Tampa’s Emancipation Day Celebration
May 6 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
FREE
The community is invited to gather on Monday, May 6, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at St. James at ENCORE®, 1202 North Governor Street, Tampa, FL. This free event will feature music, food, and new USF research. Notable speakers include Dr. Elizabeth Horge-Freeman, Dr. Cheryl Rodriguez, and Tomaro Taylor with the University of South Florida, and Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History with the Tampa Bay History Center.
The program will highlight a special reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by several dignitaries:
- Council Member Gwendolyn Henderson, City Council, District 5
- Commissioner Robert P. Edwards, Tampa Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
- Commissioner Gwen Myers, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, District 3
- State Rep. Dianne Hart, District 63
- Board Member Henry “Shake” Washington, Hillsborough County Public Schools, District 5
- Natajha Tompkins, USF Black Student Union
- Malachi Brown, Afro-academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO)
The program also includes performances by local artists and speakers, enhancing the celebration of freedom and unity. The Tampa Housing Authority, USF Racial Justice Initiative, and WEDU PBS are supporting partners of this special program.
In partnership with:
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Plan ahead.
Museum hours
The history center is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
**Galleries are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and open until 3 p.m. on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Admission prices
College Student: $14.95
Senior (60+): $14.95
Child (0-6): Free
Members: Free
**First responders and veterans may receive discounted admission at Visitor Services.
We can host your event.
Weddings
The History Center provides a dramatic and historic backdrop for your wedding, wedding reception or rehearsal dinner. Give your wedding a unique Tampa flair your guests will remember for a lifetime.
Corporate events
Are you looking for a one-of-a-kind Tampa experience for your next corporate event or convention party? Are you a meeting planner looking for a unique setting to host a board retreat or employee function? Located within walking distance of downtown hotels, the History Center is perfect for your next corporate event.
