State Library and Archives of Florida Presents Viewing of Historic Images in Honor of Florida's African-American Heritage

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The State Library and Archives of Florida will celebrate Black History Month with a slideshow of historical photographs featuring African-Americans in Florida.  The slideshow will be presented on Friday, February 5, 2010, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee.  This event will be part of Tallahassee’s First Friday Gallery Hop, and will be open to the public. 

Truth and Triumph: The African-American Experience in Florida is an anthology of over 300 powerful images that serve as a visual reminder of the struggles and achievements of African-Americans, past and present.  Representing virtually the entire span of Florida’s history since statehood, the photographs featured in this slideshow illustrate the integral role African-Americans played in the state’s economical, political, and social development.

The presentation pays tribute not only to the famous, but also to the “nameless,” including photographs of the countless unknown examples of self-sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance that have supported the African-American struggle.  A sample of the slideshow will also be available on the State Library and Archives’ Florida Memory site (http://www.floridamemory.com). 

The Florida Memory Program is funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida.