It is made up of residents and partners from nonprofits and health and social service organizations who recommended ways to make the town healthier. Florida. It was one of the first all-black towns to be formed after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The school district does. The town of just 2,200 people boasts a plethora of groups that work to give youth the building blocks of leadership and success, from town government and Eatonvilles nine churches to the Boys & Girls Club and Every Kid Outreach, a faith-based nonprofit. (Credit: SPLC). What was special about Eatonville and its school? Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando lent her support to working with Eatonville residents seeking to craft their own future for their town. 1750. Famous People of Eatonville. 15 Aug 1887 1887 - The Town of Eatonville was established as the FIRST Incorporated African-American municipality in the United States on this date. While the council rejected the proposed zoning and changes to the towns comprehensive plan needed for the development, the contract between Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), which owns the property, and the developers remains in place. This decision presents us with a new opportunity to collaborate with the Eatonville community to preserve and celebrate the Towns historic and cultural significance as the oldest incorporated Black town in the U.S.. St. Lawrence Church is older than the historic town itself, and it is one of the oldest African American Church's in the Central Florida area. Theres Lake Hungerford to the west, a taste of the countryside that once surrounded the 131-year-old town, which sits just outside Orlando. Jarena Lee, 1849. The Town that Freedom Built: The story of Eatonville, America - WFTV The school, modeled on the famed Black educators Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama (now Tuskegee University), was for generations a rare place of educational opportunity for Black students otherwise afforded few, if any, such opportunities because of their race. Black Florida town fights for right to use prime land - TheGrio Zoras creative efforts mirrored her academic studies. In 2014, Healthy Central Florida and Florida Hospital founded Healthy Eatonville Placewhich provides health and wellness services, and studies approaches to prevent and manage diabetesin an existing building in the town. For decades, Mound Bayou thrived and prospered, becoming famous for empowering its black citizens. Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. . Instead, she used her new knowledge to continue writing plays, short stories, and novels. They want to leverage cultural tourism to bring new economic vitality to the town. As long as I can remember, Ive known about Eatonvilles historic significance, says 24-year-old Jasmyne Reese, whose family has been here four generations. The conversations fueling their efforts go beyond healthy habits to the roles played by economic growth, education, housing, safe streets and sidewalks, access to care, and community leadership and engagement. It was Boas who encouraged her to use " the clarifying monocle of anthropology " to salvage and analyze the superstitious stories and " down-home ' lies ' " she remembered hearing as a child in Eatonville, Florida, an all-black town founded in 1887 near Orlando (Boyd 2003, p. 115). King, Cab Calloway and James Brown when most music halls in the South were largely closed to them. Read more about the effort to preserve Black history in Eatonville, Florida: We tracked 1,225 hate and extremist groups in 2022. Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Now, women forget all those things they dont want to remember, and remember everything they dont want to forget. This is about prosperity for posterity.. He was mentored by Cole 30 years ago as a summer camp counselor working for the recreation department. This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process. After months of pleading by residents, the town council flipped its stance, voting 4-1 to defeat the rezoning proposal. Shop talk for researchers. She taught theater at the historically Black colleges Bethune Cookman College and Fisk University, and worked as a drama coach for the Works Progress Administration. Nelida Torres of Grace Medical Home prepares avocado toast during a diabetes education class at Healthy Eatonville Place. Calling itself "The Town That Freedom Built," Eatonville today boasts that it's the "Oldest Incorporated African American Municipality in America." Langston and Zora traveled back to New York together, stopping at several cities along the way. In 1937, she published what would become her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. 20 to 25%Did you know that 1 out of every 4 cowboys was Black? Eighty percent who started with uncontrolled diabetes reached their blood pressure goals, an important step toward reducing risk of heart disease and stroke. [1] The town is named after Josiah Eaton. Someone needed to document the Black experience for the future. Eatonville is known as one of the first incorporated black towns and was formed after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. A former defensive end in the NFL, he played for the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and the . Eatonville was born and history was made. Consider Zoras lifeand deathwithin the broader context of race relations in the 1920s. Its future development is inextricably intertwined with the future of the community itself. Engraving. Zora Neale Hurston - Probably the most well know. SPLC is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 63-0598743), Local Policing and Immigration Enforcement, Request for Legal Assistance Economic Justice, Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School, Preserving Black Heritage: Florida activists fight to save historic site, Willing to Fight: Residents rise up against development that could erase historic Florida towns rich black heritage, SPLC represents group suing over planned sale of the last 100 acres of property, A timeline of events in Eatonville, Florida. All Rights Reserved. At the same time, I think the interests who still control this land are beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.. Eatonville aims to make sure it has housing options for the old and the young. It was the first town successfully established by African American freedmen and made famous as the home of Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem Renaissance writer known for her novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God." They named Eatonville in honor of Josiah Eaton. I grew up outside of Orlando in the small town of Maitland, which borders the smaller town of Eatonville. Do You Get Patted Down Before A Drug Test? Town leaders liked HostDimes commitment to staying in Eatonville, where it has had a data warehouse since 2006; its likelihood of attracting other tech businesses; and its pledge to provide free, superfast Wi-Fi across much of Eatonville. After residents packed town meetings, picketed and took the story of the threat to the childhood home of Zora Neale Hurston the literary giant known as the Queen of the Harlem Renaissance to a national audience, the proposal was tabled. EATONVILLE, FLORIDA - THE TOWN THAT FREEDOM BUILT. The land used to be the site of the Robert Hungerford School that was founded in 1889 as the first school for Black children in Central Florida. Lawrence, MA, mobilized community groups to address the economic, environmental, and social factors that influence health. So, he reached out to the Orlando chapter of the American Diabetes Association and the Winter Park Health Foundation, an Orlando-area philanthropy. aaregistry.org/videos/view/eatonvilles-beginnings. HostDime founder and CEO Manny Vivar, who started his company as a college senior 17 years ago, says he wants to set up a STEM lab for students in his new headquarters to help prepare them for future jobs in the tech economy. The first all-black city to be incorporated in Florida, Eatonville was established in 1887 after being settled two decades after the Civil War ended by former slaves. Others did not like that Zora often created violent characters in her plays and novels who were also sympathetic. By enhancing access to jobs and education, Eatonville aims to create the conditions that allow all residents to reach their best possible health and well-being. Famous People of Eatonville | Eatonville History She felt that her research was too important to give up. (Credit: Stephen Vincent/Alamy Stock Photo). This predominantly black community survived when others did not. She then enrolled at Howard University, one of the most famous Black colleges in the country. Now health-minded changes like sidewalk renovations, street lighting, and improved parks are eligible for funding. The St. Lawrence African Methodist Church was Founded in 1881. Escape from discrimination and abuse would be a driving factor. Then he collapsed and was rushed to the emergency room. At Eatonvilles Hungerford Elementary School, 3rd-grade teacher Shermeka Scott teaches her students how to stand straight, look a person in the eyes, shake hands, and introduce themselves. Copyright Planetizen, Inc. 2000 - 2023. objected to the plan, noting that the development would dominate Eatonville, engulfing a substantial portion of the 1.6 square miles that make up the community, where 73% of residents are Black. On January 28, 1960, she died of heart complications and was buried in an unmarked grave. That network helped her earn a scholarship to study English and Anthropology at women-only Barnard College. Since Irby first became aware of the Hungerford development proposal last fall, she has driven from her recording studio in Atlanta every other week to attend town council and community meetings. Life at Howard was about more than attending class. The school was designed to educate the black youth of Eatonville in a wide variety of subjects, specifically life skills. These are among the little ways Eatonville encourages all members of the community to see themselves as leaders. It may be too soon to call what is happening in the town of Eatonville, Florida, these days a renaissance. Its original location is across the street. It was one of the first all-black towns to be formed after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. And activists who feared that the town founded, governed and maintained by a Black majority was on the brink of extinction are newly emboldened to build on that history and reshape Eatonvilles future. The story of a Black writer and anthropologist who committed her career to studying and celebrating African American folklore and culture. Although relatively unknown at her death, Zora was an important female voice in the largely male literary world of the Harlem Renaissance. It is as independent, dignified and private as it was in the 1930s, when Hurston wrote that rural blacks in Florida often resisted sharing their true thoughts with the white man, who 'knowing so little about us, he doesn't know what he is missing. Create a thriving and economically robust commercial corridor with an emphasis on preserving the towns historic character and charm where residents and visitors can live, work, play, and grow while improving the viability and livability of our neighborhoods. The modest town of 2,000 tucked just north of Orlando has preserved much of its historic roots, including Zora's "home church," St. Lawrence AME Church, 549 E. Kennedy Blvd., founded in 1881 and rebuilt in 1974, with 1920s-era murals depicting Eatonville residents at worship. Participants progress and biometrics are tracked at six-month intervals, and the data are being used to find ways to better fight diabetes. Your tour will be a comfortable walking or biking experience accompanied by storytelling and refreshments. Her early fieldwork in Harlem opened doors to travel. 1. Eatonville, Florida, is the oldest black-incorporated municipality in the United States. What does this tell you about the state of race and culture in America in this era? Does Mississippi State Have A Nursing Program? Now, he directs the department. That drive has been a rapid ride over the past few months culminating for now in an extraordinary, if provisional, advancement for residents fighting fiercely to wrest the future of their town from the grasp of outsiders who they say would erase Black history for profit. Eatonville Mayor Eddie Cole plays basketball with young people at the Life Center Church. Residents, government leaders, and self-described Eatonville fans who work here, have friends and family here, or worship in the towns many churches have over the past decade or so worked hand-in-hand to build a healthier town. 370 E. Kennedy BoulevardEatonville, FL 32751. James Benderson, Eatonville's town planner and executive director of its Community Redevelopment Agency, outside Town Hall. Women sit behind a booth at a health fair. Its an honor to give kids the opportunity I had, he says. Many community members are concerned [about] gentrification and erasing Black history along with the legacy of Eatonville, Eskamani wrote in a March 2 tweet. *If you've indicated you are an EU resident, we will only send these communications if you intentionally check this box. St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church Marker Inscription. Like a growing number of people with ties to Eatonville, Irby is increasingly committed to helping create a future that honors its past. The Queen City achieved an historic day for planning in the state of Ohio. While this is by no means over, what I see is the town taking the first steps, said N.Y. Nathiri, who as executive director of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C.) St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church - The Historical Marker Those changes would have allowed construction of a mixed-use development that included 350 multifamily and single-family homes, along with extensive commercial, office and retail space on the Hungerford tract, which makes up more than 14% of the 1.6-square-mile town 6 miles north of Orlando. Aug. 15, 1887: All-Black Town of Eatonville Incorporated To that end, Eatonville is working toward creating a thriving business district to strengthen the towns tax base; improving the towns infrastructure, streets, and parks; and boosting education and economic opportunity for residents. Youll learn about thethree pillars, community, education, and religion,that made upEatonville life then and now. Oportunidades Iguales Para Las Mujeres En El Trabajo y La Educaccion, Womens Strike for Equality, New York, Fifth Avenue, 1970, Eugene Gordon photograph collection, 1970-1990. Langston and Zora traveled back to New York together, stopping at several cities along the way. Eatonvilles leaders take a holistic view of health. How was Zoras career and view of the world shaped by her childhood? Picture at top: The town council of Eatonville, Florida, has voted 4-1 against a proposal that would have allowed development of a residential-commercial complex on the Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School property. Of the more than one hundred black towns founded between 1865 and 1900, fewer than twelve remain today. Eatonville, Florida is a small community of great significance to African-American history and culture. We needed a modern facility and state-of-the-art technology in our classrooms, Foster says. Franois (Franz) Fleischbein (artist), Portrait of Betsy, 1837. Zoras mother died in 1904. The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. My feeling is that were really on a new track, St. Julien says. The scientific study of human society and culture. Incorporated in 1887, it is the first town successfully established by African American freedmen. The First All-Black Town in the U.S. | Planetizen News Eatonville already draws tens of thousands of visitors every January, when the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities (ZORA! Her father remarried and sent her to live with relatives. Clark, Thomas Clemmon, David Gelder, E.L. Horn, J.R. Johnson, Anderson Lawson, Joseph Lindsay, T.J. Pender, George Oats, L. Sewall, E.J. The centers staff and researchers believe theyre on the right track: Of 273 participants followed for six months to three years, 97 percent diagnosed with prediabetes did not develop diabetes, according to Florida Hospital results released this year. Moore was overwhelmed by the response. Rob Bargaineer, Eatonville's recreation director, at the old Hungerford Preparatory High School gym. Her publications were often dismissed as too traditional and narrow by new generations of Black activists. SPLC is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 63-0598743), Local Policing and Immigration Enforcement, Request for Legal Assistance Economic Justice, Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School property, Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Preserving Black Heritage: Florida activists fight to save historic site, Sacred Ground: Effort to preserve historic Black Florida community wins key victory, Willing to Fight: Residents rise up against development that could erase historic Florida towns rich black heritage, A timeline of events in Eatonville, Florida, SPLC represents group suing to preserve Florida communitys Black heritage, Historic Action: Developer of Black heritage site in Florida backs out of sales contract. That network helped her earn a scholarship to study English and Anthropology at women-only Barnard College. Her vivid recollections of life in Eatonville decades ago form an important link to the past that matters for the health of the town today, Nathiri says. is very pleased with the Eatonville Town Councils decision not to rezone the historic Hungerford property, said N.Y. Nathiri, P.E.C. Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. Zora knew that traveling as a single Black woman in the American South was risky. They are striving to improve the health of their economy, while also improving the health of their residents. Campaign launched in opposition to Eatonville development - WESH Channel 2 In August, Hungerford Elementary Schoolwhere students often have had to make do with hand-me-down textbooks and almost 9 in 10 receive free or reduced lunchmoved into a new, modern facility with interactive whiteboards in every classroom. As that boom accelerated, developers began eyeing the 100-acre Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School property in Eatonville, one of the largest undeveloped tracts in the area. Incorporated in 1887, it is the first town successfully established by African American freedmen. Watson, Richard Weston, and Ishmael Williams. She published an unsuccessful novel and a popular autobiography. Founded in 1887 during Reconstruction by newly freed people, Eatonville is one of the first all-Black towns in the U.S. to be incorporated by freedmen and was the home of renowned Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston. Bird, C.H. In 2011, then-Mayor Bruce Mount launched Walk and Talk With the Mayor, which 20 to 30 people turned out for twice a week. Zora was one of thousands of women to relocate to Harlem from the South. This monthly newsletter covers research news and opportunities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Today was a real win for democracy, Malissa Williams, a senior staff attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said after the vote. I mentor kids because they need me today, and I need them tomorrow, he says. Eatonville was a community founded in this tradition. Soon, Carrington was knocking on doors to gauge residents interest in seeing middle school and high school STEM programs established in the town. Copyright 2023 - Town of Eatonville Community Redevelopment Agency, 344 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville, FL 32751. klahoma became a premier haven for African Americans moving Westward from 1865-1920. They even met once! Joe Clark (left) helped found the community of Eatonville, which incorporated in 1887, after Blacks were allowed to purchase plots of land in Central Florida. When people know who they are, they know of their history, they know how they fit into that history. The 1940s and 50s were a challenge for Zora. Were there Black Vikings? The founding of this town stands as an enormous achievement for once-enslaved Black men and women throughout the United States. Eatonville residents who owned the land valued . Its like a football player inducted into the Hall of Fame, he says. They also advocated for a healthy community design when the town updated its community redevelopment master plan, which governs taxpayer-funded urban revitalization efforts, in 2016. On August 15, 1887, 27 registered voters, all black men, met in a building they call Town Hall and voted unanimously to incorporate. During this period, the crafts and commerce underwent major changes as merchants and artisans (such as weavers) were moved into the Black Towns established by the European companies within these new cities. The working title is 1887 the year Eatonville was founded. It was founded by 27 men on land adjacent to Maitland sold by a white former Union Army captain, Josiah Eaton, with the intention that it become a city of black self-government. Festival attracts tens of thousands of people a year to Eatonville and nearby towns. Historic images of Eatonville - WESH Channel 2 The school was modeled after the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1889 and was founded by Russell and Mary Calhoun. Today, the community strives to balance its history and the future. The tract had long housed a prestigious private school for Black students, established with the assistance of Booker T. Washington in 1897. What was the first All Black settlement in America? That indignity changed the town but miraculously didnt destroy it. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. Zoras big break came in 1925. Incorporated in 1887, it is the first town successfully established by African American freedmen. . CBS News reports the town was founded in 1887 by Joe Clark. Eatonville Florida: America's Oldest Incorporated Black Community This decision by the town council is an important first step in a process for the community to plan for good development of the historic Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School property that will ensure economic prosperity for the Eatonville of today and for Eatonvilles posterity.. But Zora and her colleagues felt that there needed to be a place for Black Americans to celebrate their culture without fear. Shines, C.S. When Moore, an Eatonville Councilmember at the time, shared his story at a town council meeting soon after his four-day hospital stay, person after person came up to him to say they had diabetes or prediabetes. Today, the community strives to balance its history and the future.

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