Black History Archives

Tampa Bay History

Black business district grew from the roots of segregation

Much has been written about the heyday of the Central Avenue business district, the main business and recreation center for Tampa’s African American community through the 1960s. The story of …

May 30, 2023

Press Release

Tampa Bay’s newest Black history exhibit opens on Water Street

This expansive exhibit is a first for the Tampa Bay area and will anchor the History Center’s third-floor galleries on Water Street.

May 30, 2023

An Evening with Bernard LaFayette Jr.

From Ybor City’s red clay brick-paved streets to Pennsylvania Avenue and our nation’s capitol, Reverend Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. has played a crucial role in advancing the Civil Rights Movement. …

May 11, 2023

Juneteenth: A Free Day

Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the …

Apr 06, 2023

Florida Emancipation Day Celebration

On Saturday, May 20, join us for a special celebration on Chinsegut Hill Historic Site grounds as we recognize Florida Emancipation Day.

Mar 24, 2023

Central Avenue Walking Tour

Tour "the Harlem of the South," Tampa's Central Avenue district.

Mar 24, 2023

Videos

Tampa’s Longshoremen

In the past, ships filled with everything from bananas to bags of cement had to be loaded and unloaded by hand. It could take scores of men several days to fill or empty one ship.

Videos

Tampa’s Central Avenue and the Scrub

Cheryl Rodriguez, Ph.D., professor at the University of South Florida, shares the history of Tampa's Central Avenue and the Scrub.