A bust of Garfield Rogers in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 4, 2025. Credit: Photo by Ray Roa
Driving around byways, it’s impossible to not see the countless contributions from Tampa’s Black Tampeños.

In her 2021 book, Jada Wright-Greene celebrates Florida’s historic African-American homes, and she’ll likely talk about Garfield Rogers during this talk happening less than three miles from the golf course and former park that bears his name. Rogers—resident of Tampa’s Central Life Insurance Company—and his wife operated a funeral home that served all of Tampa. Their Rogers hotel and dining room was a place of rest and relaxation.

Black Floridians’ influence on state politics, business, education, and more will be discussed during this 90-minute event.

There’s no cover for the “Exploring Florida’s Historic African American Homes” discussion happening Sunday, Feb. 9 at Tampa’s Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center.

Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2025.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...