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People of African descent have lived and labored in the Tampa Bay area for over five hundred years. Travails and Triumphs tells the story of the communities and families they forged, the hardships they endured, the jobs they worked, and the triumphs they celebrated.
Travails and Triumphs was made possible with support from TECO, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bring your group to the History Center. Perfect for field trips, adult and senior groups or corporate outings, spend your day exploring Florida’s past. Guided, self-guided and custom tours are available upon request.
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 …
In spite of being enslaved, Black people in Tampa formed a church in 1863–Mt. Sinai African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church–located in the Scrub. In the following decades, other Black congregations …
Blanche Armwood pioneered the Florida educational system as the first Black woman to graduate from an accredited law school. Learn about her remarkable life and career.
Tampa's dockworkers - known as longshoremen or stevedores - were an integral part of the City's port and economy, and the local Longshoremen's Association helped workers earn a living wage.
Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center, shares an overview of Perry Harvey, Sr. Park in Tampa, Fla. This video is produced in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Find out how people across the country and the Tampa Bay area can counter Black cemetery erasures. Dr. Antoinette Jackson, USF professor, chair of USF’s Department of Anthropology and founder of the Black Cemetery Network, leads this important Florida Conversations from the History Center’s TECO Hall.
This expansive exhibit is a first for the Tampa Bay area and will anchor the History Center’s third-floor galleries on Water Street.
Looking for resources for your classroom? History Center lesson plans are downloadable and include editable activity PDFs for students. Look for the Florida state standards with every lesson.