African-American heritage that has its roots in the immigration of Caribbean settlers in the late 1800s. Bringing with them valuable skills, such as shipbuilding and other marine trades, and a strong sense of family and community, these immigrants and their descendants made significant contributions to the life of this unique island.

Key West book cover from the Black America Series shows a black-and-white photo of children dancing in a street.

Orlando, Florida

9780738515366

$24.99

Black America: Orlando illuminates the lives and accomplishments of African Americans in one of Central Florida's largest cities. Images from the late 1800s to the mid-1980s depict schools, churches, businesses, housing developments, prominent homes, celebrations, and significant personalities in Orlando's black community. This volume guides readers through more than 150 years of remarkable history.

Book cover for Orlando Florida from the Black America Series showing a large formal banquet with a long table and many attendees.

Tallahassee, Florida

9780738505510

$24.99

The African-American community in Tallahassee from the late 1800s to the 1960s was characterized by a persevering spirit, a strong work ethic, and a love for home, family, and community. During that long period of racial inequity, this same community set about developing its own institutions and activities, from Florida A&M University to the annual

Emancipation Proclamation festival, and what emerged was a rich cultural life that produced and attracted some of the best and brightest minds.

Book cover titled Tallahassee Florida featuring a vintage group portrait.

African Americans of Sanford

9780738567624

$24.99

African Americans of Sanford have served in the building of this great nation since their participation in the three Seminole Wars. They were a large part of the labor force that earned Sanford the distinction of "Celery Capital of the World." The residents of Sanford and its surrounding communities of Goldsboro, Georgetown, Bookertown, and Midway/Canaan work tirelessly to nurture and protect their families. Their stories are a vital ingredient in Sanford's folklife performance, "Celery Soup." Crooms Academy gave service to African Americans in the area from its founding in 1926 until integration in the late 1960s and was the central force in connecting local communities. Its graduates have entered education, law, medicine, politics, engineering, entertainment, and other specialized areas. African Americans of Sanford recognizes and applauds those who have helped to preserve Sanford's history as well as those who have participated in making it.

African Americans of Sanford book cover showing a large sepia group portrait of diverse adults and children.

Levy County, Florida

9780738541969

$24.99

Driving along Levy County highways, one can always see crops of corn, watermelons, peanuts, cantaloupes, and vegetables. The county contains the cities of Cedar Key, noted for its romantic atmosphere and annual seafood and art festivals; Chiefland, a small town with a friendly atmosphere; and Rosewood, noted today for its tours and markers dedicated to those who tragically lost their lives.

Levy County Florida cover featuring a man in uniform working with a saw in a pine forest

African Americans of Tampa

9781467112741

$24.99

Tampa has a fascinating past that has been wonderfully documented with one exception: African Americans. This culturally rich community is virtually invisible in the eyes of history. Tampa's population exploded during the early 1900s, and the building boom universally required the skills and talents of African Americans, who provided services, labor, and entrepreneurship in a massive form. They played significant roles in everything from Tampa's wilderness era to its boomtown years and were key players in the first and second Seminole Wars with their Seminole alliance. African American soldiers captured Fort Brooke during the Civil War and fought in the Spanish-American War. Residents have endured Jim Crow, desegregation, and racial unrest yet thrived as entrepreneurs. Black Cubans, as part of the greater African American community, enabled Tampa's world-renowned cigar industry. The photographs found in this volume clearly illustrate Tampa's social and productive African American community.

Cover image for African Americans of Tampa, isbn: 9781467112741

Seminole County

9780738506340

$24.99

From a citrus and truck-farming region to the leading bedroom community of Orlando, Seminole County

boasts a distinctive past that has been shaped and

enriched by the presence of African Americans for more than 400 years.

Seminole County Black America Series cover with four women in dresses and sashes posing for the photograph

St. Petersburg's Historic African American Neighborhoods

9781596292796

$21.99

Pepper Town, Methodist Town, the Gas Plant district and the 22nd Street South community—these once segregated neighborhoods were built by African Americans in the face of injustice. The resilient people who lived in these neighbourhoods established strong businesses, raised churches, created vibrant entertainment spots and forged bonds among family and friends for mutual well-being. After integration, the neighbourhoods eventually gave way to decay and urban renewal, and tales of unquenchable spirit in the face of adversity began to fade. In this companion volume to St. Petersburg's Historic 22nd Street South, Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson share stories of people who built these thriving communities, and offer a rich narrative of hardships overcome, leaders who emerged and the perseverance of pioneers who kept the faith that a better day would arrive.

Cover image for St. Petersburg's Historic African American Neighborhoods, isbn: 9781596292796

Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida

9781626199835

$21.99

Mary McLeod Bethune was often called the First Lady of Negro America, but she made significant contributions to the political climate of Florida as well. From the founding of the Daytona Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls in 1904, Bethune galvanized African American women for change. She created an environment in Daytona Beach that, despite racial tension throughout the state, allowed Jackie Robinson to begin his journey to integrating Major League Baseball less than two miles away from her school. Today, her legacy lives through a number of institutions, including Bethune-Cookman University and the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation National Historic Landmark. Historian Ashley Robertson explores the life, leadership and amazing contributions of this dynamic activist.

Cover image for Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida, isbn: 9781626199835

Hernando County, Florida

9780738541860

$24.99

Black America: Hernando County establishes the reality of African American life in the region through approximately 200 historic images, preserving the county's history for generations to come. This engaging volume bridges the gaps between the past, present, and future of Hernando County by pairing stories of ancestors' resilience with authentic photographs from the mid-1800s to today.

Cover image for Hernando County, Florida, isbn: 9780738541860

Jacksonville's Gullah Geechee Heritage

9781467163347

$24.99

Jacksonville, Florida’s Gullah Geechee heritage is an integral part of the city’s story.

Gullah Geechee people, descendants of west and central Africans forcibly brought to the southeastern coast of the United States, have retained many of their indigenous African traditions through architecture, food, culture, religion, and occupations. This legacy, combined with northeast Florida’s unique blend of Indigenous, French, Spanish, and English colonial history, has contributed to the African American journey in Jacksonville. Today, Jacksonville is the largest city in the federally designated Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, which stretches from Wilmington, North Carolina, to St. Augustine, Florida.

Ennis Davis is a Gullah Geechee descendant, urban planner, heritage advocate, and writer. Adrienne Burke is a historian, urban planner, and heritage advocate. Together they own Community Planning Collaborative, a firm working to assist communities with heritage-based urban planning solutions. Drawing from archival photographs housed in the Library of Congress, State Archives of Florida, National Archives, Jacksonville Public Library, University of Florida, University of North Florida, the Ritz Theatre & Museum, and the Jaxson magazine, each image illuminates the unique stories of the past that continue to shape Jacksonville’s character today. The foreword is provided by Saundra Morene with the Jacksonville Gullah/Geechee Nation Community Development Corporation.

Cover image for Jacksonville's Gullah Geechee Heritage, isbn: 9781467163347

St. Petersburg, Florida

9780738515175

$24.99

These pictorial images illustrate the people, places, and events that have shaped the African-American culture and history of St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg's African-American community enjoys a rich history that is evidenced within these pages of treasured images and detailed captions. Captured are the people, places, and events that have shaped this community from its earliest days to the present. Highlighted are the city's first black settlers John Donaldson and Anna Germain, former slaves, employees of Louis Bell Jr., and true pioneers. Acknowledged is the impact that the blacks who migrated here in the late 1800s had on the city's development. Shared are fond memories of black neighborhoods like Methodist and Pepper Towns that no longer exist, but can never be forgotten. Remembered is the community's fight for racial equality-using both peaceful and militant means.

Black and white photo of a group of women in vintage dresses on a porch, cover of St. Petersburg Florida in Black America Series.

Clearwater, Florida

9780738514734

$24.99

African American history in Clearwater dates back to the early 1500s when the first blacks arrived as part of Panfilo de Narvaez's exploration party. Since that time, the community has grown and made indelible marks on this city as well as Florida state history. Rare images coupled with informative text highlight the people, places, events, and accomplishments at the very heart of this community for residents, visitors, and future generations to enjoy.

Book cover for Clearwater Florida from the Black America Series featuring a vintage group on a porch

Pleasant City, West Palm Beach

9780738517582

$24.99

Pleasant City, a neighborhood of West Palm Beach, Florida, is the oldest African-American community in Palm Beach County. The first black settlers came to a place called the Styx--later owned by white millionaires who then rented their backyards to black workers--to work on the railroad and Henry Flagler's hotel and mansion. Forced out when the land became valuable, the blacks purchased land and settled Pleasant City. Pleasant City was marketed as a "High Class Colored Subdivision" in 1913, and many of the pioneers still have descendants in the area today.

Pleasant City West Palm Beach cover from Black America Series with a vintage car and a man beside the vehicle

Tarpon Springs, Florida

9780738515977

$24.99

African Americans originally came to Tarpon Springs in the mid-1880s to work in the lumber mills. In the 1890s, a number of sponge divers arrived from the Bahamas and Key West to harvest and prepare the wealth of sponges found in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Anclote River. Devoutly religious, these pioneers founded the African American Episcopal Church in 1887 and the Baptist Church in 1892. Union Academy School, the first African-American school in Tarpon Springs, was established in the early 1900s. The dedicated work ethic of early African-American settlers continues today. Many of their descendants serve as educators, politicians, and ministers.