Neighborhood News Bureau

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  • Centerpiece of Midtown loses its limelight

    BY JASON SAAB
    NNB Reporter

    [Edited by Katie Callihan]

    MIDTOWN – The Manhattan Casino opened its doors in 1927 and was the centerpiece of Midtown St. Petersburg.

    It was founded by Elder Jordan, a Midtown community member and local entrepreneur. His ultimate goal for the casino was to create a space for the Midtown community to come as equals, let go of fear and dance off all tension during harsh segregated times.

    It was the community’s go-to spot, also visited by some of the greatest jazz musicians of that time.

    The Manhattan Casino thrived as a part of the “Chitlin’ Circuit.” This was a route traveled by performers including B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Duke Ellington.

    Alvin Burns, the former trumpet player for The Manzy Harris Band, also played at the Midtown casino.

    In the film “Remembering the Manhattan,” Burns said, “There were bars, pool rooms, drug stores, grocery stores, and the Manhattan Casino was the nerve-center for the black community.”

    Al Williams, former trumpet player for the George Cooper Band, said in the film “Remembering the Manhattan,” “People wanted to go to New York, they were traveling there, some couldn’t go there, some did make it, and others never went, so the Manhattan Casino was named for that. It was the closest thing to New York they had.”  

    The Manhattan was a place that not only had a friendly atmosphere, but a structure that brought such rare access to such timely, famous musicians.

    Since its golden era, the Manhattan Casino has become a shell of its former self. Its undoing was ironically because of the desegregation movement.

    When desegregation went into effect, the black community in Midtown became more accepted in the downtown area where they were formerly banned.

    “Blacks could now visit locations outside of their traditional boundaries of the segregated years, but few whites came to places such as the Manhattan,” said Shnur, the archivist in special collections at University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

    Once the Midtown community members felt free to move outside of Midtown, they left.

    With both the black and white communities of St. Petersburg frequenting only the downtown area, the abandoned Manhattan Casino closed its doors in 1966.

    In 2013, as part of former Mayor Bill Foster’s ‘Foster’s Forty’ plan, the Manhattan Casino reopened its doors after being left vacant for almost 50 years.

    Despite the efforts to remodel Midtown’s old treasure, it’s hard to say that the old, historic landmark will ever be the same centerpiece it once was.

    The Manhattan Casino currently hosts Sylvia’s Restaurant on the bottom floor and an empty dance hall used exclusively for private events on the top floor.

    The community’s once ‘go-to’ spot has now become an empty hall of vacant seats.

    Norman Jones, a community consultant for the film “Remembering the Manhattan”, said: “It was the end of an era, end of segregation, beginning of integration, and our community went to sleep.”

  • ‘A Lion of the Law’ Justice Thurgood Marshall honored by ASALH, ACLU

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    NNB Reporter

    ST PETERSBURG — Thurgood Marshall is well known for his civil rights activities; however, his jurisprudence style tends to be overlooked.

    The St. Petersburg chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) held the Speakers for Justice Seminar last Sat., Jan. 23 honoring Justice Thurgood Marshall at the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum.

    Master of Ceremonies Attorney Jacqueline Hubbard, president of the St. Petersburg Chapter of ASALH gave the audience a brief yet thorough history of Justice Marshall’s academic, civil rights and legal accomplishments.

    According to Hubbard, one of Marshall’s most notable accomplishments was his instrumental hand in developing the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund in 1940, which fights for racial justice through litigation, advocacy and public education. Hubbard also highlighted his victory in Brown vs. Board of Education ending legal segregation in public schools.

    Imam Askia Muhammad introduced Civil Rights Attorney Delano Stewart, the first African- American assistant public defender in Hillsborough County. Stewart, who started working as an attorney more than 50 years ago, is known for his candidness in the courtroom.

    “It doesn’t matter if a man likes or loathes you, if he respects you, you cannot discern the difference,” Muhammad quoted Stewart.

    Stewart known as the “shield for the oppressed” spoke passionately about civil rights focusing on a theme of respect. His powerful anecdotes triggered a vast range of reactions from laughter, applause in agreement and silence of solemnity as he rapped on the podium to emphasize his points.

    ACLU Attorney Adam Tebrugge spoke of Justice Marshall’s efforts to discredit the death penalty. Marshall believed that the inconsistent death penalty convictions violated the Eighth Amendment. For some 20 years, Marshall traveled throughout the South defending death penalty cases earning Marshall his reputation.

    Tebrugge’s acknowledgement of Marshall’s efforts came 10 days after eight Supreme Court Justices ruled in favor of striking down Florida’s death penalty practices.

    Florida previously allowed the judge, not the jury, to hand down a defendant’s sentence, a violation of a defendant’s constitutional right to have a trial by jury. The debate that is sure to follow this decision could render all inmates on death row eligible for re-sentencing.

    “We have a historic opportunity at this moment in time to reach out to our elected representatives and to tell them that we here in the state of Florida do not need the death penalty and that we cannot afford the death penalty,” said Tebrugge.

    The Honorable Charles Williams, Chief Judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit focused on Marshall as a person and his gregarious nature. Marshall’s ability to be fluid in different societies and knowing when to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive advanced his position in the Civil Rights Movement.

    “He is the least known major civil rights figure in America and I think he has gotten the least credit,” said Williams.

     

  • Light at the end of the 
Sunnel

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – It was not her passion but Sandra Gadsden played basketball regardless.

    For her achievements on the court, she was inducted into the South Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.

    So, why did she play basketball?

    “It wasn’t inspiration, it was a growth spurt,” Gadsden said.

    Although she wasn’t inspired to play basketball, it inspired her outlook on life. Her experience at South Carolina State University showed her how people who are considered different and marginalized deal with and navigate life.

    “When you see it for the first time it’s hard to pinpoint what it is, people there go beyond just being your professor, they advise you on life, they prepare you for the real world outside of campus…you learn about adversity” Gadsden said.

    Gadsden shared her story of perseverance with students from Mt. Zion Christian Academy as part of the third installment of “Light at the End of the Tunnel”, a series of storytelling events Feb. 12, at the “Blue Sunnel.”

    Artist Ya La’ford designed the “Blue Sunnel” mural as a reminder to residents that they can find hope in the darkest of places. The Sunnel is an underground tunnel between Tropicana Field and Central Avenue.

    The “Blue Sunnel” provided a living-room like ambience, lit with invigorating blue lights where the children sat with community leaders.

    Councilwoman Darden 
Rice, police chief 
Anthony Holloway, St.
Petersburg director
 of
 urban
 affairs 
Nikki 
Gaskin‐Capehart, and artist 
Bob 
Barancik joined Gadsden to speak about gun violence, the city budget and how to become a police officer.

    The children came prepared with well prepared questions for each guest speaker. The students are assigned a research class project, where La’ford guides them through research methods for each panelist and teaches them how to ask questions that they can learn from.

    The intent of the class project is to prepare students for public speaking, critical thinking and to improve their listening skills.

    “These events really have grown into a magical real life field trip, kids get an experience outside of their regular routine, it challenges all of their senses: listening, thinking, speaking,” said La’ford.

    When asked how to become an elected official, Rice advised the students to get involved at school, student government and in the community.

    “We can get so much more done by getting involved with other people,” said Rice.

    As the event concluded guest speakers shared words of inspiration with the students.

    “It doesn’t matter where you start,” Gadsden said. “You all have an opportunity to make an impact in the lives of other people.”

    La’ford’s next event is with the SunLit Festival, where children are invited to participate in a community literacy mural titled “Lift Every WORD and READ” at the James Weldon Johnson Community Center Mar. 5.

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  • African American Heritage Trail: Mercy Hospital’s past is linked to Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center’s present

    African American Heritage Trail: Mercy Hospital’s past is linked to Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center’s present

    BY YURI ROSS,  TATIANA CUBAS, AND DAVID STONER
    NNB Reporters

    MIDTOWN — Mercy Hospital was the only facility that provided medical care to St. Petersburg’s African-American residents.

    It operated between 1923 and 1961. This had its advantages as compassionate professionals dedicated the best possible care to their community.

    Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center maintains the historic value of Mercy Hospital and continues to use the same mission, providing quality of care at a low cost.

    According to Cheryl Robinson, clinical operations director, the health center opened in May of 1985 in the basement of Lakeview Presbyterian Church. It later moved to the Mercy Hospital site in February of 2004.

    While health care is not free, the health center accepts all managed care plans and many commercial plans. For uninsured patients, the facility has a discount service fee based on income and number of family members in the household, Robinson said.

    The health center provides services in pediatric, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health, and dental care. It is one of ten centers in the Community Health Centers of Pinellas network. The center has its own ACCESS program to provide help for those in need, and the ACCESS program attends many community functions to keep the community aware of its services, said Robinson. They also hold several community events every year including the annual African American Health Forum and the Junior League Back to School event.

    There have been no plans to expand their services at this time.

    Mercy Hospital became an important part of the community since it was the only hospital to provide care to African-Americans during segregation when integration was not available. It provided low cost care and performed all types of surgeries. A gallery that commemorates Mercy Hospital has signs saying that the staff and patients knew each other and the patients were not simply numbers. It became family oriented and the heart of the community.

    However, the hospital would experience its burdens because of its small size.

    Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center maintains a link to the history of Mercy Hospital. The renovations at the health center allowed the Mercy Hospital to be connected to the it.

  • African American Heritage Trail: The Historic Manhattan Casino

    The Historic Manhattan Casino comes to life at night with Jazz performances from local Jazz artists following in the footsteps of former greats.

    Photo courtesy of Tim Arruda

    Listen to live jazz as you delve into a soulful menu of upscale southern comfort at Sylvia’s St. Pete.

    Experience southern staples and a new twist on old favorites.

    BY LAURA MULROONEY AND JASON SAAB
    NNB Reporters

    Constructed by Elder Jordan Sr., one of the first African American businessmen in St. Petersburg, FL and his sons was and has remained a quintessential establishment in Midtown since 1925.

    For 40 years, the Manhattan Casino played a significant role as a social hub for the community.

    The Manhattan was once a venue on the renowned southern “Chitlin Circuit,” a string of venues throughout the eastern, southern, and upper mid-west areas of the United States that were safe for African American performers of all genres to perform uninhibited.

    George Grogan served as the booking agent responsible for bringing in big acts, while simultaneously employed at Gibbs High School as a chemistry teacher.

    Major jazz and blues performers, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Fat Domino, Count Bassie, Otis Redding and local legendary icons Al Downing, LeRoy Flemmings Jr., Al Williams, and George ‘Buster’ Cooper played at the venue.

    Al Downing, also a teacher at Gibbs High School inspired many students throughout the years with his passion and skill, some of the impressionable youth followed in his footsteps like Buster Cooper.

    Cooper learned music from Downing during his formative years at Gibbs High School.

    Buster would eventually go on to play throughout the country, but started off at the Manhattan where he would play with his cousin’s band and any swing bands that would allow him to sit in as they visited. Buster remembers the Manhattan being the “only place we could play at that time.”

    The casino closed in 1966 due to effects of integration throughout the city, allowing African American musicians greater exposure by playing in once closed off parts of the city.

    In 2005 The Manhattan was renovated under the initiative of former St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

    After many years of debate and fiscal hardship, once just a dance hall and center for community events the space packs twice the punch.

    On the first floor Sylvia’s Queen of Soul Food Restaurant opened in 2013 and is the first upscale soul food eatery in St. Petersburg.

    Sylvia’s serves down home cooking with a swanky ambiance. Piping hot corn bread is served upon seating as a four-page menu is placed in front of you. The menu offers three styles of chicken and waffles, grilled, blackened, fried, and BBQ seafood options, and every southern side dish imaginable.

    Upstairs stills serves it’s purpose as a dance and event hall.

    The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, Inc. continues to keep the music alive at the Manhattan with live Jazz Jams every second Sunday of the month. With major events such as Jazz Jams culminating conclusion of the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival

    Jazz is offered every Saturday downstairs at Sylvia’s from 11-2. Sylvia’s also hosts a Gospel Brunch every Sunday.

    Buster Cooper Quote and Interview courtesy of Jon Tallon- Florida Historian
    King’s Dream Unite and Manhattan Casino night photos courtesy of Tim Arruda

    Visit the King’s Dream Unite mural painted by artist Ya La’ford to recognize unity within the community.

    Photo Courtesy of Tim Arruda

    Internationally known artist Ya La’ford incorporates lights with her murals to remind residents that hope can be found in the darkest places.

    Local musicians bring the old Jazz hall back to life every Saturday and the second Sunday of every month.

  • Renovation, Rouson to breathe new life into Faynne Ponder Council House

    Renovation, Rouson to breathe new life into Faynne Ponder Council House

    BY MARLA KORENICH AND IVELLIAM CEBALLO
    NNB Reporters

    Pausing for a sandwich, the carpenter stowed himself away from the cold in his white truck behind the historical building. He muttered about failing to notice the stolen AC unit while working inside the meetinghouse last week.

    “Thieves, man,” he said.

    The carpenter from All Trades Historical LLC asked to be identified as “Mike the workman.” His job to renovate the Faynne A. Ponder Council House on 9th Avenue South included installing new cabinets and doors.

    “I figured they wouldn’t steal out of respect for the old lady,” he said in a compassionate tone.

    The “old lady” is Ponder, who started the council house in 1940, establishing the local affiliate of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). The purpose of the group was to effect the integration of African Americans into the political, educational, economic, social, and cultural life of St. Petersburg, according to stpete.org.

    Not all sections of the organization have their own council house.

    “It’s rare that you will find an organization that has their own house, a single place where the organization can meet and call its own. Seeing an NCNW house here, it is amazing to me that this has come to fruition,” said Sandra Gibson, St. Petersburg section member.

    Gibson was the president of the organization’s section in Rochester, New York, and has been involved with the St. Petersburg section for four months.

    The group gets by with help from its members.

    Angela Rouson is the president of the section located in midtown St. Petersburg.

    Even though the house where they meet is being renovated, the women are still actively engaging the community. Their youth leadership development program is ongoing with an upcoming Health and Wellness Expo, according to Rouson. 

    And there are more plans for the future.

    “We intend to do a summer reading program again when schools are out, and we have been asked to mentor girls at Johns Hopkins Middle School,” Rouson said. “We’re working with the Museum of Fine Arts to bring a Smithsonian exhibit to St. Petersburg, and we’re planning our Founder’s Day Luncheon as well.”

    “We plan to apply for another grant to be able to educate the community about our history and contributions and to turn our parlor into a museum,” Rouson said.

    A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned when the renovations to the house are finished.

    “If we support our community then our community can be strong for the family it supports,” Gibson said.

  • Admired African American women come back to life

    Admired African American women come back to life

    BY IVELLIAM CEBALLO
    NNB Reporter

    MIDTOWN — Two lively women sang a freedom hymn as they walked into a small, open gallery with no seats left empty.

    Historically important African American women Mary McLeod Bethune and Zora Neale Hurston shared their stories of perseverance during the “Two takes on a Dream” speaker series at the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum Thursday, Feb. 11. The series is called “Two takes on a Dream.”

    Chautauqua scholars Ersula Odom Knox portrayed Bethune and Phyllis McEwen portrayed Hurston.

    McEwen’s portrayal of Hurston kept the room laughing out loud. Hurston came to life through her Southern accent and sass when sharing about her experiences and in her back-and-forth with her friend Bethune. She has been portraying Hurston since 1991.

    During the performance, the audience felt Hurston’s pride in her heritage when she said, “I was a negro baby, a negro girl and a negro woman.”

    Ceballo_Chataucqua_03

    Hurston was born in Alabama, but moved to Florida with her family as a toddler. She was a daughter of former slaves and dedicated her life to studying, collecting African American folklore and writing, according to her biography. She was influential to the Harlem Renaissance, a time when famous African Americans shed light on their culture through their creative and scientific work.

    “Zora inspires the creative spark for me,” McEwen said. “The way she shared her work inspires me to share my work.”

    McEwen said that the genius in these two women is “frightening.” The two scholars contemplated on the fact that these two women were very busy and the span of their influence was immeasurable to society.  

    “People are afraid of Zora’s intellect,” McEwen said when referring to the author’s books.

    McEwen’s favorite book written by Hurston is “Dust Tracks on a Road” because Hurston tells the story of her own life. Her struggles in life and the way she handled them were inspirational, according to McEwen.

    Bethune was an unbelievable woman, according to Odom who has been portraying her for public programs for the humanities council since 2006.

    “She did so many incredible things that people may not be aware of,” Odom said. “If (people) knew they would have personal pride because they can relate to her as an African American woman.”

    Ceballo_Chataucqua_01

    Originally from South Carolina, Bethune was born of former slaves and the only member in her family of 17 siblings that attended school, according to her biography. Odom shared her story with the audience and in her performance expressed Bethune’s love of learning and sharing her knowledge. While reminiscing on her childhood during the performance, Bethune remembered how much she enjoyed teaching her family the things she learned at school since they didn’t have the opportunity to receive a formal education. She was an educator since she was 10.

    The name Bethune-Cookman University may ring a bell when people think of this determined woman. After teaching in Georgia and South Carolina, Bethune’s dream was to open her own school so she did with $1.50 in Daytona, Florida, and five students, according to the university’s history.

    “She was able to do so much in one lifetime,” Odom said. “She was able to pull people together of diverse backgrounds in order to achieve a common goal.”

    One of the accomplishments that impresses Odom the most was Bethune’s access to the White House. She advised five presidents and founded the National Council of Negro Women, a civil rights organization to help the progress of African American women in society.

    Odom’s study and research of Bethune has inspired her to be more like the civil rights activist and educator.

    “After what would Jesus do is what would Mary McLeod Bethune do,” she said.

    Odom has written a new book which will be released soon. She tells the story of Dorris Rossreddick who was the first African American woman to sit on the Hillsborough County school board and to chair it, according to the author.

    McEwen, like Odom, is also a writer, and artist too. Her work will be displayed during an art show at Studio 620 in March.

    John Hayner, an 80-year-old philatelist from Clearwater attended the reenactment. Hayner was there because he went to Eatonville the day that Zora Neale Hurston’s stamp was issued on Jan. 24, 2003 and he let her know at the end of the performance when guests were welcome to interact with the presenters.

    Ceballo_Chataucqua_04

    Hayner lived in British Guinea as a child and appreciates African American history because he experienced being the “only white boy in school.”

    Miriam Romo, 35, of Meadowlawn, attended the performance to listen to poetry and for her son.

    “My son is mixed. The more I know, the more I can transfer on to him,” Romo said referring to African American history. “It’s important to know where you’re coming from.”

    Another mother, Ginande Jester from Clearwater, was also there for her 15-year-old daughter and is committed to go to events like this monthly with her.

    “My objective is to support local events so my daughter gets a sense of history,” Jester said.

    Jester’s daughter, Zxamara, said it was cool that the women being portrayed had Florida roots.

    Today their legacy lives on.

    “Someone said we’re dead,” Bethune jokingly said to Hurston when the audience had time to converse with them after they finished the performance.

  • Shame encourages hunger

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    NNB Reporter
    [Edited By Ivelliam Ceballo]

    Twenty-five percent of Pinellas County’s underage population has no idea where their next meal will come from, the definition of chronic hunger.

    Approximately 86 percent of people in this country take for granted food choices available to them, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

    While food is freely distributed throughout the city at numerous food banks and outreach programs, what prevents residents from being food and nutrition secure?

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal nutrition assistance program, not a cash assistance program. Similarly, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) offers food for low-income women who are pregnant or have children under the age of 5.

    SNAP and WIC nutrition programs are used interchangeably with the word welfare, which causes confusion and misunderstanding for those who might qualify for the programs but never apply because of a perceived stigma.

    Participation in the SNAP program has dropped by more than a million people since October 2014. October 2015 marked the fifth straight monthly decline. Even as more people are applying for benefits, about 20 percent of eligible applicants will not receive them, according to the Food Research and Action Center.

    Why the decline?

    Beth Houghton, the executive director of St. Petersburg Free Clinic, believes awareness is the biggest problem.

    “Many families don’t know they qualify for food assistance like SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps,” said Houghton. “Many families are unaware of the qualifications they need to benefit from this federal program. Education about available programs and resources is key.”

    Some groups are working to raise awareness.

    The St. Petersburg Free Clinic Food Bank started advertising with other area food banks to share food resource information using social media.

    Did you know 1 in 4 children in Pinellas County are chronically hungry? Posted by St. Petersburg Free Clinic on Tuesday, August 25, 2015
    Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger provides education initiatives and resources through the University of Florida Extension program which includes help with finances, nutrition and home gardening. The Food Research and Action Center provides dedicated web space for research including resources on nutrition and healthy living. Short pre-screenings to determine eligibility can be done online for SNAP and WIC. Still, the suffering from chronic hunger persists and it’s not always visually apparent. There is a fear of being stereotyped, the stigma behind being a welfare recipient is harsh in a world where the rich are idolized and the poor are ignored.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text] 27% of people in Midtown are at or below poverty level, which is much higher than the state’s average of 17%.  city-data.com [/vc_column_text][vc_separator color="grey" align="align_center" style="" border_width="" el_width=""][vc_column_text]Links to Program Prescreening Supplemental Nutrition Assitance Program (SNAP) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] NNB reporters Esteban Rodriguez and Marla Korenich contributed to this report.

  • Flag raised over City Hall commemorates 40 years of Black History Month

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – History was made February 1 at City Hall.

    Amid applause, whoops and laughter, Mayor Rick Kriseman raised a flag over City Hall commemorating 40 years of Black History Month.

    The flag featured the likeness of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an educator, author and historian who is known as the father of Black History Month.

    After the flag was raised, Terri Lipsey Scott, chair of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum in St. Petersburg, praised Kriseman for the important gesture.

    She commended him on doing what no other St. Petersburg mayor has ever done, “which was to acknowledge and commemorate the contributions that African Americans have made to this nation by flying, over a government institution, a flag in honor of not only Dr. Carter G. Woodson but African American history,” said Scott.

    In response, Kriseman said that “one of the many things that makes our community so special is our black history and the countless contributions that black individuals and families have made, and continue to make.”

    Last March, Kriseman also won plaudits when he announced that the city will try to purchase and preserve the Woodson museum, a long-simmering point of controversy between the museum board and the museum’s landlord, the St. Petersburg Housing Authority.

    Two months earlier, the Housing Authority board had voted 4-3 to sell the small community museum at 2240 9th Ave. S.

    Since then the city has announced a plan to purchase the building with the intent to keep it as a cultural landmark, museum, and now city building.

    In praising Kriseman’s recognition of the city’s diversity and the importance of keeping its history alive, Scott quoted Woodson: “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

    Woodson announced the celebration of “Negro History Week” in 1926, in effort to preserve African American history, which had been routinely overlooked in history books.

    In 1976 “Negro History Week” was extended to encompass the entire month of February. Some say that the establishment of Black History Month is counterproductive to Woodson’s initial intent.

    Relegating black history to one month excuses the full integration of black history into mainstream education.

    This is not the first time Kriseman has made steps to unify the community and demonstrate St. Petersburg’s inclusiveness.

    During Pride Week in 2015, Kriseman flew the LGBT Pride Flag over City Hall and returned as the parade’s honorary grand marshal along with former St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Melanie Brevan.

    Laura Mulrooney is a reporter in the Neighborhood News Bureau at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.