AIR DATE FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Title: Black History Month
Explore Black history in central Florida and celebrate local achievements in the African-American community in the face of adversity.
Guests and Locations
Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Initiative, Co-Chair – Monica May
Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Executive Director – N.Y. Nathiri
Honoring Black History Month in Central Florida
February is Black History Month. In honor of that, we’re celebrating African American culture and shining a light on prominent figures who helped shape black history.
Join me as I have a conversation with Monica May (co-chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. initiative in Orange County) and N.Y. Nathiri (executive director of the Zora Neale Hurston Museum in Eatonville).
The Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative
The Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative seeks to honor Dr. King’s legacy and carry out his commitment to civil rights, non-violence, and justice for all.
This initiative was started in 2019 and is run by 30 community members who want to provide the Orange County community with educational opportunities resembling Dr. King’s philosophies.
Non-violence programs are a central area for the initiative. “We do an educational piece where we have books donated to different Headstart organizations, and we will go and read,” Monica explains.
She continues, “We’ve hosted several conversations online, and they’ve been very well-attended. We’ve talked about everything from social justice to the LGBTQ attending church and what that looks like in the black community as well.”
Unlike some MLK organizations, theirs operates all year round to bring the teachings of Dr. King to Orange County.
You can get involved by visiting the OCFL website and coming to open discussions with your fellow friends and community.
Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts
Zora Neale Hurston was a master storyteller who has made Eatonville, FL, a literary destination around the globe. She also shared its story as the first incorporated African American municipality, in her well-known novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”.
“When we established the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts in July of 1990, there was no place within 400 miles of our location where, on a year-round basis, you could see the creative work of visual artists of African ancestry,” Nathiri says.
When visiting the Zora Neale Hurston Museum, you can expect a warm welcome from the knowledgeable museum staff. Aside from the people, you should expect to see the work of visual artists of African ancestry.
Nathiri explains, “If you are to come, for example, during this time, our exhibitions will focus on Afrofuturism. In the visual realm, we will have, on an ongoing basis for the entire year, that body of work based on Stacey Robinson and John Jennings.”
You can support the African American and Black artist communities in Central Florida by visiting spaces like Heritage Square, the Sanford Museum, Eatonville, and the Wells’ Built Museum. Each site is an entry point to understanding African ancestry in Central Florida.
