WFSU Local Routes
Thursday, May 20, 2021, was the 156th anniversary of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in Florida. Announcing the end of slavery for the first time in the state, Union officers stood on the steps of the Knott House in Tallahassee to share the document following the end of the Civil War.
The date has grown in recognition, with celebrations held around Florida’s capital and in other areas. On this year’s anniversary, WFSU premiered a new documentary by local filmmaker Valerie Scoon. The story focuses on the little-known history of plantations and the previously enslaved in North Florida, an area that was once considered the middle part of the state. The film is titled
“CMPA created the Torchlight Center exactly for this opportunity to encourage faculty, students and alumni to work together on projects here in Florida. We are excited to see these efforts begin to pay off.”
“Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots,” which sheds light on the little-known history of plantations and the enslaved in North Florida, will premiere on WFSU at 9 p.m. Thursday, May 20.
“While this project focuses on northern Florida, it is a microcosm of the idea of how slavery shaped all of America, which makes it, we believe, a relevant documentary for national distribution,” Scoon said.
The project benefited from the expertise of faculty from FSU and Florida A&M University, as well as support of local museums and archival resources.
WFSU s Screening and Discussion: Invisible History: Middle Florida s Hidden Roots
Invisible History: Middle Florida s Hidden Roots
This virtual Zoom event will take place Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ET.REGISTER HERE The Invisible History documentary project will shed light on the little-known history of plantations and the enslaved in North Florida. By creating a visually compelling story that explores the history of a people who contributed so much to what Leon County is today, it aims to advance a sense of place and identity for hundreds of thousands of African Americans. The program depicts the invisible history of slavery in Leon County and attempts to trace its economic, social and political effects on our community today. [More]
Loretta Whitfield, creator of a doll with a difference, dies at 79
By Clay Risen New York Times,Updated February 26, 2021, 1:55 p.m.
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Loretta Whitfield in 2018Family Photo
In the early 1980s, Melvin Whitfield was working for a health nonprofit in West Africa when he came to a realization: Few of the children he encountered had dolls, and the dolls he did see were modeled after white European faces and bodies.
Whitfield, who is Black, returned to Washington in 1983, around the time his girlfriend, Loretta Thomas, was coming to her own doll-inspired despair after trying to find a toy for her niece.
Loretta Whitfield, Creator of a Doll With a Difference, Dies at 79 nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.