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Tag: Black History Month 2026

  • Selma-to-Montgomery march

    [ad_1]

    Amid one of the most difficult eras in American history, the weather in the Southeast did nothing to ease the ongoing fight for justice.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama occurred in 1965

    • It was an effort to register more Black voters in the South

    • Heavy rain soaked the protesters


    What was the Selma to Montgomery March?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark achievement that ended segregation in public spaces and prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or sex.

    It helped strengthen the voting rights of African Americans in the South, but even so, many southern states continued to deny African Americans their right to vote.

    On Feb. 18, 1965, a peaceful protest for voting rights in Marion, Ala. turned deadly when white segregationists attacked the group. An Alabama state trooper shot an African American protester, Jimmie Lee Jackson.

    In response, Martin Luther King Jr. organized a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. to draw greater attention to the injustices faced by the Black community and to advance their voting rights.

    Dr. Martin Luther Jr. hops over a puddle as it rains in Selma, Ala., March 1, 1965. King led hundreds of African Americans to the court house in a voter registration drive. At front is civil rights worker Andrew Young, and at right, behind King is Rev. Ralph Abernathy. (AP Photo)

    The beginning of the march

    The event began on March 1, 1965, with a voter registration drive. Pouring rain soaked the supporters and led to ponding on the roadways and sidewalks.

    Even these miserable conditions couldn’t halt the movement. Thousands of people prepared for the journey with raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots, laying the foundation for one of the most important marches of the civil rights movement.

    On March 7, the march from Selma to Montgomery began and ultimately stretched over more than two weeks. State troopers and segregationists repeatedly tried to stop the protesters, causing several interruptions along the way.

    On March 15, President Lyndon B. Johnson voiced his support for the march, and military personnel then led the protesters the rest of the way, culminating in the march’s completion on March 25.

    A big win for racial equality

    After all of their hard work, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It guaranteed the right to vote for all African Americans in every state.

    Southern states could no longer use literacy tests to stop African Americans from voting.

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the greatest pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. It provided another way for the voice of the Black community to be heard.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • Selma-to-Montgomery march

    [ad_1]

    Amid one of the most difficult eras in American history, the weather in the Southeast did nothing to ease the ongoing fight for justice.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama occurred in 1965

    • It was an effort to register more Black voters in the South

    • Heavy rain soaked the protesters


    What was the Selma to Montgomery March?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark achievement that ended segregation in public spaces and prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or sex.

    It helped strengthen the voting rights of African Americans in the South, but even so, many southern states continued to deny African Americans their right to vote.

    On Feb. 18, 1965, a peaceful protest for voting rights in Marion, Ala. turned deadly when white segregationists attacked the group. An Alabama state trooper shot an African American protester, Jimmie Lee Jackson.

    In response, Martin Luther King Jr. organized a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. to draw greater attention to the injustices faced by the Black community and to advance their voting rights.

    Dr. Martin Luther Jr. hops over a puddle as it rains in Selma, Ala., March 1, 1965. King led hundreds of African Americans to the court house in a voter registration drive. At front is civil rights worker Andrew Young, and at right, behind King is Rev. Ralph Abernathy. (AP Photo)

    The beginning of the march

    The event began on March 1, 1965, with a voter registration drive. Pouring rain soaked the supporters and led to ponding on the roadways and sidewalks.

    Even these miserable conditions couldn’t halt the movement. Thousands of people prepared for the journey with raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots, laying the foundation for one of the most important marches of the civil rights movement.

    On March 7, the march from Selma to Montgomery began and ultimately stretched over more than two weeks. State troopers and segregationists repeatedly tried to stop the protesters, causing several interruptions along the way.

    On March 15, President Lyndon B. Johnson voiced his support for the march, and military personnel then led the protesters the rest of the way, culminating in the march’s completion on March 25.

    A big win for racial equality

    After all of their hard work, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It guaranteed the right to vote for all African Americans in every state.

    Southern states could no longer use literacy tests to stop African Americans from voting.

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the greatest pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. It provided another way for the voice of the Black community to be heard.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

    Source link

  • Selma-to-Montgomery march

    [ad_1]

    Amid one of the most difficult eras in American history, the weather in the Southeast did nothing to ease the ongoing fight for justice.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama occurred in 1965

    • It was an effort to register more Black voters in the South

    • Heavy rain soaked the protesters


    What was the Selma to Montgomery March?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark achievement that ended segregation in public spaces and prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or sex.

    It helped strengthen the voting rights of African Americans in the South, but even so, many southern states continued to deny African Americans their right to vote.

    On Feb. 18, 1965, a peaceful protest for voting rights in Marion, Ala. turned deadly when white segregationists attacked the group. An Alabama state trooper shot an African American protester, Jimmie Lee Jackson.

    In response, Martin Luther King Jr. organized a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. to draw greater attention to the injustices faced by the Black community and to advance their voting rights.

    Dr. Martin Luther Jr. hops over a puddle as it rains in Selma, Ala., March 1, 1965. King led hundreds of African Americans to the court house in a voter registration drive. At front is civil rights worker Andrew Young, and at right, behind King is Rev. Ralph Abernathy. (AP Photo)

    The beginning of the march

    The event began on March 1, 1965, with a voter registration drive. Pouring rain soaked the supporters and led to ponding on the roadways and sidewalks.

    Even these miserable conditions couldn’t halt the movement. Thousands of people prepared for the journey with raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots, laying the foundation for one of the most important marches of the civil rights movement.

    On March 7, the march from Selma to Montgomery began and ultimately stretched over more than two weeks. State troopers and segregationists repeatedly tried to stop the protesters, causing several interruptions along the way.

    On March 15, President Lyndon B. Johnson voiced his support for the march, and military personnel then led the protesters the rest of the way, culminating in the march’s completion on March 25.

    A big win for racial equality

    After all of their hard work, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It guaranteed the right to vote for all African Americans in every state.

    Southern states could no longer use literacy tests to stop African Americans from voting.

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the greatest pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. It provided another way for the voice of the Black community to be heard.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

    Source link

  • Selma-to-Montgomery march

    [ad_1]

    Amid one of the most difficult eras in American history, the weather in the Southeast did nothing to ease the ongoing fight for justice.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama occurred in 1965

    • It was an effort to register more Black voters in the South

    • Heavy rain soaked the protesters


    What was the Selma to Montgomery March?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark achievement that ended segregation in public spaces and prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or sex.

    It helped strengthen the voting rights of African Americans in the South, but even so, many southern states continued to deny African Americans their right to vote.

    On Feb. 18, 1965, a peaceful protest for voting rights in Marion, Ala. turned deadly when white segregationists attacked the group. An Alabama state trooper shot an African American protester, Jimmie Lee Jackson.

    In response, Martin Luther King Jr. organized a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. to draw greater attention to the injustices faced by the Black community and to advance their voting rights.

    Dr. Martin Luther Jr. hops over a puddle as it rains in Selma, Ala., March 1, 1965. King led hundreds of African Americans to the court house in a voter registration drive. At front is civil rights worker Andrew Young, and at right, behind King is Rev. Ralph Abernathy. (AP Photo)

    The beginning of the march

    The event began on March 1, 1965, with a voter registration drive. Pouring rain soaked the supporters and led to ponding on the roadways and sidewalks.

    Even these miserable conditions couldn’t halt the movement. Thousands of people prepared for the journey with raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots, laying the foundation for one of the most important marches of the civil rights movement.

    On March 7, the march from Selma to Montgomery began and ultimately stretched over more than two weeks. State troopers and segregationists repeatedly tried to stop the protesters, causing several interruptions along the way.

    On March 15, President Lyndon B. Johnson voiced his support for the march, and military personnel then led the protesters the rest of the way, culminating in the march’s completion on March 25.

    A big win for racial equality

    After all of their hard work, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It guaranteed the right to vote for all African Americans in every state.

    Southern states could no longer use literacy tests to stop African Americans from voting.

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the greatest pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. It provided another way for the voice of the Black community to be heard.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • FAMU’s Dr. Walter L. Smith’s lasting global impact on the Black diaspora

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    TAMPA, Fla. — This Black History Month, the legacy of former Florida A&M University President Dr. Walter Lee Smith is being remembered not only for strengthening one of the nation’s leading HBCUs, but for extending its reach across the African diaspora.

    What You Need To Know

    • During Black History Month, Tampa’s library honoring Civil Rights activist and FAMU 7th President Dr. Walter L. Smith lands an $800,000 grant, advancing a legacy that reached from Florida to Africa and Haiti

    • Smith led FAMU from 1977 to 1985 — a period marked by post-Civil Rights era expansion in higher education and political instability in parts of the Caribbean and Africa

    • At the invitation of Haitian officials, Smith traveled to Haiti multiple times to assist following a “brain drain” and intellectual exodus during the Duvalier Era

    • On Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 a.m., the Walter Smith Library & Museum will hold its yearly Black History Month event titled “Fish, Grits & Black History“


    Dr. Smith led FAMU from 1977 to 1985 — a period marked by post-Civil Rights era expansion in higher education and political instability in parts of the Caribbean and Africa.

    His son says his father saw education as something far bigger than a degree.

    “Dad internationalized FAMU under his administration,” said Walter L. Smith, Jr. 

    Building bridges during Haiti’s Duvalier Era

    In the early 1980s, during the presidency of Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, Haiti was facing political repression and an accelerating “brain drain.” Professionals and university-educated Haitians were leaving the country in large numbers — many bound for the United States, France, and Canada.

    At the invitation of Haitian officials, Smith traveled to Haiti multiple times.

    His mission: strengthen academic standards and create partnerships that would allow Haitian degrees to be recognized internationally.

    “What that Dad did was help to establish that articulation so that when people who had degrees from those colleges would go to Western Bloc countries, their degree would be of the same caliber or the same validity,” said Smith Jr. 

    Smith’s work came against the backdrop of a dictatorship that began under François Duvalier and continued under his son. Despite political instability, Haitian officials sought educational infrastructure support.

    “Despite the despotic nature of the government and of the family, they wanted my father to come and help,” said Smith Jr. 

    Smith was often joined by his wife, FAMU’s seventh First Lady, Jeraldine Williams.

    “I’ve been to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien,” said Williams.

    She says Smith’s focus was not simply elite university access, but practical, workforce-driven education.

    “High on his (Dr. Walter Smith) list of agenda items was to install two-year schools, two-year colleges,” said Williams. 

    The goal was to create local two-year institutions that could provide credentials, workforce training, and pathways to four-year degrees.

    “So they got a degree, they have a certificate, and so they are qualified to perform at some level rather than not be,” Williams added. 

    Williams says Smith deeply worried about the long-term effects of intellectual migration and “brain drain.”

    “Those who had the brain power would go away, let’s say, from Haiti to the United States, or Haiti to France, or Haiti to England. And then they wouldn’t come back. So that’s a loss. There is an enhancement for them, but it’s a loss for the country,” she said. 

    A home for Haitian students at FAMU

    Some Haitian students did come to Florida, enrolling at FAMU during Smith’s presidency.

    Williams says many faced cultural and linguistic barriers. 

    They found opportunity and support. 

    “(Smith) was trying to deal with those people who were coming in, who probably felt more at a greater distance from success than he did because of the language, because of tradition, because of expectation,” Williams said.

    For Smith, education was about empowerment and nation-building. His work extended beyond the Caribbean.

    During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Smith also traveled to African nations, part of a broader effort by historically Black colleges to reconnect with the global Black diaspora following the Civil Rights movement.

    “Education was a sign of status and still is,” said Smith Jr. “If you had an education, especially a college education, you are big time. You’re doing something right. And that was the basis of the values, is to what was to create a society that could help them to grow that infrastructure.”

    And to his son, there was never a question about whether the work was worth it.

    “There’s never a time that I’ve ever witnessed my father not think the education of Black people was not worth it. He put it all on the line for more than half of his life,” said Smith Jr. 

    Smith’s lasting global impact on the Black diaspora

    Today, decades after his presidency, the influence of Dr. Walter Lee Smith’s legacy continues to cross borders.

    The Walter Smith Library & Museum in Tampa recently received an $800,000 grant from the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency. On Feb. 28,  the library will hold its yearly Black History Month event, titled “Fish, Grits & Black History.”
     

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    Fadia Patterson

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  • 75-year-old Clearwater physical therapy tech has no plans to retire

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — With physical therapy you get out what you put in. Sonny Harriel, 75, doesn’t just tell his patients that, the physical therapy tech lives it in his career.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sonny Harriel has worked at BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital for 51 years. He is a physical therapy tech

    • The average that Americans have worked at their current job is four years. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics that is the lowest tenure average in more than 20 years

    • Harriel says he has no plans to retire anytime soon

    • To see more Black History Month stories, click here


    He has put in a significant amount of time during that career.

    “I felt so good. I wouldn’t have thought that I would be in the hospital, or anywhere working for 50 years. But once I got 20 and 30, I said, that is it. I am not going anywhere,” said Sonny.

    51 years now at BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital, and it’s a place that has shaped his life in many ways.

    Sonny Harriel has his own parking space at BayCare Morton Plant Hospital dedicated to his over 50 of service. (Spectrum News/Erin Murray)

    Sonny even found love at the hospital.

    “I said no for a couple of weeks, I kept saying, no, no, no. Then finally he kept being so insistent,” said Janice Harriel.

    “It was it was 4:20, right outside the door at 4:20 we started talking,” said Sonny, who remembers the place and time he first talked to his now wife.

    The pair married in 1991. Like Sonny, Janice has worked at the hospital a long, long time. 

    “This year is 45 years for me. From a child, to now 62 years old. This is my only place I have worked,” she said. 

    Janice smiles when she reminds everyone, she was born in this hospital, on the day former President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. 

    For many African Americans, career longevity at one place of employment has proved more difficult. It is well documented that workforce challenges and discrimination have been a big part of history for Black Americans. 

    For Sonny and Janice, that was not the case. They both say it was the acceptance from their first day working at Morton Plant that played a role in both staying so long. 

    “Patients come up to us, they will come up to Sonny, and they will say you worked with me in therapy, and they will say, I remember you, you prayed for me,” said Janice. “And it’s such a good feeling, giving back to our patients in our community to let them know we love what we do here at Morton Plant hospital.”

    Combined these lovebirds have worked 96 years for Morton Plant Hospital. 

    They don’t plan to retire soon either. 

    “People ask me, when do you retire? I told them they shredded my paper, so I don’t have retirement paper. That’s a trick I play on people, because I like having fun and I just enjoy working here and I don’t know anyone leave, right? No plans,” said Sonny. “As long as I can walk, I’m coming to work.”

    Sonny is actually not the longest tenured employee at Morton Plant. A clinical nurse that started in 1973 has two years more on Sonny. 

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    Erin Murray

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  • St. Pete woman shares how she helped desegregate St. Pete beaches

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This Black History Month, we explore the Tampa Bay area’s history when it comes to beaches and who was allowed on them. One St. Pete woman says she remembers a time wading into waters meant for whites only and the changes that followed.

    Betty Harden can still remember that trip she took with friends to St. Pete’s Spa Beach in 1958.

    “My friends asked me to go to the beach with them, and that must have been in ’58,” she said. “When we passed Demen’s Landing, I thought, ‘Well, where are we going?’ And that’s when we arrived at Spa Beach.”

    At the time, most white sand beaches were meant for white beachgoers only. Demens Landing was the beach for Black residents. But on this day, Harden and her friends tested the waters.

    “I got out of the car, went to the sand and into the water, and I’m not sure how long we stayed out there. But when I came out of the water, I saw all the reporters and I guess the police were there too, but it was mainly, I guess, to keep us safe,” she said.

    She still has a copy of the picture snapped of her and her friends that day on Spa Beach. After six black residents won a lawsuit in 1955, led by Dr. Fred Alsup, ruling that public beaches couldn’t be segregated. But Harden said what was true on paper didn’t always hold true in practice.

    “The beach was closed as soon as we left. The mayor ordered them to close the beach,” Harden said.

    The old pictures from the St. Pete Museum of History show one of several beach closures during that time to try and stop the desegregation of the beaches.

    But that ship had sailed thanks to continued pressure and efforts from people like Harden and her friends.

    After almost 70 years of walking around with this history, Harden said she wants to tell her story as much as she can while she still can. This month she was one of the people featured in the Woodson African American Museum’s speaker series called, At the Feet of the Elders. It’s a time for history makers to tell stories of rich Black history often forgotten.

    Harden said Black History Month is a good reminder for people not to take anything for granted, especially considering the sacrifices made.

    “That’s really a lovely kind of feeling, and I’m glad that I have had that experience and encourage them to use the facilities and the accommodations that we have,” she said.

    The inviting blue waters of the bay, an invitation now extended to all, thanks to people like Harden.

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    Saundra Weathers

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  • Mae C. Jemison: The first African American woman in space

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    Becoming an astronaut is challenging, yet one woman defied the odds to become the first African American woman in space.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jemison wanted to study science from an early age

    • She first studied medicine before starting a career at NASA

    • She went to space in Sept. 1992

    • After NASA, she accomplished many more things


    Early life accomplishments

    Born in the 1950s, Mae C. Jemison refused to let anything stop her from becoming one of the most accomplished African American women in history.

    She was born in Decatur, Ala. but grew up in Chicago, and from a very early age, she knew she wanted to study science.

    She worked hard and graduated from high school at just 16, then headed across the country to attend Stanford University.

    As one of the few African Americans in her class, she faced discrimination from both students and teachers, yet she earned two degrees in four years—chemical engineering and African American studies.

    Jemison didn’t begin her career in space; she first attended Cornell Medical School, where she earned her medical degree and practiced general medicine.

    Her talents also didn’t stop in science. Jemison is fluent in Japanese, Russian and Swahili. She used this and her medical studies to her advantage and joined the Peace Corps in 1983 to help people in Africa for two years.

    Jemison with the rest of the Endeavour Crew in 1992. (AP Photo/Chris O’ Meara)

    On to space

    After serving in the Peace Corps, Jemison opened a private medical practice, but before long she set her sights on a long-held dream: going to space.

    Jemison applied for the astronaut program at NASA in 1985. Unfortunately, NASA stopped accepting applications after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986.

    In 1987, Jemison reapplied and was chosen as one of 15 out of 2,000 applicants. Nichelle Nichols—Uhura from the original Star Trek—recruited her, and as a longtime fan, Jemison later guest-starred in an episode of the series.

    In Sept. 1992, she joined six other astronauts on the Endeavor for eight days, making her the first African American woman in space. On her mission, she made 127 orbits around the Earth.

    Mae C. Jemison on board the Endeavour in 1992. (Photo by NASA)

    After NASA

    Jemison left NASA the year after she went to space and accomplished many more things.

    She started her own consulting company, became a professor at Cornell, launched the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries, created an international space camp for teens and much more.

    She currently leads 100 Year Starship through DARPA, United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which works to ensure humans will travel to another star in the next 100 years.

    With all her accomplishments, it’s no surprise Jemison was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Science Hall of Fame.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • Florida A&M University awarded stewardship of historic Chinsegut Hill

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    HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — A new partnership is reshaping the future of one of Hernando County’s most historic landmarks during Black History Month.

    County commissioners have awarded preservation stewardship of Chinsegut Hill to Florida A&M University, linking the site’s long history of civic dialogue and race relations with the state’s historically Black land-grant institution.

    In Brooksville, community members say the hill has always carried a deeper meaning.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hernando County commissioners have awarded preservation stewardship of Chinsegut Hill to Florida A&M University

    • Next door to Chinsegut Hill, Florida A&M University’s BAERS campus spans more than 3,800 acres and operates as a major research and extension hub for agriculture, natural resources and environmental education. The land itself carries federal significance

    • Hernando County leaders say finances played a role in the decision. As state leaders discuss potential property tax changes, commissioners viewed the university’s unsolicited proposal as a stable option

    • FAMU plans to partner with local organizations to preserve the site’s full history, including women’s suffrage, Black and Native American stories


    Rick Barge, farm manager at FAMU’s nearby BAERS campus, said the property’s original owners intentionally created a place for discussion.

    “The people who lived here, the robins, they were all about race relations. You know, that’s why they came here. So that makes a difference,” said Barge. 

    The estate, purchased by Raymond and Margaret Robins in 1904, sits atop one of the highest points in Florida and is surrounded by a 114-acre preserve.

    Next door, Florida A&M University’s BAERS campus spans more than 3,800 acres and operates as a major research and extension hub for agriculture, natural resources and environmental education.

    The land itself carries federal significance. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture transferred the former Subtropical Agricultural Research Station property to Florida A&M University — one of the largest single land transfers ever made to a historically Black land-grant university created under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. The transfer expanded hands-on training, conservation research and community outreach programs in Central Florida.

    University leaders say that mission makes stewardship a natural extension of its community outreach.

    Dr. Dale Wesson, dean of FAMU’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, says the site will remain accessible to the public.

    “We are a land-grant, which means that we actually operate with those three areas with education, research, and extension or community outreach. And so we see this as a function of our community outreach. And so we’re allowing the community to continue to take advantage of this property,” said Wesson. 

    County leaders say finances played a role in the decision. As state leaders discuss potential property tax changes, commissioners viewed the university’s unsolicited proposal as a stable option.

    “This has been tried over and over by organizations that do not have the financial backing that Florida A&M has, and it has not been successful,” said Commissioner John Allocco. 

    Wesson says the agreement would remove the financial burden from the county.

    “Hernando County will not have to pay any costs for us to take over the lease, to sublease this,” he added. 

    FAMU says the manor house will remain open for tours through the Tampa Bay History Center, while the university expands programming and operations to seven days a week. Weddings and community events will continue, though some buildings may occasionally be reserved.

    Access has been a concern for some residents, something Wesson addressed.

    “We’re allowing the community to continue to take advantage of this property,” he said during a meeting on Jan. 29. 

    The university also plans to partner with local organizations to preserve the site’s full history, including women’s suffrage, Black and Native American stories.

    County officials are still negotiating final contract terms with Florida A&M University.

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    Fadia Patterson

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  • The Deuces: Where Black community thrived, barred from other parts of St. Pete

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Before the end of segregation, there were two St. Petes: a white one and a Black one. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Segregation and Jim Crow laws restricted where the Black community could go in St. Pete 

    • The Black community created a mostly self-contained community around 22nd Street South 

    •  It offered houses, businesses, schools, healthcare and entertainment

    • Groups now strive to preserve the history of that area 


    Laws restricted Black residents from going to certain portions of the city except for work, limiting them to designated areas and neighborhoods.

    The most famous of those neighborhoods is the one centered around 22nd Street South, often called “The Deuces.”

    “It was more than a street. It was an ecosystem. It was our ecosystem,” said Latorra Bowles, executive director of Deuces Live. “It was the only place African Americans thrived.”

    It was also a self-contained area that tried to cover all facets of life.

    Housing

    The neighborhood offered housing options for African Americans, though early housing was built without formal planning. In 1941, the Jordan Park Housing Complex opened. It incorporated 446 apartments, the state’s largest public housing endeavor to that time.

    “He knew African Americans needed decent and affordable housing,” said Basha Jordan Jr., whose grandfather, Elder Jordan Sr., donated the land for the project. The housing complex is named in Jordan’s honor.

    Businesses

    At its peak, more than 100 businesses lined 22nd Street South and some of the streets that ran parallel and perpendicular.

    “Everything we need is in the corridor,” Bowles said. “You have your small businesses, you have your restaurants, you have your hotels, you have your clubs.”

    Churches

    Numerous churches lined the streets in the neighborhood, especially along 9th Avenue South, which intersected with 22nd Street South. The city notes that in 1939, 19 of the city’s 123 churches were located in the 22nd Street neighborhood.

    Schools

    Jordan Park Elementary opened in 1925, a segregated school located on 9th Avenue South. Gibbs High School, the first all-Black high school in St. Pete, opened in 1927.

    Healthcare

    Mercy Hospital was established in 1923, one of the few healthcare institutions that accepted Black patients during the segregation era. Jim Crow laws precluded some hospitals from treating Black people, while prejudice stood in the way as well.

    Entertainment

    The Royal Theater opened in 1948, one of just two theaters that African Americans could attend in St. Pete.

    Down the street, the Manhattan Casino Hall had launched in 1925. It was the focal point of entertainment, socializing, and music in the neighborhood. It was even a well-known stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of performance venues safe for African Americans to play during the segregation era.

    “This was a place where African Americans could come, feel at peace, feel human, in the midst of segregation and racism that was running rampant in the city,” Jordan said, sitting underneath a statue of his grandfather that stands on 22nd Street South.

    Deuces Live is attempting to “preserve, promote and revitalize” this corridor, preserving its history while promoting a rich future.

    “It’s extremely important to preserve the history of this area because if we don’t tell the story, it will be rewritten or untold,” Bowles said. “If we don’t tell our story, no one will.”

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    Jeff Butera

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  • Artists highlighting representation this Black History Month

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When it comes to public art, the Tampa Bay area is no stranger to mural-covered walls and, at one time, mural-covered streets.

    In 2020, new artists emerged with painting things like the Black Lives Matter street mural in St. Pete and similar murals in Tampa.

    A number of those artists were Black artists who say representation was crucial during a time of racial unrest in this country and that representation is just as important now.

    For artist Jade Jackson, all she sees is color when she thinks of what her art brings to the world. For her, representation plays a big role in her work.

    “It’s not something abstract or nature-based. I like painting women and women of color. A lot of my artwork and paintings I’ve done and sold, they’re usually Black,” Jackson said. “I’m really into, like, the sci-fi fantasy anime world, and I love redoing things sometimes in a way where it shows us. And so I think that representation is important in regards to younger people seeing us.”

    Jackson said she applied that same intentional approach in 2020 when she was asked to paint three words that mean so much to her. “Black Lives Matter. So, I had the S. So Black Lives, I had the “S” in the middle for lives,” she said.

    The project in front of the Woodson African American Museum in St. Pete was her first mural.

    “I was like, ‘Let me do something that comes natural for me,’ and so I approached it with joy and excitement and curiosity. I was, ‘Like, let me paint something I enjoy,’ and I thought if people see that and feel inspired, that’s great,” she said.

    Two years later she painted over the Black Lives Matter mural and helped paint the Black History Matters street mural. Then, in 2025, she watched as it was painted over following a directive from the Florida Department of Transportation, citing safety hazards and restrictions against ideological or political markings on roadways.

    The move sparked an emotional response from a lot of people, but Jackson said she was more worried about the broader picture.

    “I care more about what they’re doing to us than them painting over the mural,” she said.

    A popular street mural in Tampa was also inspired by the racial reckoning in America back in 2020. Mark Anthony, along with his son, was one of the artists there that day.

    “I felt some type of way with it, but it was also just, I think, the camaraderie of the artists and now seeing those artists from that period how they’ve grown,” Anthony said. “Shout out to that day. I mean it was a great moment to see community come together all at once. So, to me, it was an amazing experience.”

    It’s an experience that now lives on through photos and memories because it was also painted over after FDOT directives.

    Jackson believes the message in the murals belongs in public view.

    “I think we can still have a place for it, and I think it is a strong reminder. We have things that remind us of the Holocaust and 9/11, things that are important, and Black history is a part of this country and this culture and important to all of us,” she said.

    Libraries, city hall and the courthouse are just some of her suggestions for a new mural to replace the street art. And she’s hoping someone is listening.

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    Saundra Weathers

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  • The First African American Astronaut

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    Guion Bluford, the first African American to travel into space, became one of the space community’s most influential figures.

    What You Need To Know

    • Guy Bluford was the first African American to fly in space

    • He started his career as a pilot in the Air Force

    • He became an astronaut for NASA in 1979


    Bluford developed a fascination with flight at a young age, and by high school he knew he wanted to become an aeronautical engineer.

    Early life

    After earning his college degree, Bluford joined the U.S. Air Force and received his pilot wings in Jan. 1966 at the early age of 24.

    He soon became an instructor pilot and later entered the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, where he earned a master’s degree in 1974 and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 1978.

    After his 1974 graduation, he served at the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, initially as a deputy and eventually as branch chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch.These achievements led to his selection for the NASA astronaut program in 1978.

    It’s safe to say he never lost sight of his childhood dreams.

    Becoming a legend

    The crew of Space Shuttle 8 shown in front of launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida on August 5, 1983, with the tip of the orbiter Challenger showing in the background. Ready for a August 30 launch are left to right: Mission Specialists Dale Gardner, Guion Bluford, Dr. Bill Thornton, pilot Dan Brandenstein and commander Richard Truly. The crew was going through STS-8 countdown test on Thursday, and are wearing blue suits with pilot Brandenstein wearing a red tee shirt underneath. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

    After a year of training, Bluford became an official astronaut in Aug. 1979.

    Four years later, on Aug. 30, 1983, he flew his first mission aboard STS-8. That inaugural flight was brief but notable, pioneering techniques for nighttime operations and deploying the Indian National Satellite.

    After 145 hours in space, the crew returned to Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 5.

    Over the next 10 years, Bluford became the second, third and fourth African American in space, logging over 688 hours.

    After NASA

    In 1993, Bluford left NASA and retired from the Air Force to become the Vice President and General Manager of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc., in Greenbelt, Maryland.

    After several more high-end jobs, he went on to become the President of Aerospace Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, a job that he still holds today.

    Bluford never stopped learning or pursuing the next level of his career. A brilliant figure in the space and engineering communities, he became a leader and role model for many African Americans.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • Plant City church ‘explores untold stories’ of Black History Month

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    PLANT CITY, Fla. — This month, we take time to celebrate Black History Month, and one church in Plant City is doing that through an educational program known as “Exploring the Untold Stories of Black History.”

    What You Need To Know

    •  Terrie Strachan says the program includes members of the church to portray the stories told
    •  Many of the stories shared are not taught in school


    Inside Mount Olive Baptist Church in Plant City, history is being shared.

    Organizers present the program every February to honor Black History Month.

    Terrie Strachan started the program back in 2013. “I always try to explore new avenues of Black history,” she said.

    It’s a history that some may not even know about. The story told on the first Sunday of this month was about Joseph Ligon, who was the nation’s longest-serving juvenile offender.

    “(Trying) to familiarize our youth with things that they never heard of, not just our youth, even our adults,” she said.

    Strachan said it’s important to immerse the youth in stories they rarely learn about in school.

    For 11-year-old Cortlyn Fisher, it’s a program she looks forward to every year.

    “It reflects on what people went through back in the day, and it helps me learn about the people,” she said.

    The stories that are shared are also reflected in the sermons of the church.

    Ted Taylor took part in the program. He said it’s a story that he never heard of, that’s helped him reflect on the importance of celebrating Black history.

    “Informative, enlightening and spiritual to the church,” he said.

    Every Sunday throughout the month of February, a new story will be portrayed.

    Strachan said it’s one way she’s hoping to preserve Black history in her community.

    “If I can just continue to do that and touch my members and touch people in the community about topics that I bring forth, I’d be doing my job, and I’d be fulfilling what God wants me to do,” she said.

    Honoring Black history and how its shaped the lives of many one story at a time.

    On February 22, Mount Olive Baptist Church will also host a praise dance team as part of its Black History Month education.

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    Lizbeth Gutierrez

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  • Lakeland youth step team helps preserve cultural tradition

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — You may have seen it — the perfectly timed stomps, the chants and hand claps.

    What You Need To Know

    • A Lakeland-based youth step team is helping preserve the cultural tradition of stepping, an art form rooted in African history

    • Beyond competition, the team provides mentorship, sisterhood and a safe space for self-expression for middle and high school girls

    • The group is actively sharing the tradition on a national stage, hosting a step show this weekend with teams from across the country


    But where did it all begin?

    For centuries, stepping, a powerful ritual dance, has inspired generations, including the Lakeland-based step team Taken by Surprise.

    The group of girls, ranging in age, practices stepping inside Sleepy Hill Middle School’s gym about four days a week. While winning competitions is the goal, the steppers say they gain so much more.

    For 12th grader Aleyah Davis, it’s sisterhood.

    “It got me out of my shell because I am shy,” Davis said.

    Meanwhile, 11th grader Keyanah Colston says it’s a safe place to express herself.

    “If anything is weighing on my mind, I feel like when we come here, it’s just an open space to do you,” Colston said.

    Team sponsor Corey Tumer started Taken by Surprise 13 years ago to help build character in young people. As a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, he also wanted to expose them to Greek life — specifically historically Black fraternities and sororities known as the Divine Nine.

    “And that gives them more exposure than just being home and the possibility to network with other students across the country and get that experience of what life would be like as a college student,” Tumer said.

    Though stepping is widely used throughout Divine Nine culture, the art form didn’t originate there. Longtime dance instructor Andrida Hosey says stepping is rooted in African tradition.

    “So a lot of things, like celebratory things like naming ceremonies, and wedding celebrations, and going out for war, we used movement and rhythm, especially the drums,” Hosey said. “But as we came over to America, we couldn’t use the drums as slaves. They started using their body as instruments, and the clapping and the rhythm, and their voices as instruments.”

    She says those movements became a way to express feelings during a time when doing so was forbidden.

    Today, stepping gives young people that same freedom of expression, something the girls of Taken by Surprise say they don’t take for granted.

    Taken by Surprise will host a national step show this Saturday at Kathleen High School. Twenty teams from around the country will compete. Doors open at 2 p.m.

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    Alexis Jones

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