County’s Award-Winning Created Equal Program to Examine Local Black and Brown History
Created Equal Returns to Continue Crucial Community Dialogue
| WHO: |
Leon County Government and The Village Square |
| WHAT: |
Created Equal: A Bicentennial Tribute to Black and Brown History |
| WHEN: |
Tuesday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. |
| WHERE: |
The Moon, 1105 E. Lafayette St. |
In honor of the Tallahassee-Leon County bicentennial, Leon County Government and The Village Square will host the ninth annual Created Equal program titled, “Created Equal: A Bicentennial Tribute to Black and Brown History” on Tuesday, May 7, at The Moon, 1105 E. Lafayette St. This award-winning program will examine the stories of Black and Brown people, their achievements, and their contributions to our County’s history.
Interested attendees are encouraged to register for the event at LeonCountyFL.gov/CreatedEqual. The event is free, and dinner and refreshments will be provided.
In an effort to recognize the history of Black and Brown people in Tallahassee-Leon County, this year’s Created Equal will delve deep into the stories of resilience, determination, and remarkable accomplishments of the Black and Brown individuals who have called Leon County home throughout its two-century existence. The discussion, featuring academic experts, historians and community members, will shed light on these narratives and help residents understand that recognizing this history is not just an act of remembrance but a step towards a more inclusive future for all.
The panel will include:
Althemese Pemberton Barnes founded the John G. Riley Museum in 1996, serving as the executive director. In 1997, she established the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, a statewide professional museum association. She had a career of 30 years with Florida’s Departments of Education and Labor, retiring in 1995. Her works include several oral history and cultural development projects, historical publications, heritage trail maps, guides, and documentaries. She is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Florida Association of Museums, the National Association of African American Museums, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Barnes received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida A&M University. Continuing her work in historic preservation, Barnes co-chaired the Smokey Hollow Commemoration Group, which was recently dedicated in her honor.
Dr. Andrea Howard Oliver is a history professor at Tallahassee Community College. Oliver previously served as the local administrator for About Face, a statewide educational and job readiness program sponsored by The Florida National Guard where she received a commendation award from then-Governor Jeb Bush. She has authored history books used in middle school classrooms nationwide.
Delaitre J. Hollinger is a local historian and the founder and co-executive director of the Florida Civil Rights Museum. Hollinger is a fifth-generation Leon County resident with a passion for preserving local history. Hollinger is the founder and executive director of the National Association for the Preservation of African American & Culture, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to the protection of historical properties and preservation advocacy. He is the founding curator of the Taylor House Museum of· Historic Frenchtown with the Tallahassee Urban League, Inc., where he has served since 2011.
Valerie Scoon, a nationally acclaimed filmmaker, boasts an impressive portfolio that includes the Golden Globe-nominated "The Great Debaters," featuring Denzel Washington, the cinematic adaptation of Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Beloved," alongside notable works like "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "The Wedding," both starring Halle Berry. In addition to her distinguished career in cinema, Scoon is a professor at the College of Motion Picture Arts at Florida State University where she oversees the script development of graduate and undergraduate thesis films. Scoon has her own film company, True Visions. Under her company, Scoon’s documentary, “Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots,” was broadcast nationally through American Public Television and won the 2021 Suncoast Regional Emmy for Best Historical Documentary.
Tom Flanigan will moderate the conversation. He is the program director for news at WFSU Public Media. He joined the organization in 2006 after a long career in radio and television broadcast, which included news coverage in markets large and small. In his present role, Flanigan focuses on spotlighting the people and events in the communities served by WFSU.
The award-winning Created Equal program builds on the success of previous events and continues to encourage frank conversations on race and racial inequity. Citizens will be invited to join the discussion during roundtable conversations after the panel.
To RSVP for the program, visit LeonCountyFL.gov/CreatedEqual.
For more information, contact Leon County Community and Media Relations at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.
###
|