Black History in Tampa Bay

Central Avenue in Downtown Tampa was once known as the “Harlem of the South.” Between the early 1920s and late 1950s, Central Avenue was booming with black-owned businesses, music, food, and entertainment, born through their fight against racial injustice. Between 1900 and 1930, the Black population in Tampa skyrocketed from 4,382 to 21,531, with more than 200 African-American-owned enterprises on and around Central Avenue. The bustling streets were lined with black-owned businesses packed with black patrons from insurance companies to schools, doctors offices, and even the first black library in Tampa, the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library. By the 1930s, Central Avenue had all the amenities people needed for everyday living, including a bustling music scene as a Chitlin' Circuit stop. According to National Public Radio, the Chitlin' Circuit was a “group of performance venues located mostly in the South that were safe and acceptable places for African-American musicians and entertainers to perform during Jim Crow.” 

These days, located on Central Avenue, stand many black historical landmarks, including Tampa’s Black History Museum and Perry Harvey, Sr. Park. Tampa’s Black History Museum aims to preserve and educate the public on Tampa’s black history. Perry Harvey Park features distinctive and appropriate artwork, with four significant pieces of art by four different artists. They strive to convey the rich and nuanced tale of Historic Central Avenue's and the African American community's numerous contributions. Moreover, around the corner, located on North Nebraska Avenue, is the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library. Originally named the Ybor City Branch Library, the library’s first home opened in 1933 at 1729 East Broadway. The space was donated by the local Italian American Club. In January 1969, after many years of business, the library was relocated to 1505 North Nebraska Avenue. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners decided to rename the Ybor City Branch Library in honor of former NAACP Field Director and civil rights pioneer Robert W. Saunders, Sr. on November 5, 2003.

The legacy of Central Avenue as the "Harlem of the South" is still deeply ingrained in Tampa's Black history, demonstrating the African American community's tenacity, inventiveness, and spirit of entrepreneurship. Despite changes to the physical landscape, this historic district's cultural influence is still felt today thanks to institutions like the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, Perry Harvey Sr. Park, and Tampa's Black History Museum. These locations guarantee that the history and contributions of the thriving community that formerly flourished on Central Avenue are never lost by acting as potent reminders of it. Tampa continues to celebrate the rich history of Central Avenue and its significant impact on the cultural and historical fabric of the city by upholding and celebrating this legacy.