Kwanzaa is a holiday that honors tradition and deepens the understanding of Black culture, and the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center kicked off the week-long celebration of the seven-day holiday via Zoom on Sunday.
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The acts McKnight, a musician herself, brought to town attracted folks from all backgrounds, including white students from the University of Florida. Like much of Gainesville’s Black history, however, her story has become lost to the passage of time as well as urban development.
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The commemoration also served as a fundraiser to build a memorial that will honor the students of Lincoln High School. The school s closure 50 years ago marked a painful episode that left hard feelings and deep disappointment, as well as pride in what had been. The alumni groups of both Lincoln High and A.L. Mebane High have remained active since both schools were closed as part of desegregation.
Lincoln High closed because of federal desegregation law
Now Lincoln Middle School, Lincoln High became the second accredited all-Black public high school in in Florida in 1926. The school was an epicenter for the Gainesville Black community.