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>> AND EVERY ONE.
WELCOME TO THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM
OF COMMERCE AND THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR COMING TO THE
FLORIDA
500 NORTHWEST MEETING.
I AM THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS COURT
NADER FOR THE OFFICE OF
SECRETARY OF STATE AND I
COORDINATE THE ACTIVITIES
RELATED TO THE FLORIDA 500 ALONG
WITH MY COLLEAGUE
KERRY POST THE
DRUG MARKETING.
BEFORE WE START OUR PROGRAM
TODAY I WANTED TO GO OVER ONE OR
TWO HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS.
FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO EXTEND A
WARM AND HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO
THE FLORIDA CHANNEL AS THEY
BROADCAST THIS MEETING THROUGH
LIVE WEB STREAM TODAY.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND
PARTICIPANTS TO TURN YOUR CELL
PHONES TO MUTE AS A COURTESY TO
OUR SPEAKERS.
THE RESTROOMS ARE TO THE RIGHT
OF ME FOR THE GENTLEMAN AND TO
THE LET ME FOR THE LADIES.
WE ARE ACTIVELY USING SOCIAL
MEDIA THIS AFTERNOON AND
ENCOURAGE ANY OF THOSE WATCHING
TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AT
FLORIDA 500 TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS
FOR OUR MEMBERS.
THIS IS A NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
FOR ALL OF OUR
PARTNERS AND TO
THAT AND NOT ONLY WILL THERE BE
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH OF OUR
DELEGATES TO INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES AND WE WILL GO AROUND
THE ROOM HERE SHORTLY, BUT THERE
WILL ALSO BE A BRIEF BREAK.
DUE TO THE WEATHER HERE IN
PENSACOLA WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL I
AM TOLD --
[LAUGHTER]
WE ARE RUNNING JUST A FEW
MINUTES BEHIND.
WE ANTICIPATE STARTING A LITTLE
BIT AFTER FOUR CONSIDERING OUR
DELAY THIS AFTERNOON.
SO I NOW WILL HAVE THE
DISTINGUISHED HONOR TO INTRODUCE
TO YOU THE MAYOR OF THIS
LOVELY
CITY OF PENSACOLA, THE FIRST
MAYOR IN PENSACOLA --
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
AS A PENSACOLA NATIVIST
GENTLEMAN HAS A LONG HISTORY
HERE WHICH NO DOUBT A
D
VOCATES
FOR PENSACOLA EN'S.
THAT IS A WORD.
HE IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE
PENSACOLA EFFORT AND THE
STATEWIDE FLORIDA 500.
CLEARLY RECOGNIZING THE
IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY CAN PLAY
IN OUR FUTURE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING ME
OR ASHTON HEYER TOOK TO THE
PODIUM.
[APPLAUSE]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON AND THIS IS
NOT YOUR TYPICAL CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE TODAY BUT I DON'T THINK
ANY OF US WILL MELT
OUT THERE IN
THE RAIN.
WE DESPERATELY NEEDED THE RAIN
SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ALL OF
IT, EVEN THOUGH I THINK A FEW OF
US ARE WET.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU LOCAL
DELEGATES FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
TO GET READY FOR THIS.
IS TRULY AN EXCITING TIME IN THE
GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA
ESPECIALLY THE GREAT CITY OF
PENSACOLA, AMERICA'S FIRST
SETTLEMENT.
WE KNOW ABOUT PONCE DE LEON AND
LANDING ON THE EASTERN COAST OF
FLORIDA AT AND --
IN 1559 IN THE CITY OF PENSACOLA
SO WE TAKE A LOT OF P
RIDE IN
THAT.
I MOST DEFINITELY DO WHEN I'M
TRAVELING IS THE THE MAYOR OF
THIS GREAT CITY TELLING PEOPLE
HEY LISTEN WE ARE THE FIRST
SETTLEMENT.
I ACTUALLY GOT AN ARGUMENT LAST
WEEK, A DELEGATION FROM
PENSACOLA WENT TO SPAIN TO
CELEBRATE HER SISTER CITY AND I
HAPPEN TO RUN INTO JOHN REAGAN
CITY MANAGER OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING.
WE WENT FROM MADRID TO BALLOT
AND I RAN UPSTAIRS TO GET A
DRINK BEFORE WE GOT ON THE BUS.
MY FRIEND SAID HEY THIS IS JOHN,
THE REGENCY MANAGER OF ST.
AUGUSTINE.
I SAID WE ARE THE FIRST
SETTLEMENT, JOHN.
LET'S GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY
RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TIME AND
CELEBRATING 500 YEARS AND WE ARE
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT KICKING IT
OFF
IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR AND
2013.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, AS I
ALWAYS SAY EVERYONE HERE
POLITICIANS TALK TO MUCH BUT WE
ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND HAVE
A SAFE TRAVEL BACK AND HOPEFULLY
THE RAIN WILL STOP.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO
MR. SECRETARY, THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU ALSO MUCH.
I AM SORRY I WAS RUNNING LATE
LEAD IN THE SPIRIT OF GOOD
ADVENTURE AND EXPLORES TODAY I
FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE
EXPEDITION 200.
GETS ABOUT 200 MILES FROM HERE
IN TALLAHASSEE AND I HAD MY
EXHIBITION AS WE ALL DID.
IT'S FANTASTIC TO BE HERE AND I
HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS IN
PENSACOLA.
I WAS HERE NOT
LONG AGO PLANTING
CHERRY TREES AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WEST FLORIDA AND THE
UNIVERSITY THERE'S JUST SUCH A
SPECIAL PLACE FOR ME AND I
ACTUALLY HAVE SOME CLIENTS HERE
THAT I WORKED WITH MANY YEARS
AGO.
IS JUST GREAT TO BE HER SO THANK
YOU MAYOR HAYWARD FOR THAT WARM
WELCOME TO
YOUR CITY SO FULL OF
HISTORY AND PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO
TALK ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU ALSO TO THE UNIVERSITY
OF WEST FLORIDA AND GOT TO JUDY
BENSE, PRESIDENT OF THE
UNIVERSITY AND HER STAFF WHO
HAVE BEEN HELPFUL ALL THE TIMES
WE HAVE BEEN HERE WORKING
WI
TH
THE FLORIDA 500.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ADD TO THAT
THE CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR
HISTORY AND WHAT A BETTER PLACE
TO DO THAT THAN THE GROUNDS OF
THE PENSACOLA HISTORICAL
VILLAGE.
THIS MISSION IS TO KEEP
PENSACOLA HISTORY ALIVE OR
IN
SPANISH, BE THE.
VIVA FLORIDA 500 IS AS YOU KNOW
ALL ABOUT FLORIDA'S RICH HISTORY
AND IN 2013 IT'S FLORIDA'S
OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS HISTORY
TO STRENGTHEN OUR TOURISM, AS
WERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
EDUCATE THE WORLD ABOUT
FLORIDA'S SIGNIFICANT PLACE IN
OUR NATION'S HERITAGE.
ON THE AGENDA TODAY OUR SPEAKERS
WHO ARE OUR EXPERTS DOING JUST
THAT.
FROM ORGANIZATIONS WITH
STATEWIDE PLANS SUCH AS THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
PRESERVATION
NETWORK EXPEDITION FLORIDA 500
THE FLORIDA PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY
NETWORK TO REGIONAL ACTIONS,
ACTIVITIES FOR THE TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT COUNSEL.
WE ALL HAVE THE
SAME DESIRE TO
SEE THE 500 YEARS OF FLORIDA
HISTORY, LIFE.
THE LEADERSHIP BOTH IN OUR STATE
IN SPAIN, FRANCE AND GREAT
BRITAIN, THE THREE FLAGS -- THE
FIVE FLIGHTS OF FLORIDA ARE
EAGER TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS
INITIATIVE WHICH IS
A CRITICAL
WAY TO ENGAGE OUR INTERNATIONAL
RELEVANCE HERE IN FLORIDA.
TODAY'S RELEVANCE IS BASED UPON
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.
IT'S ABOUT EATING THE GATEWAY TO
THE AMERICAS, A ROLE WE ARE
GOING TO SEE RISE IN IMPORTANCE
IN THE COMING YEARS WITH THE
EXPANSION OF THE PANAMA CANAL.
DURING THE GOVERNOR'S TRADE
MISSION TO SPAIN I HAD THE HONOR
OF ACCOMPANYING HIM ON A NUMBER
OF IMPORTANT MEETINGS WHERE HE
EXPRESSED HIS MESSAGE AND HIS
EXCITEMENT FOR THE GREAT PLANS
FLORIDIANS HAVE
TO CELEBRATE
VIVA 500 NEXT YEAR.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS
OPPORTUNITY AND I CAN'T WAIT TO
HEAR SOME OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY.
I HAVE BEEN TO ST. AUGUSTINE AND
A COUPLE MORE MEETINGS WITH VIVA
500 EVERYWHERE I GO I SEE THIS
EXCITEMENT, TH
I
S GROWING
ENTHUSIASM AND EVERY SMALL
COMMUNITY.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY WELL, THIS IS
GOING TO BE FANTASTIC, HOW MUCH
YOU ALL GOING TO SPEND?
I TELL THEM THE LEGISLATURE DID
NOT GIVE US ANY MONEY AND I SAID
DO YOU KNOW WHAT?
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FLORIDA IS
A VERY ORGANIC EXPERIENCE THAT
COMMUNITIES ARE RECOGNIZING
THEMSELVES AND HOW THEY ARE
PLACED IN THIS 500 YEAR HISTORY.
I CAN TELL YOU IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
THING TO SEE, PEOPLE COMING
TOGETHER.
I WAS IN PUERTO RICO THIS
WEEKEND JUST GOT BACK LAST NIGHT
AND I MET WITH THE GOVER
NO
R
PUERTO RICO AND THE SECRETARY OF
STATE.
OF COURSE PONCE DE LEON STARTED
HIS TRIP THERE.
THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT
PARTNERING WITH US.
JERRY I CAN'T WAIT TO GIVE YOU
DETAIL ABOUT SOME IDEAS THAT
THEY HAVE.
IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE AN
AMAZING EXPERIENCE OF THANK YOU
FOR HAVING
ME HERE TODAY AND I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM
THE SPEAKER.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH SECRETARY.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE
SPONSORS OF THIS MEETING, THE
UNIVERSITY WAS FLORIDA
REPRESENTED TODAY BY THE CHIEF
OPERATIONS OFFICER OF THE
PENSACOLA HISTORIC VILLAGE,
MR. ROBERT
OVERTON AND A BRIEF
BIO, MR. OVERTON WHO WILL
JUST -- HOLDS A BACHELORS DEGREE
FROM WEST ALABAMA AND A MASTER'S
DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH ALABAMA, IN HISTORY.
HE HAD JUST OVER 15 OF
PUBLIC
HISTORY.
HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER FOR WEST
FLORIDA HISTORIC PRESERVATION
INCORPORATED, A DIRECT SUPPORT
ORGANIZATION OF THE UNIVERSITY
WAS FLORIDA.
THEY ARE DEDICATED TO
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA.
MR. OVERTON IS A MEMBER OF THE
FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS
AND SERVES ON THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES FOR FLORIDA TRUST FOR
HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MR. ROBERT
OVERTON THE PODIUM.
THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>> FIRST OF ALL WELCOME TO THE
HISTORIC VILLAGE.
THIS IS WHERE I WORK EVERYDAY
AND I FEEL BLESSED TO BE HERE
AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
INVOLVED IN BEEF OF
PENSACOLA,
FLORIDA EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.
THE WEATHER IS THE WEATHER AND
WE CAN DO CAN'T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT
THE WEATHER GAVE US A FEW
RESPITES BUT I'M GLAD YOU CAME
OUT THIS AFTERNOON.
WE WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT WE ARE HERE AT THE
WEST FLORIDA HISTORIC
PRESERVATION INCORPORATED.
WE ARE PART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
WEST FLORIDA AND WE ARE ALSO
PART OF THE CITY OF
PENSACOLA.
QUITE FORTUNATE I AM FOLLOWING
THE MAYOR AND THE SECRETARY OF
STATE BECAUSE WE ARE MANAGING 20
PROPERTIES HERE IN DOWNTOWN
PENSACOLA WHICH INCLUDES THIS
HISTORIC TENTACLE OF VILLAGE,
THE MUSEUM.
WE JUST OPENED T
HE
PENSACOLA
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
WE HAVE A GREAT RESOURCE CENTER
IN THE PENSACOLA HISTORIC
SOCIETY WHICH PUBLISHES HUGE
ARCHIVE SO WE ARE HUGE PROPERTY
MANAGERS DOWNTOWN, TRYING TO BE
GOOD STEWARDS OF THESE HISTORIC
PROPERTY.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF
BOARD MEMBERS
HERE.
I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET HIM AT
THE FISH HOUSE EARLIER TODAY.
HE WAS THERE.
NONE OF THIS HAPPENED BY US
DOING IT ALONE.
WE HAVE DONE THIS AS A PARTNER
WITH THE CITY, THE COUNTY, THE
UNIVERSITY AND THE STATE,
DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND
UNIVERSITY.
WHICH GOES RIGHT IN HAND WITH
WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH VIVA
FLORIDA.
IS THE SECRETARY SAID THERE WAS
NO FUNDING.
WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF EVENTS
THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH VIVA
FLORIDA EVENTS.
WE OPEN THE PENSACOLA --
PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND
PUBLISH THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA
HISTORY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE,
VIVA FLORIDA.
WE DID THE BATTLE OF PENSACOLA,
THE SPANI
SH
INVOLVEMENT IN THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
WE PUBLISH PUBLISHED THAT THIS
PAST YEAR.
WE JUST AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
AND RECONSTRUCTING THE
CONSTRUCTION WORK, AN OUTDOOR
KITCHEN THAT IS GOING TO BE A
COLONIAL
KITCHEN WHERE WE DID
THE ARCHAEOLOGY WAS IN THE
BRITISH AND THE SPANISH
GOVERNOR'S GARDEN WHICH WAS IN
THE BRITISH AND SPANISH FORTS IN
DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CORAL
GABLES MUSEUM TO BRING AN
EXHIBIT IN A SPANISH MAP SO ALL
OF
THIS WE ARE DOING WITH OTHER
INDIVIDUALS.
IN ARCHAEOLOGY WE DEAL WITH THE
UNIVERSITY WAS FLORIDA
ARCHAEOLOGY INSTITUTE AND THE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
THE CORAL GABLES EXHIBIT WE ARE
WORKING WITH THE CITY OF CORAL
GABLES IN THE CORAL GABLES
MUSEUM, THE BATTLE OF PENSACOLA
WITH A CITYWIDE EFFORT TO DO
THIS.
SO ALL OF THESE GROUPS IN TOWN,
THE JUST SOCIETY AND THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE
SOCIETY AND I GET IN TROUBLE
WHEN I START MENTIONING THEM
BECAUSE I FORGET SOME OF THEM
BUT WE ARE DOING THIS THIS AS A
PARTNERSHIP TO NOT ONLY TAKE OUR
COMMUNITY A BETTER
PLACE BUT IT
ALSO HELPS TELL THE STORY IN
FLORIDA IN THE LARGER SENSE
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT VIVA
FLORIDA IS.
SO I THANK YOU AL
>> I THANK
BEING HERE AND BRAVING THE STORM
BEING HERE AND BRAVING THIS
STORM
TO COME AND BE
SOMETHING YOU EVIDENTLY CARE
ABOUT
YOU
I THANK YOU F
OR CARING ABOUT IT
>> YOU ARE WATCHING THE FLORIDA
CHANNEL, A SERVICE MADE POSSIBLE
BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE, WFSU
AND FLORIDA STATE
>> I WANT TO NOW BEGIN OUR
PROGRAM IN EARNEST.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS
WHO WILL BE SPEAKING ON THEIR
PROJECTS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS A VERY
LEARNED SCHOLAR OF HISTORY WHO
WE
ARS MANY HATS.
HE IS THE FIELD DIRECTOR OF THE
FLORIDA AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HERITAGE PRESERVATION NETWORK,
FORMERLY THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
AND PRESIDEN ARCHIVAL
HISTORICAL AND RESEARCH
ASSOCIATE.
HE SERVED AS A COMMISSIONER
FOR
THE STATE OF FLORIDA
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TASK
FORCE, WHICH WORKS TO INTRODUCE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY INTO
THE SCHOOL CUR
RI
CULUM.
HE WORKS IN THE PRESERVATION OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND
CULTURE, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY
THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC
PRESERVATION, WHO HAS TWICE
HONORED HIM AS A DIVERSITY
SCHOLAR.
HIS COMPANY HAS ALSO BEEN
RECOGNIZED BY THE INSTITUTE OF
LIBRARY AND
MUSEUM SERVICES FOR
EXCELLENT ARCHIVAL WORK
THROUGHOUT FLORIDA.
HE HAS TIES TO THE JOHN D.
REILLY MUSEUM IN TALLAHASSEE
WHERE HE HAS ACTED AS DIRECTOR
OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS AND TO
FLORIDA A&M WHERE HE GRADU
AT
ED
AND HAS TAUGHT AS A PROFESSOR.
AS STATED BEFORE, HE IS A
LEARNED SCHOLAR AND SOMEONE THAT
COULD BE BUSY CERTIFICATE THAN I
THOUGHT POSSIBLE.
PLEASE WELCOME DR. ANTHONY
DIXON.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'D LIKE TO FIRST BEGIN BY
SIMPLY TELLING A STORY.
SO EVERYONE KIND OF RELAX, SIT
BACK IN YOUR CHAIR.
TELL A
STORY.
WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THE YEAR 1513
AND WE RECOGNIZE THE YEAR 1513
AS THE YEAR THAT AFRICANS
HISTORICALLY BROUGHT INTO
FLORIDA, NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT
THAT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
IS
BY ACADEMIC STANDARDS OF TODAY
AND EUROPEAN STANDARDS OF
HISTORICAL MEASURES.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE
OTHER THINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA
THAT INDICATE THAT AFRICANS HAD
COME TO THE AMERICAS BEFORE AND
PRIOR TO 1492.
BUT WE LOOK AT THE YEARS IN THE
LATE AND EARLY 16TH CENTURY AS
THOSE THAT ARE RECORDED WHERE
AFRICANS WE KNOW AND CAN
IDENTIFY.
NOW,
WE UNDERSTAND FROM THAT
POINT, EVEN AS EARLY AS 1513,
THAT AFRICANS BEGAN TO DEVELOP
TWO COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY IN THE
CARIBBEAN, BUT IT EXTENDED INTO
FLORIDA.
AND THOSE TWO COMMUNITIES WERE
THOSE
AFRICANS WHO REMAINED IN
THE COLONIAL, PLANTATION SOCIETY
AND THOSE WHO ABSCONDED AND
LIVED A MAROONED TYPE OF LIFE
LIFESTYLE.
WI
THERE ARE TWO COMMUNITIES OF
AFRICAN DESCENDENTS IN FLORIDA.
BY 1687 IT IS RECOGNIZED BY BOTH
THE SPANISH AND THE ENGLISH THAT
A
STABLE AFRICAN LABOR SUPPLY IS
GOING TO BE NEEDED IF EITHER
COLONY OR COUNTRY IS GOING TO BE
SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE BEGIN TO SEE LARGE NUMBERS
OF AFRICANS BEING BROUGHT IN BY
THE ENGLISH, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME WE BEGIN TO SEE
PROBLEMS
BETWEEN THE SPANISH AND ENGLISH
OVER THAT STABLE AFRICAN LABOR
SUPPLY.
SO THE IDEA OF THE SOCIETY BEGAN
TO FOSTER IN 1693 WITH THE EDICT
OF 1693 W
HEN THE SPANISH TELL
ANY RUNAWAY SLAVE THAT IF THEY
COME TO LA FLARIDA, THEY WILL BE
ABLE TO CONTINUE A LIFESTYLE
FREE OF BONDAGE.
SO FROM THAT POINT ON THAT
BECAME A SAFE HAVEN FOR RUNAWAY
SLAVES.
SO FROM THAT PERIOD ON, WE MOVE
FORWARD AND WE REALIZE THAT
THESE MAROONED SOCIETIES ARE
BEING CLOSELY RELATED TO THE
NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES, WHO
ARE ALSO GETTING FURTHER AND
FURTHER AWAY FROM PLANTATION
SOCIETY.
AND WE SEE A STABLE COMMUNITY
BEGIN TO DEVELOP JUST AFTER BOTH
THE STONAL REBELLION AND THE
YEMISEE WARS.
BY THE 18TH CENTURY WE FIND THE
ENGLISH AND SPANISH RECOGNIZE
THESE COMMUNITIES AND THEY
ACTUALLY NOW HAVE A NAME CALLED
SEMINOLE.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TWO
DISTINCT
COMMUNITIES, THOSE THAT
ARE LIVING WITHIN PLANTATION
SOCIETY AND THOSE THAT ARE
LIVING IN MAROON SOCIETY, ARE
NOW RECOGNIZE BY BOTH ENGLISH
AND SPANISH AUTHORITIES.
AS THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE
BETWEEN THE SPANIS
H AND THE
ENGLISH AND OF COURSE THE
ENGLISH BEGAN TO DRIVE THE
SPANISH OUT AND BEGAN TO PUT
CLOSER TO THE LINES OF
DEMARCATION THAT WE SEE BETWEEN
THE GEORGIA AND FLORIDA LINES
AND OF COURSE WHAT THEY
CONSIDERED THE
BUFFER AREA OF
COURSE BECOMES THE LAST COLONY
AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THEY ARE DEFINITELY STILL HAVING
AN IMPACT, AN IMPACT ON BOTH
THOSE AFRICANS THAT ARE WITHIN
PLANTATION SOCIETY AS WELL AS
MAROON SOCIETY.
NOW, WHAT WE FIND THE FIRST
MAJOR EVENT FOR THE DEMISE OF
THE MAROON SOCIETY COMES DURING
THE PATRIOT WAR WHICH WAS WITHIN
THE WAR OF 1812.
BY THE END OF THE PATRIOTS WAR,
WE SEE THAT THE
G
OVERNMENT GETS
INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
THE MAROON SOCIETIES, THAT
PLANTATION SOCIETY HAS NOW
CONVINCED THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT TO GET INVOLVED.
SO WE MARK THE FIRST SEMINOLE
WAR AS THE FIRST OUTWARD
ATTACK
ON THE MAROON SOCIETIES IN
FORCING THOSE MAROON SOCIETIES
EITHER TO COME INTO PLANTATION
SOCIETY OR TO REMAIN, GO FURTHER
OUTWARD, INTO THE WILDERNESS IN
DIFFERENT AREAS, EITHER
SOUTHWARD FROM PRESENT DAY
ORLANDO DOWNWARD AND THEN
OUTWARD IF THEY WANTED TO TRY TO
MOVE TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI AND
TOWARD THE FRENCH.
NOW, BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE
19TH CENTURY, THE SECOND
SEMINOLE WAR IS WHAT WE
CONSIDERED THAT ALL-OUT ASSAULT
ON MAROON SOCIETY, AND WE SEE
THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF THOSE
MEMBERS OF MAROON SOCIETY BEING
MOVED OUT OF FLORIDA.
AND SO THOSE AFRICAN
DESCENDANTS
IN PLANTATION SOCIETY, WHETHER
THEY ARE FREE OR ENSLAVED WITHIN
PLANTATION SOCIETY, THEY BECOME
MUCH, MUCH LARGER IN NUMBER THAN
THOSE THAT ARE LIVING OUTSIDE OF
PLANTATION SOCIETY, OUT
IN THE
FLORIDA WILDERNESS.
SO BY 1842, IN THE MID-1800s,
WE SEE THAT MOST OF FLORIDA HAS
BEGUN TO RID ITSELF OF THOSE
MAROON SOCIETIES AND EVEN MAROON
SOCIETIES HAVE BEGUN TO KIND OF
GIVE U
P
ON FLORIDA AS THIS "SAFE
HAVEN" AWAY FROM PLANTATION
SOCIETY.
SO MANY AGREED TO EMIGRATE WEST
WARD OUT WITH THEIR SEMINOLE
INDIAN COUNTERPARTS.
SO BY THE
END OF THE SECOND
SEMINOLE WAR, WE SEE THIS LARGE
NUMBER OF MAROON SOCIETIES
ACTUALLY DISAPPEARING OFF OF THE
FACE OF THE FLORIDA MAP.
BY THE 1850s, JUST BEFORE
FLORIDA -- THE LATE 1850s,
JUST BEFORE FLORIDA DECIDES TO
LEAVE THE UNION, WE SEE THAT
LAST MEASURE OF FLORIDA MAROONS
ACTUALLY LEAVING THE SOUTH
FLORIDA AREA.
AND ONCE THOSE NUMBERS ARE
SMALL, WE KIND OF SAY THAT THE
NUMBERS OF BLACK SEMINOLES
AND
THOSE WHO ARE DESCENDANTS OF
THOSE FLORIDA MAROONS ARE IN
SUCH SMALL NUMBERS THAT THEY ARE
TIED TO AMERICAN SOCIETY IN SOME
SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY COULD
REMAIN OR RETAIN THIS
MAROONAGE
IN FLORIDA.
NOW, WHAT WE FIND FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ONCE WE GET
PAST THE CIVIL WAR AND
RECONSTRUCTION IS A TIME WHERE
WE BEGAN TO INVOLVE OURSELVES
INTO POLITICS A LITTLE MORE, IT
ACTUALLY COMES TO A STANDSTILL
BY THE END OF RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD, WHICH OF COURSE WE ALL
KNOW TECHNICALLY IN FLORIDA ENDS
AROUND THE 1890s, NOT THE
LATE1870s, AS DOES MOST OF
AMERICA.
BUT WE FIND THEN
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE GOING ON
ANOTHER MIGRATION PATTERN WHERE
THEY'RE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE
SHARECROPPING
SOCIETY.
SO AT THAT POINT WE SEE A LARGE
NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS
AGAIN LEAVING FLORIDA, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE FLORIDA
HAS DECIDED THEIR ECONOMY
IS GOING TO BE BASED ON BOTH THE
CITRUS INDUSTRY AS WELL AS
TOURISM, WE BEGAN TO SEE
AFRICAN
DENTS REPLACE THOSE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND WE SEE
LARGE NUMBERS OF CARIBBEANS
COMING INTO THE COUNTRY.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WITH
PRIMARILY THE CITY OF MIAMI,
WHERE AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE
BUILDING THE RAILROAD DOWN INTO
THE CITY AND BLACKS WERE LAYING
THE CITY.
THIS IS WHERE WE GET THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OVER TOWN, BECAUSE
THEY USED TO HAVE TO CROSS OVER
DOWNTOWN TO SOCIALIZE WITH EACH
OTHER.
SO OVER TOWN
BECAME A PART OF
MIAMI'S HISTORY AS WELL.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE THE
AGRICULTURAL AND CITRUS INDUSTRY
IS BEGINNING TO BE THE MAIN PART
OF FLORIDA'S ECONOMY, WE ALSO
START SEEING THAT
PEOPLE IN
TOURISM ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK
TOWARD AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO FEEL
THOSE SPOTS.
AND AS WE GO INTO THE 20TH
CENTURY, MORE AND MORE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ARE
BEGINNING TO JOIN THE DOMESTIC
SERVICE IN
THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
I MYSELF HAVE A VERY PERSONAL
CONNECTION TO THIS.
THIS IS HOW MY GRANDMOTHER CAME
TO FLORIDA.
SHE WAS ACTUALLY A GEORGIA
NATIVE WHOSE SISTERS AFTER A
SPLIT WITH HER HUSBAND, SISTERS
DECIDED TO CONVINCE HER TO COME
TO SOU
TH FLORIDA.
SHE BECAME A SERVANT IN PALM
BEACH FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THEN IN THE
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT
THESE DOMESTIC SERVANTS ARE
BEGINNING TO ELEVATE THEMSELVES
IN SOCIETY
AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY ARE RECOGNIZING THESE
WOMEN ARE BEING PILLARS IN THE
COMMUNITY AND PILLARS IN THEIR
CHURCHES.
SO BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE
MID-1900s, AFRICAN-AMERICANS
ARE BEGINNING TO PUSH MORE, OF
COURSE, FOR THE
IR CIVIL RIGHTS,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE
DOING THINGS WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY TO ENLIST THEMSELVES
IN BOTH THE EDUCATIONAL AS WELL
AS THE POLITICAL ARENA.
NOW, WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH THE
FLORIDA AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HERITAGE PRESERVATION NETWORK IS
CONTINUE THAT LEGACY OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THAT
LEGACY OF SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
SO WE WORK WITH EACH MUSEUM.
WE BEGIN TO HELP THEM FOSTER
PROGRAMS THAT WILL EXTEND
THEMSELVES FURTHER INTO THE
COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS ACHIEVE
THOSE STANDARDS FOR NATIONAL
MUSEUM STANDARDS.
WE GO IN AND WE DO FROM THE
SMALLEST THINGS IN TERMS OF
HELPING THEM GET A COMPUTER TO
ACTUALLY DEVELOPING LONG-TERM
PROGRAMMING.
SO WHAT WE BEGIN TO -- WHAT WE
HAVE BEGUN TO DO IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS IS LOOK MORE AT HERITAGE
TOURISM.
AND THROUGH HERITAGE TOURISM AND
THESE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS WITHIN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN --
COMMUNITY WE
BEGIN TO DEVELOP PROGRAMMING
THAT WAY.
AND I GIVE A GOOD EXAMPLE THAT
WE ACTUALLY BORROWED FROM A
MUSEUM LIBRARY IN GEORGIA.
THERE THEY WENT TO THE BLACK
NURSES ASSOCIATION, AND THEY
ASKED THAT THE BLACK NURSES HELP
THEM PUT TOGETHER AN EXHIBIT.
AND SO THE NURSES BEGAN TO DO
THIS.
THEY BEGAN TO GET IN CONTACT
WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY HADN'T
SPOKEN WITH
IN 30 AND 40 YEARS.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW ALL KINDS OF
PINS AND CAPS AND DEGREES CAME
IN.
BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, AT THE
DAY OF THE EXHIBITION, THERE
WERE MORE THAN 350 PEOPLE FROM
THE COMMUNITY THERE.
AND THAT WAS -- THESE ARE THE
THINGS THAT WE DO AND TRY TO GET
THE PROGRAMMING AND GET
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE BACK
INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TURN THAT
INTO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. DIXON,
FOR THE HISTORY THERE AS WELL.
BEING HERE IN THE CITY OF FIVE
FLAGS, OF COURSE, WE RECOGNIZE
THE FIVE CULTURES, AS IT WERE,
BY THE FLAGS, BUT
ALSO WE HAVE
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES AND
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURES THAT
THRIVE HERE IN FLORIDA TODAY.
THE SYNTHESIS OF ALL OF THESE
CULTURES IN A MOST CULTURALLY
DIVERSE PLACE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
SO I
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS
AND ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT
THE ROUTE IN SEARCH OF ROUTES OR
THE ROOT IN SEARCH OF ROOTS
DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE YOU
STAND ON IS A PROJECT OF THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE
PRESERVATION NETWORK
.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER THIS AFTERNOON
IS THE FOUNDER AND CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF MOTHER
OCEAN AND THE PROJECT LEAD FOR
EXPEDITION FLORIDA 500.
HE WAS BORN IN THE ROLLING HILLS
OF EAST TEXAS AND RAISED ON THE
ATLANTIC COAST OF FLORIDA,
DEEPLY INFLUENCED BY BOTH THE
COUNTRY AND THE OCEAN.
HE GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF FLORIDA WITH A B.S. AND
SPECIALIZED IN INNOVATION.
HE HAS WORKED AND LIVED ON THE
REEF IN THE BAHAMAS AS WELL AS
THE PACIFIC COASTLINE OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE HE
WORKED WITH SKRIPP INSTITUTION
OF OASHING ONFY.
HE BRINGS AN ENVISIONARY MIND
AND BUILDS BRIDGES BETWEEN THE
BUSINESS WORLD AND THE SCIENCES.
NOW HISTORY AND CULTURE
ARE
GETTING INTO THE MIX.
HIS ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PROMOTE
GLOBAL OCEAN STEWARDSHIP AND
PROMOTE SCIENCE, INNOVATION,
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY IN THE
PROCESS.
PLEASE WELCOME JUSTIN
RIENY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE
HERE.
I WANT TO SEND A GRATEFUL
APPRECIATION TO VIVA FLORIDA 500
TEAM AS WELL AS THE SECRETARY
FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT.
WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE SHOWING EXCITEMENT,
ENTHUSIASM FOR
OUR PROJECT DUE
TO THEIR EFFORTS.
IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.