Heritage Tourism
TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 February:
Black History Month:
Heritage Tourism
Grooch | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 07:28 pm     I read this article and I wondered if there were other places near where other posters lived that might be interesting to visit. Hopefully they will post about them here. EXPLORING A HERITAGE St. Augustine offers glimpse into nation's first community of freed slaves BY MICHAEL A.W. OTTEY mottey@herald.com Lincolnville, a neighborhood in St. Augustine, was founded in 1866 by freed slaves. The cabin pictured here is located at 94 South St. Originally named Africa, the neighborhood was renamed after Abraham Lincoln.
In a salt marsh just north of St. Augustine, the site of the nation's first community of freed slaves appears serene. Except for a modern-day pathway to ease access and viewing, nature and neglect have erased all trace of the fort that once rose there. There are no structures to be seen, only trees, brush and the water that hides the fort's treasures. In 1738, Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose -- known in short as Fort Mose -- was home to about 100 freed and runaway slaves. The men, women and children allied themselves with Spanish settlers, who were at that time the sworn enemies of the British. Some of the freed Africans even joined forces with Spanish militias to secure each other's freedom. There was a time not long ago when few knew about Fort Mose. But with heritage tourism soaring to new heights, the site of the fort has fast become a popular destination for blacks in search of their history, and others with a thirst for U.S. history in general. ''People are becoming more sophisticated in their travel, and people are now looking to learn more and appreciate more of the cultural product of a place,'' said David Brown, a specialist in cultural tourism development based in Miami. ``Especially visitors who are returning to a city for a second or third time. They're looking for more than just recreation and dining. They're looking to learn more about their culture and cultures other than their own.'' Brown conducts customized bus and walking tours of places such as Liberty City, Little Haiti, Little Havana and Overtown. Hundreds of these types of historic sites across the nation draw thousands of people who want to learn about who we are as Americans. Heritage tourism is a multibillion-dollar industry, as more people set out on family vacations that go beyond playtime. From coast to coast, north to south, cities have recognized the interest, and capitalized on it. The trend toward heritage tourism began with the late 1980s push for multicultural education, said Angela da Silva, president of the National Black Tourism Network in St. Louis. Others say the movement can be traced back to the 1970s after Alex Haley's epic tale Roots aired on national television. The story about Haley's family and his quest to establish his ancestry launched other African Americans on journeys to learn more about their history and culture. African-American travel to Africa and the Caribbean also grew in the 1980s. But the civil rights movement at home has also given African Americans plenty of sites to visit within the United States. Cities such as Selma, Ala., Montgomery, Ala., and Atlanta are tops on the heritage tourism trail. Universities, churches, whole neighborhoods, and just about every place where blacks settled and had influence across the nation are big draws on the heritage-tour circuit. Tourism is no longer just a leisure activity, Da Silva said. In Preservation Issues journal, she wrote that places such as Kansas City's 18th and Vine; the Plantation Project in Hancock County, Ga.; and Bronzeville in Chicago are all significant to African-American history. ''These places are tangible proof of the contributions that blacks made to American society,'' she said, ``and black tourists want to see them.'' In Florida and other states, some historic sites were left to decay or were erased by new development at a time when preservation of historic landmarks was not in vogue. In St. Augustine, for instance, Fort Mose hardly turned up in city registries until an amateur archaeologist began to dig up the forgotten history. Today, while there are no ruins at the site of the black settlement to be seen, there is a nearby exhibit dedicated to preserving the area's history. It is located in St. Augustine's Ponce de Leon Mall, 2121 U.S. Highway 1 South. The 3,000-square-foot exhibit includes nearly 100 audiovisual displays. Admission is free. The site where Fort Mose once stood was altered when Henry Flagler sent fill dirt to the area from other parts of a developing St. Augustine, according to Mike Hensley, park services specialist for Anastasia State Park and Fort Mose. A lot of people in the St. Augustine area were unaware of the history of Fort Mose, but that's beginning to change. With preservation efforts, people are starting to learn that blacks escaping slavery in Georgia and the Carolinas joined forces with the Yamasees -- a native tribe -- and made their way to St. Augustine, because they heard they could earn their freedom if they converted to Catholicism and joined Spanish militias. The British enslaved blacks and natives at the time. With the alliances formed, there was also interracial marrying among blacks and the native populations. ''A key figure in all of this was Francisco Menendez, who escaped slavery and joined the Indians when he came to St. Augustine,'' Hensley said. It was this association with the Spaniards that led Africans to take Spanish names. ''It is really a great piece of African-American history,'' Hensley said. ``It's a great piece of American history, too. When you read about it, it really is an inspiring story.'' Near Fort Mose, Lincolnville, founded in 1866 by freed slaves, is also a draw on the heritage tour. The neighborhood, originally named Africa but renamed to honor President Abraham Lincoln, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ''I definitely believe in heritage tourism,'' Da Silva said. ``Our history is just crumbling in the dust, and it's just fading. If we don't promote these places through tourism or other mechanisms, they're going to die.'' |
Squaredsc | Friday, February 07, 2003 - 07:36 am     The Great Blacks In Wax Museum is in Baltimore Maryland. As the founders of The Great Blacks In Wax Museum, Inc., we know the importance of having a dream and the gratification of having one's dream fulfilled. Our dream took form in 1980 when we, with money we had saved to make a down payment on a house, purchased four wax figures. We carried the figures around to schools, churches, shopping malls, and almost anywhere that people would allow us to set up an exhibit. Little did we know that by 1983 we would have a small storefront museum in downtown Baltimore, 21 wax figures, and the good wishes and support of many loyal friends. The possibility that in 1988 we would be celebrating the grand opening of a 10,000 square foot facility on North Avenue seemed almost unimaginable. But we always knew that a higher power than the two of us was guiding this effort. So we have always dared to dream, to believe that if we just "keep the faith", things would work out. As we turn our hopes and prayers to an even greater dream, the expansion of The Great Blacks In Wax Museum, Inc. – we ask you to take a moment of your time to get a glimpse of our dream in progress. We ask too that you join us in saying "thank you" to that higher power that grants all dreamers the courage to dream.
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Squaredsc | Friday, February 07, 2003 - 07:45 am    
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Squaredsc | Friday, February 07, 2003 - 07:46 am    
the above pics are pics of their displays. |
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