TAMPA, Fla. — Taking a journey into history to learn more about African American life in the Tampa Bay area is now easier than ever. That’s because the Tampa Bay History Center recently opened an exhibit highlighting Black life in the Tampa Bay area.
“So, our new exhibit, Travails & Triumph, tells over five centuries of Black history here in the Tampa Bay area,” said Brad Massey, a historian at the Tampa Bay History Center.
The exhibit details Black life in the Tampa Bay area dating back to the 1500s.
“And it starts by talking about the first people of African descent that traveled across the Atlantic and came to the [Tampa Bay area],” said Massey.
The Tampa Bay History Center opened an exhibit dedicated to African American life, history, and culture in the Tampa Bay area. Guests are able to learn from five interactive screens.
“So, a couple of stories that we tell here in this part of the exhibit is the story of the war against Black communities that were established here in Florida in the [Tampa Bay area] in the 1700s and the 1800s,” said Massey.
The museum has collected more than 100 artifacts to help tell the stories of Black people who lived here.
“Like these baskets here, which were woven in the West African tradition, which people that escaped enslavement in places like Georgia and the Carolinas, they brought this basket-making technique down here into Florida,” said Massey.
While shooting this story, I noticed former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio with her husband, Mark Woodard, casually walking through the exhibit.
“It’s such an important part of all of our history, and it’s being told in a way that helps inform all of us as to how all people got to the Tampa Bay area and what their history is and what challenges they faced,” said Iorio.
“Interesting to learn the connection between the Seminole Wars and the impact that had on the African American community in this area at the time,” said Woodard.
Massey detailed the closing stops of the exhibit, telling Black stories of the 20th and 21st centuries.
“So, here, a lot of our guests have recognized some of these items like a Blake High School jacket and a Middleton High School jacket, and these are important items because these were Black high schools during the era of Jim Crow,” said Massey.
The Travails & Triumph exhibit will be a permanent fixture at the Tampa Bay History Center, and they’re hoping as many people as possible come to learn more about our unique and interesting Tampa Bay area history.
“And, so, this will be here for the coming years for all members of our community to come and see,” said Massey.
