There are always surprises with any re-examination. In medicine, it is wise to get a 'second opinion' and so it is with history! Upon closer look, there are even some undisclosed treasures to be found in your own communities.
As a transplant to Fort Pierce, Florida I learned about black men and women who had made significant contributions to the area and to black history but who were 'unsung' heroes without widespread recognition as is all too common.
Zora Neale Hurston was an author, anthropologist and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early 20th century, was well known among the Harlem Renaissance crowd and published research on Hoodoo. She wrote four novels, the best known Their Eyes Were Watching God was published in 1937. She is required reading in many high schools and colleges. Alice Walker, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou credit her as a “formative influence” on their writings. Barracoon tells the story of the last slave or 'black cargo' in first person. A prolific writer, she wrote more than 50 short stories, plays and essays. She asserted that her friend, Langston Hughes, 'lifted' much of his more famous pieces from her ! Zora was a civil rights activist until her death in 1960.
The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 Black artists who sold their art along the highways of Florida in the 1950's through 1980's. Their landscapes were serene, tranquil, colorful and distinctive. The undeveloped landscapes painted from their time are a kind of historical depiction of Florida's past that make their original works highly demanded.
Vivid, bright colors are characteristic of their collective works with wind bent palm trees, serene sunsets, churning oceans and bright red Poinciana trees. They are collector's items found on the walls of businesses and homes today but it was not always like that for the group. Their paintings were sold out of their car trunks until they met artist AE Backus. As a recognized prominent white artist, he cultivated them as friends and peers. The collaboration helped everyone.
Who Was In YOUR Backyard ?