Hidden Sagas Collection

Item set

Title

Description

“Hidden Sagas: Stories of Florida’s African American Experience” Oral History Project had its roots as a response to the Florida Humanities Council’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2003, and three year initiative entitled “Telling Florida’s Stories: Strengthening Florida Communities.” The specific goal of this project was to collect the reminisces of black Floridians who had lived through the Jim Crow Era and witnessed the changes wrought by the Civil Rights Revolution. The driving force behind “Hidden Sagas” was to revamp the history of America’s rural communities that is often overshadowed by the vast amounts of evidence of urban centers. The roots of the African American experience begin with the land, may it be a plantation of the antebellum period or tenant farmer. It was these places that Black culture, religion, and folk life took its form. It is only natural to return to those places to seek the history of African American people.

Physical Location

Hidden Sagas Collection, John G. Riley House Archives, Tallahassee Community College Library, Tallahassee, Florida.

Items

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Neighborhoods must figure prominently into Blueprint changes

Newspaper article acknowledging fears of neighborhoods as Blueprint 2000 is implemented in Tallahassee, Florida.
Our Challenge: Preserve our past or corrode our character

Newspaper article on the importance of preserving spaces like Smokey Hollow so Tallahassee does not lose its history.
Still Shining: Patrons pay to be in his shoes. John Jackson is a pro at shining and dying shoes

Newspaper article about John Jackson and his career in shining and dying shoes at Capital Shoe Fixery. Jackson started out as a child in Smokey Hollow shining shoes and then started work at the Fixery in 1955.
Smokey Hollow: A community exists mostly in memory

Newspaper article about the history of the Smokey Hollow neighborhood in Tallahassee, Florida. Includes interviews with former and current residents of the area as well as information about the effort to preserve the remains of the neighborhood.
Interview with Shanezia Beasley Hicks, February 2005

Transcript of interview with Shenezia Beasley Hicks about life in Smokey Hollow and the greater Tallahassee area. The interview includes a detailed, oral description of the geography of Smokey Hollow, prominent Black families, and marching for better labor conditions at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Interview with Janie Cuba Kelly, April 2005

Transcript of interview with Janie Cuba Kelly about life in Smokey Hollow and the greater Tallahassee area. The interview includes a detailed, oral description of growing up in Smokey Hollow, local businesses and working opportunities for the community, and the interviewee's education experiences.
Interview with John J. Jackson, November 2004

Transcript of interview with John J. Jackson about life in Smokey Hollow and the greater Tallahassee area. Interview includes a detailed, oral description of the geography of Smokey Hollow, prominent Black families, and labor.
Interview with William Marshall, December 3, 2004

Transcript of Interview with William Marshall about his experience living in Smokey Hollow. Includes discussion of Black business, finance, urban renewal, sale of Black property, education, and Black literacy. A brief discussion of race relations and military service.
Interview with Mamie Thomas, December 5, 2004

Transcript of interview with Mamie Thomas about her life in Smokey Hollow, Florida. Focuses on family life, race relations, segregation, and healthcare.