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Dear friend,
Since its founding in 1888, St. Petersburg, Florida has had a tumultuous and rich history. From vibrant sunsets on sparkling beaches to the shadows cast by racial inequity and systemic racism, the city’s past is a testament to its resilience and aspiration for progress. Today, we endeavor to explore this layered history, the tangible ways structural racism has shaped our city (and continues to), and how we can work together toward an inclusive, equitable future.
St. Petersburg, like many southern cities, was deeply influenced by the era of segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Central Avenue business district, once the heart of a thriving African American community, was systemically disinvested during the 1960s and 70s. Racial segregation in housing was enforced through redlining, a discriminatory practice denying services to residents of specific, often racially associated, neighborhoods. Such policies have had lasting impacts on the distribution of wealth and opportunities, which are still evident today.
Despite these obstacles, St. Petersburg’s African American community has been a beacon of resilience, creativity, and change. Today, there’s a growing sense of hope and optimism in our city. The face of St. Petersburg is changing, becoming more diverse, inclusive, and committed to correcting the wrongs of the past. We’re seeing concerted efforts toward economic revitalization and community-led initiatives focused on racial equity.
We invite you to join us in an essential task: to acknowledge the past, comprehend its impacts on the present, and work towards a more equitable future. This work begins with education, and to that end, we are excited to announce a three-session class exploring the “Building Bridges & Supporting Racial Equity” research study that aims to unmask the history of structural racism in our city and identify actionable ways we can address it. Drs. Amy Mormino and Kate Pravera will lead a three-session class on this research study starting on Sunday, June 18, with subsequent sessions on June 25 and July 9. Each session will run from 9-10:15 AM at Allendale. For those unable to attend in person, online participation will also be available via Zoom. (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83029075134)
Our first session falls on the weekend of Juneteenth a day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the Confederacy in 1865. As we embark on this journey to unmask and confront St. Petersburg’s history of racial inequity, Juneteenth serves as a fitting backdrop. This pivotal event in our nation’s history underscores the importance of reflection and the urgency of confronting our past to create a more inclusive and fair future.
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