Black Heritage Tour

Approximate time: 6 hours

The tour begins at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority House, built in 1939 (1101 West Eighth Street, 904/355-6101). Continue on to James T. Small Ball Park (8th & Myrtle) where Hank Aaron played as a member of the minor league Jacksonville Braves. Founded in 1866, Edward Waters College (1750 Kings Road) is the oldest, independent, historically black institution of higher learning in Florida. Centennial Hall, built in 1917, houses the school library and the Obi Scott Umanna African Art Collection (904/366-2736). This building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, visit the A. Philip Randolph Room. Randolph, a civil rights activist, is memorialized by this banquet hall because it served as the waiting room for blacks during the railroad heyday.

The birthplace of African-American poet James Weldon Johnson is indicated by a marker at Third and Lee Streets. The author of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was actually born in a house at Lee and Houston Streets.

The Masonic Temple (410 Broad Street, 904/354-2368) is a focal point for the black community's commercial and fraternal activities. Today it is the headquarters of the Masons of the State of Florida Grand East. Built in 1912, the building features the architectural influences of Louis Sullivan and Henry Klutho. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Immediately after the Civil War, Jacksonville blacks formed the Education Society and in 1868 purchased the land on which Edwin M. Stanton High School (521 West Broad Street) was constructed for $850. The present building was built in 1917 and was the only high school for blacks in the country.

Clara White Mission (611-13 West Ashley Street, 904/354-4162) is a designated historic landmark, serving as both a museum of local black history and a homeless center, providing up to 300 meals and other humanitarian services daily.

LaVilla (north of Duval Street) for more than a century was the center for Jacksonville's black civic, social, religious and business groups. LaVilla has been a plantation, a Civil War encampment, a thriving business community and an entertainment and night-life district during the 1920s through the 1950s.

The Ritz Theatre (829 N. Davis Street) became a haven for black movie-goers and hummed to the beat of lively, top-name entertainment. After a multi-million dollar restoration, The Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum re-opened in 1999.

Bethel Baptist Institutional Church (215 Bethel Baptist Street, 904/354-1464) was organized in 1838 as the first church for blacks in Jacksonville. The original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901 and was rebuilt in 1904 by M. H. Hubbard, a black architect from Utica, New York. The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1988 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church (201 East Beaver Street, 904/355-9475) was formally organized in 1866 in the days before emancipation. The present building, built in 1901, is the sixth in a series that was built for worship.

Catherine Street Fire Station (currently located on the grounds of Metropolitan Park) was built in 1902 and was manned by an all-black force until 1905. This building is also listed on the National Register for Historic Places and is now used as the city's historical fire museum.

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