African-American History Comes To Life in Northeast Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (January 22, 2008) - As a city filled with rich culture and historical treasures, visitors can celebrate African-American history in northeast Florida year round.  Experience a vibrant nightlife and fine dining along with numerous performing arts venues and beaches combined into a perfect setting for celebrating heritages from around the world.

The Ritz Theatre & La Villa Museum (www.ritzlavilla.org), located in the historic La Villa neighborhood once known as the "Harlem of the South," celebrates Jacksonville's rich African-American heritage.  The museum features a permanent exhibit replicating scenes of everyday life, documenting the past with photographs and artifacts along with a special presentation on native sons James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson called "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing."

Experience the theatrical production, Raisin' Cain with Jasmine Guy at the Ritz Theatre on Feb. 9.  This one-woman tour captures the power, beauty and brilliance of the Harlem Renaissance.  The words and ideas of Langston Hughes, Contee Cullen, Claude McKay and W.E.B. Dubois are woven into a theatrical narrative with artistic endeavors during the 1920s with prose, poetry and jazz telling the story.

The historic Florida Theatre (www.floridatheatre.com) welcomes the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre to town on Feb. 12. This legendary dance troupe promotes the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance.  Since forming in 1958, the group has gone on to perform for over 21 million people in 48 states and 71 countries.  Don't miss the group that is constantly changing the perception of American dance. 

Kingsley Plantation (www.nps.gov/timu), the oldest standing plantation house in Florida, hosts the 10^th annual Kingsley Heritage Celebration each Saturday in February for presentations offering unique insight into the lives of the historic enslaved families and their lifestyles on Fort George Island.  On Feb. 16, join representatives from the Florida Public Archaeology Network for a guided walk of the slave quarters and learn about archaeological finds at the slave quarters and plantation grounds within the past year.  On Feb. 23, meet descendants of the families who lived at the plantation between the 1790s and 1890s.  Hear about their family history in their own words, as they tell family stories of their ancestors. Listen as actors read letters aloud from Zephaniah Kingsley's travels around the world written during 1804-1814.

Located in the National Park Service's Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, the Kingsley Plantation is named after Zephaniah Kingsley (and his African wife Anna), who owned and operated a 1,000-acre plantation there during the 19^th century. 

Celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans from the past two centuries at the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) (www.themosh.org) on Feb. 16.  Learn about the history of Jacksonville's most prominent African Americans and participate in a day filled with cultural programs, art displays, group performances and crafts.  Activities also include African folktale storytellers, scavenger hunts and a special planetarium show about the Underground Railroad.

The opportunities are endless for discovering heritage in Jacksonville, as the Florida Black Heritage Trail has over 20 cultural attractions in the Jacksonville area.  Festivals throughout the year like the World of Nations, the Kuumba Festival and Caribbean Fest, keep visitors coming back for more.  Find out more about creating your own adventures in northeast Florida and call Visit Jacksonville at (800) 733-2668 or go to www.visitjacksonville.com. 

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