Beyond the Headlines: Exploring the Gainesville Sun’s Coverage of Race Relations
January 14, 2023
On January 14th, 2023, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP), Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center’s Chair Vivian Filer, Paul Ortiz, and other special guest panelists hosted a lively multimedia presentation. The discussion centered upon news coverage of events in Black life by the Gainesville Sun over time. SPOHP researchers unveiled an exhibition of media coverage highlighting the biases toward the Black community in Gainesville, and revealed the positionality of the Gainesville Sun’s coverage. Filer showcased the everyday life of the Black Gainesville community from Reconstruction to the 1950s, highlighting the importance of community staples such as Lincoln High School. Ortiz presented on the silences and key events such as the history of Ocoee, the murder of Anthony Goins by a UF student, and the mutilation of Catholic Priest and UF instructor John Connelly.
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UF Presidential Task force on African American and Native American History at UF
January 17, 2023
The University of Florida hosted a dynamic round table discussion featuring esteemed members of the Presidential Task Force alongside students. The distinguished panelists on the Presidential Task Force included Paul Ortiz, David A. Canton, Hazel Levy, Adreanne Martinez, Kenneth E. Sassaman, Jon Sensbach, and Carl Van Ness. The engaging session was enriched by the thought-provoking questions posed by Donovan Carter, a graduate student at the UF Center for Latin American Studies, Sophia De La Cruz, an undergraduate student majoring in International and Global studies, Krystin Anderson, a recent graduate student in Musicology and Ethnomusicology, along with other students. The primary focus of the discussion revolved around the Report of the Presidential Task Force on African American and Native American History and its implications for the University of Florida. As part of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s Challenging Racism@UF initiative, the event was a significant milestone in promoting constructive dialogues about racism and its impact on campus.
For those who wish to dive deeper into the insights and findings outlined by the Presidential Task Force, the complete report is available for reading on UF’s anti-racism webpage. To access the report, please view the Report of the Presidential Task Force on African American and Native American History and the University of Florida.
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OverKome! Creating Pathways for Collective Community-Led Development
February 13, 2023
On February 13, 2023, staff and students from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP), provided background on some of the important historical figures whose activism has shaped Alachua County. A panel of four distinguished community leaders discussed the historical relationship between the University of Florida and Gainesville’s Black Community. Discussion topics focused on housing and land ownership, income and wages, public health and food security, and education. Speakers included Vivian Filer, Marna Weston, Kali Blount, and China Jackson.
For further information, you can refer to:
The Program Booklet
Guardian News Article, published 2/14/23
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Stayed on Freedom, a Discussion and Book Signing
February 23, 2023
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Stayed on Freedom is a book by historian Dan Berger, which chronicles the story of the Black Power movement through the experiences of UF Professor Emerita Zoharah Simmons and her former spouse, Michael. The narrative depicts the odyssey of Simmons from her time as an organizer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to her international work for peace and liberation. We thank Berger and Simmons for their participation and for addressing inquiries related to the book.
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Can’t Ban Us Day of Action: Black History Teach-Ins in Florida and Beyond
February 23, 2023
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program co-organized a Teach-In featuring its extensive resources of oral history. The Marston Science Library hosted the event, with speakers such as Paul Ortiz, Rebekah Cordova, Sharon Austin, Alyssa Cole, Hazel Levy, Ken Nunn, Aida Hozic, and student organizers Krystin Anderson, Sophia de la Cruz, and Ben Braver.
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First of the Firsts: Recognizing Lincoln High Alumni
March 3, 2023
On March 3, 2023, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, along with master of ceremonies Bernard Hicks, warmly welcomed former Lincoln High students back to Gainesville with a reception and entertainment at Mount Carmel Baptist Church. A reading of acknowledgment was presented by the Alachua County Public School Board Chairwoman, Tina Certain, recognizing the students’ strengths and leadership. The was followed by a keynote presentation discussing the legacy of Lincoln High School.
The following day, former Lincoln High School students gathered to share their stories of Lincoln High and beyond. Beatrice Ward-Sheppard conducted a ceremony to extend honorary membership to all who attended LHS into the graduating class of 1965. Evelyn Fox, President of the NAACP, read a proclamation declaring, “Lincoln High School class of 1965 Week-end” in Alachua County, Florida. Speakers included Marna Weston, Alachua County School educator, LaVon Bracy, an author, and Otis Stover, Vice President of the Lincoln High Alumni Association.
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Bringing African American History into Florida Classrooms
March 21, 2023
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A panel of teachers and students discussed their goals regarding the implementation and learning of African American History in their K-12 classrooms. They discussed issues of content availability and accuracy, opportunities and barriers, and the current political climate surrounding the teaching of African-American History in Florida schools. Additionally, SPOHP and Department of Linguistics faculty discussed their NEH-funded research, ReAnimating African American Oral Histories of the Gulf South. This research talk reviewed the importance of Language (AAL) education and competence as part of the instruction of history, especially when utilizing oral histories as primary resources within the classroom learning experience. Following the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the panelists.
Articles:
First of the First, Lincoln High Alumni event, The Guardian
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Film Premier: The Life of Oscar Mack
April 12, 2023
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Oscar Mack Versus the Ku Klux Klan is a film produced by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. In the decades between Reconstruction and the Great Depression, Florida suffered the highest per capita lynching rate in the United States. African Americans in the Sunshine State were murdered by Whites for attempting to organize unions, for “talking back” to Whites, and for being “too educated.” Efforts by Black Floridians to regain the right to vote after World War I spurred the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan. Beginning in 1919, White paramilitaries engaged in targeted assassinations of African American voting rights activists throughout the state. Western Orange County was the epicenter of political violence during the 1920 presidential election. White paramilitaries carried out an anti-Black pogrom in the city of Ocoee in retaliation for African Americans’ efforts to vote. Ocoee, Florida became an all-White town for decades.
In 1922, armed Whites in Perry, Florida lynched four African Americans and burned down Black businesses and the local schoolhouse. The following year, members of the Ku Klux Klan participated in the Rosewood Massacre. The events recounted in Oscar Mack versus the Ku Klux Klan thus occurred in a state notorious for voter suppression and anti-Black terror. However, the outcome of this story is radically different from the much better-known incidents cited above.
One hundred years later, interviews with Mack’s descendants reveal the true story. Follow the journey of Oscar Mack and his family as he escapes death and travels throughout the country trying to create a new life. Curtis Michelson discovered the puzzle of Mack’s life as a citizen historian in 2013. He brought the story to Professor Julian Chambliss, and they began to co-research Mack’s life with UF students. Michelson, Chambliss, and the SPOHP conducted interviews with descendants of Mack and other families. These interviews inform the production, created by filmmaker Deborah Hendrix. Mack’s story demonstrates the economic basis of racial violence and the necessity of Black resistance to White supremacy. The Life of Oscar Mack aimed to reveal the truth and bring closure to everyone affected by this story of bravery and resilience. Descendants of both sides of the family attended the premiere to discuss his legacy and the importance of the film.
Articles:
Oscar Mack Film Premiere, Orlando Sentinel
Samuel Proctor Oral History Program debuts ‘Oscar Mack vs the Ku Klux Klan’, The Alligator
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An Introduction to the White Anti-Racist Activists Digital History Project
April 21, 2023
Based on oral histories conducted by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, this webinar introduced the White Anti-Racist Activism Digital History Project. The webinar featured a pilot oral history project that was completed over the 2023 academic year with the generous support of the University of Florida’s Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere. The pilot project is titled Documenting White Anti-Racist Activism in the Gulf South. During this public program, Yiorgo Topalidis presented major themes identified from Documenting White Anti-Racist Activism in the Gulf South.
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