Florida’s Historic Coast Recognizes Black History Month This February

SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla., February 1, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Florida’s Historic Coast is well-known for its rich Spanish and British history, but it’s becoming even more recognized for its significant place in African American history. It spans centuries, from the arrival of black Spanish soldiers in the 16^th century and the country’s original Underground Railroad in the 1700s to the historic protests and sit-ins by Black activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, paving the way for the Civil Rights Act. 

Florida’s Historic Coast recognizes Black History Month with a host of events, programs and historic spaces.

Celebrate Black art at various galleries in St. Augustine. The Ovico Gallery is showcasing contemporary African Art, and photographer Lenny Foster tells the story of historical black figures at his One Forty Four Gallery. 

Fort Mose Historic State Park, the first free Black settlement in the United States, recognizes the brave souls who made the perilous journey to Spanish La Floride with Flight to Freedom February 1-3. “I Lived Here, As Well – Together,” at the Ximenez-Fatio House is a first-person perspective of an enslaved man and woman, from enslavement to freedom.  

The Lincolnville neighborhood is the epicenter of Black history in St. Augustine. Visitors can visit the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center or walk the ACCORD Freedom Trail Project, featuring 31 historic sites from the St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement. 

Historic Tours of America has expanded its Old Town Trolley Tours to include a new stop to serve the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center. 

Black musicians are taking center stage in the month of February. Café Eleven welcomes blues guitarist and songwriter Selwyn Birchwood on Feb. 2 and John Primer, former lead guitarist for Muddy Waters, on Feb. 25. And The Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series returns February 8-17, with featured performers Common, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Keb’ Mo' and more. 

The extensive culinary landscape of Florida’s Historic Coast includes several Black chefs making their mark on the food scene. Executive Chef Denzel Aponte at The Reef Restaurant; Executive Chef Lashunta Harris at Prohibition Kitchen, and Chef Tyrone Bennett, known for his philanthropy with his food truck, Heart and Soul Food Eatery, are some of the area’s most respected culinarians.  

Florida’s Historic Coast recognizes and celebrates our black heritage. Narrated tours, museums, historic sites, and more provide opportunities to immerse in the black experience in the Oldest City throughout the year. Watch for the launch of the new Black History Tour App coming soon. 

Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida's Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, the rural beauty of Hastings, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches. @FloridasHistoricCoast 

Source: St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau