Rarely do we have the opportunity to think about the civil rights movement in a local manner. We imagine Dr. Martin Luther King and marches across the South. Bus boycotts and lunch counter sit-ins. What if we could see and hear about these events having happened right in our cities? Would our view of community shift if we fully understood the history that formed the city we live in? Would our nostalgic view of green benches shift if we truly understood their story? In a revitalization of its 2015 exhibit, “Beaches, Benches and Boycotts,” the Florida Holocaust Museum (FHM) breathes new life into the Civil Rights history of the Tampa Bay area. Focusing on the height of the national civil rights movement (1955 through the early 1970s), this exhibition will amplify the voices of the African American communities who fought on the frontlines in Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg.
Opening September 7 and running until March 1, “Beaches, Benches and Boycotts” presents local stories in ways we have not yet seen. The exhibit contains photographs, artifacts, and filmed interviews with firsthand accounts of the local fight. Viewers will see images depicting the sanitations workers’ strike in St. Petersburg while learning about which area beaches were legally segregated. FHM’s second floor will be filled with a timeline sharing the rich history of the African American communities in Newtown and Sarasota, Southside St. Petersburg, and Tampa’s Central Avenue district. Each of these communities thrived and flourished despite Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the South. FHM curator Erin Blankenship gathered this richness for all of us to learn from. In fact, the entire exhibit is comprised of items on loan from individuals within our community, giving the exhibit a truly personal touch.
When first formulating the basis of this exhibit in 2015, Blankenship worked closely with members of local African American communities. The updated exhibit adds muscle and vitality to the skeleton first created. For the opening reception, Blankenship organized a panel discussion with three powerhouse members of local African American communities and a moderator of equal clout. The moderator is St. Pete-raised Circuit Court Judge Charles E. Williams, who made his career in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. As a founding member of the Sarasota Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Williams brings an overall unique persona to the opening night affairs. The panel is formed by Victoria Oldham, Fred Hearns, and Gwendolyn Reese — each a stellar representative of their respective city. Oldham, representing Newtown/Sarasota, brings her experience within journalism and marketing. Much of her career has been dedicated to documenting Florida’s historical African American communities by recording and saving priceless information for the general public. Hearns and Reese built similar programs in both Tampa and St. Petersburg, respectively.
Unfortunately, the opening reception and panel discussion were at capacity at press time, but readers are encouraged to call the museum to be placed on the waiting list. Have no fear though, because Blankenship and the FHM staff are planning more events during the exhibit’s six month run.
FHM takes part in Museum Day on September 21 by offering free admission to the museum and exhibit. Walking tours in each city will also be linked to the exhibit — even though they’ve existed for years under our very noses. Tampa hosts the Historic Central Avenue Black History Tour, led by historian Ersula K. Odom, on three upcoming dates: October 26, November 23, and December 28 (can we say “yay” for cooler weather on walking tours?). Odom’s tours require preregistration through the Tampa Bay History Center’s website. Dates for the walking tour of Newtown in Sarasota will be released shortly as will the dates for St. Petersburg African American Heritage Trail. You will absolutely want to keep an eye on the FHM website for those dates.
Isn’t this what we really need in this day and age? The ability to see other people’s experiences and realities? This exhibit brings the harsh reality of the Civil Rights Movement into our very own communities, giving us the chance to see what happened here.
In proper fashion, Blankenship is not serving up a white-washed history. She has taken this opportunity to amplify the voices of those who experienced the civil rights battle firsthand. We will see and hear from the folks within the various African American communities in Tampa Bay. Finally, we will be given the opportunity to celebrate people and communities that have so often been overlooked. Various stories and experiences will truly breathe new life into Tampa Bay’s living history.
It’s 2019. It’s time for the larger community to listen to and celebrate people who brought real change to their communities and therefore, to each of us. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn why the highway runs where it does, and why those green benches St. Petersburg holds so dear aren’t celebrated by everyone. Here’s to celebrating our local history and learning its truth.
“Beaches, Benches, and Boycotts: The Civil Rights Movement in Tampa Bay.” Sept. 8-March 1 (opening reception on Sept. 7 at capacity). Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 5th St. S., St. Petersburg. thefhm.org.
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This article appears in Sep 5-12, 2019.