Sunday, February 3, 2013
Celebrate Black History Month throughout February.
Black History Month is celebrated in the U.S. throughout the month of February. American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week to commemorate the contributions that people of African descent have made to our nation. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for the celebration to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and editor Frederick Douglass. In 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, U.S. presidents declare February National African-American History Month. Looking for something local that celebrates black history? West Pasco Historcal Society members have set …
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A history of the Dade City Colored School from 1888 to desegregation.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Jeff Cannon
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
In this final article in our Black History Month series, we continue with the topic of achievements made by local African-Americans in the areas of education. Following our split from Hernando County in 1887, Pasco County’s very first African-American School was established in Dade City. From its inception, this little school made a significant impact in our community. So, this week we trace the beginnings, history, and contributions of the Dade City Colored School through the years. The Early School According to school board records, the school was conceived October 1, 1888, when Freedtown resident Alec Brandon presented a petition to the school board to establish a school for the African-American children of Dade City. By motion, the …
Friday, February 24, 2012
The contributions of our local Freedmen’s Bureau office in establishing education during Reconstruction.
On March 3, 1865, nine months before the ratification of the thirteenth amendment and official end to slavery, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to formally create the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Commonly called the Freedmen's Bureau, this agency deemed by some historians as the first federal welfare agency, was given the task of assisting the more than 4 million newly freed slaves in their transition from the plantation to freedom. And, to carry out this enormous task, local Freedmen’s Bureau offices were opened across the south, including right in our backyard with the bureau’s Brooksville office. Through the available records, correspondents, and reports from the Brooksville Freedmen’s Bureau office we catch a vivid…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Through the years, the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church has contributed and played an active role in Pasco County.
In this week’s entry into the Black History Month series we explore the history, contributions, and active role of Dade City’s historic Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church through the years. From the Frame Meeting House to the Modern Church Among one of the first contributions of the church to Pasco County was recorded on December 28, 1901, when, for the sum of $10, trustees joined together in deeding a ¼-acre to the Town Council of Dade City. This ¼ acre was only a small portion of the acreage that became known as the Dade City Municipal Cemetery in 1903. And, while the church does boast a rich history in Pasco County, there still remains a great deal of unknown, including the congregation's first pastor or even where their …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Proposed for future development, today nothing remains of the former Freedtown settlement, not even its cemetery.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Jeff Cannon
-
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Since 1976, February has been officially designated Black History Month — an annual celebration to recognize the achievements and central role of African- Americans in our history. So, in recognition of this national celebration I'm kicking off a month-long, four-part series that explores some of the lesser known African-American history of Pasco County. This week, we begin by delving into the life of pioneer resident Benjamin B. Baisden, whose work was instrumental in the advancement of one of Pasco County’s pioneer black communities — Freedtown. Born in August 1835, like most African-Americans, Benjamin Baisden reportedly spent his early years in slavery and working the low country plantations in South Carolina. However, according to “…
tyler eassonnn
9:46 am on Monday, February 4, 2013
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